Fence Regulations in Portsmouth, VA (2026)
4 verified fence regulations for Portsmouth, Virginia, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
Portsmouth caps residential fences at 4 feet and 50 percent see-through in a front yard, or 6 feet if solid only at the front facade, and 6 feet in side and rear yards. Sec. 40.2-305(D)(3) measures every height from finished grade and applies separate caps on corner and double-frontage lots.
Portsmouth Fence Height Limits by Yard
Some RestrictionsSec. 40.2-305(D)(3)
(3)Maximum Height Requirements for Fences and Walls. In all cases, fence and wall heights are measured from finished grade on the highest point of the fence or wall.(a)Residential, commercial, and industrial district fence requirements are shown in Table 40.2-305 Residential, Commercial, and Industrial Fence Requirements. See Table 40.2-201, Zoning Districts Established to determine category of...
Fence Permit Requirements
Every fence or wall built, rebuilt, replaced, or relocated in Portsmouth needs a Zoning Permit under Sec. 40.2-305(B)(2), checked against the height and material standards before a building permit or zoning permit issues. Historic-district fences need a Certificate of Appropriateness instead.
Portsmouth Fence Permit Requirement
Some RestrictionsSec. 40.2-305(B)(2)
(B)Applicability.(1)Unless exempted in accordance with this section, the provisions of this section shall apply to the construction, reconstruction, replacement, or relocation of fences or walls in the City.(2)All fence or wall construction, reconstruction, replacement, or relocation must obtain a Zoning Permit.(3)Compliance with the standards of this section shall occur prior to approval of a ...
Retaining Walls
Stack a fence on top of a retaining wall in Portsmouth and the combined height still can't exceed the district's normal fence-height limit. Sec. 40.2-305(D)(3) measures the total from finished grade at the wall's base, not just the fence portion.
Portsmouth Fence-on-Wall Height Cap
Some RestrictionsSec. 40.2-305(D)(3)
(3)Maximum Height Requirements for Fences and Walls. In all cases, fence and wall heights are measured from finished grade on the highest point of the fence or wall. If a fence is constructed on top of a retaining or other wall, the combined height of the fence and wall shall not exceed the maximum height that would apply to a fence or wall alone.
Material Restrictions
Portsmouth bans barbed wire and electric fencing in every zoning district. Barbed wire can only go up with a Zoning Administrator-approved security plan and a Special Exception, and electric fencing's only carve-out is an invisible fence used to contain pets.
Portsmouth Bans Barbed and Electric Fencing
Significant RestrictionsSec. 40.2-305(D)(2)(d)
(d)Prohibited materials for the construction of fences and walls include: debris, junk, rolled plastic, sheet metal, pallets, plywood, razor wire, or concertina wire in all zoning districts.(i)Barbed wire is prohibited in all zoning districts unless specifically approved in accordance with a security plan (See Sec. 40.2-305(E)).(ii)Electric fencing is prohibited in all zoning districts with the...