Fence Regulations in Roanoke, VA (2026)
3 verified fence regulations for Roanoke, Virginia, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
Fences within a sight distance triangle at a corner cannot exceed 36 inches in Roanoke. Elsewhere, height is set by zoning district and lot location: 48 inches along most residential front frontages, 6 feet along side, rear, and secondary yards, and up to 8 or 10 feet in commercial and industrial districts.
Roanoke Fence Height and Sight-Triangle Limits
Some RestrictionsRoanoke City Code § 36.2-410(b)(1), (b)(3)
(1)No fence or wall that exceeds a height of 36 inches from graded ground level shall be permitted within a sight distance triangle...(3)The maximum height for fences and walls shall be based on the following schedule: ... RA, R-12, R-7, R-5, R-3, RM-1, RM-2, RMF, IN, MX, MXPUD ... 48 inches ... 6 feet ... Any required side or rear yard 6 feet, except where one (1) of these districts abuts a D,...
Retaining Walls
Roanoke's zoning code exempts retaining walls from the general fence height and permit rules and lets them encroach into any required yard, but any retaining wall five feet or taller within 10 feet of a property line must be screened with an 18-inch evergreen shrub buffer under Table 647-1.
Roanoke Retaining Wall Buffer and Yard Rules
Light RestrictionsRoanoke Zoning Ordinance § 36.2-410(a); § 36.2-205(e), Table 205-1; § 36.2-647, Table 647-1
(a)Applicability. Fences, walls, arbors, and trellises shall be subject to the supplemental regulations of this section. ... The supplemental regulations of this section shall not apply to retaining walls. ... Retaining walls Yes Yes Yes ... Base of a retaining wall 5 or more feet in height within 10 feet of property line Between the wall and an abutting residential district, multiple purpose d...
Material Restrictions
Roanoke bans barbed wire and razor wire on residential fences, with a narrow exception for barbed wire containing farm animals in the Residential Agriculture (RA) district. In commercial, industrial, and PUD zones it is allowed only atop a 6-foot wall, angled inward or kept off the right-of-way, and limited to three strands.
Roanoke Bars Barbed and Razor Wire on Home Fences
Significant RestrictionsRoanoke City Code § 36.2-410(b)(2), (b)(4)
(2)No fence located in an area as set forth in subsections (A) and (B) below shall be a solid fence, unless otherwise required by this chapter. Lattice, open wire, or any other fence type with 25 percent or more open area shall be permitted...(4)Provision of barbed wire and razor wire.(A)Barbed wire and razor wire are prohibited in all residential districts, except that barbed wire is permitted...