Fence Regulations in Albemarle County, VA (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Albemarle County, Virginia.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
Albemarle County's zoning ordinance sets no blanket height cap for a residential fence and allows one in any required yard as an accessory structure, but every fence still has to meet the sight-distance rule that keeps intersections clear to Virginia Department of Transportation standards.
Albemarle County Fence Sightline Rule
Light RestrictionsAlbemarle County Code §§ 18-4.4, 18-4.11.2(c)(1)
For protection against traffic hazards, no material impediment to visibility shall be placed, allowed to grow, erected or maintained on any parcel so as to restrict sight distance at any intersection of any public street, private road or driveway, or at the intersection of any alley and public street or private road, below the minimum required by the Virginia Department of Transportation for su...
Fence Permit Requirements
In the Entrance Corridor overlay district, Albemarle County requires an Architectural Review Board Certificate of Appropriateness before a fence-related building permit can be approved. County Code § 18-30.6.4 lists safety and screening fencing among the developments needing review, with a $265 fee under § 1-504 for the minor staff-level review.
Albemarle County Entrance Corridor Fence Permit
Significant RestrictionsAlbemarle County Code §§ 1-504, 18-30.6.4
Sec. 1-504 - Zoning fees. ... ARB—Minor Staff Review of County Wide Certificates of Appropriateness (Fencing, Equipment, Lighting) $265 ... Sec. 30.6.4 - Certificates of appropriateness. ... a.Development requiring a certificate of appropriateness. The following developments require a certificate of appropriateness:1.Building permits required. Each structure and/or site improvement for which a ...
Retaining Walls
Albemarle County caps a single retaining wall at 10 feet measured grade to grade under its grading standards, and requires anything taller to be broken into stepped walls separated by at least three feet of landscaped buffer, unless the wall is built into a building's design.
Albemarle County Retaining Wall Height Limit
Some RestrictionsAlbemarle County Code § 18-4.3.3(A)
A.Retaining walls. Retaining walls shall meet or exceed the following minimum standards:1.Height. The maximum height for a single retaining wall, measured from grade to grade, shall be ten feet, except as provided in subsection (A)(3). When the overall retained height would exceed ten feet, the retaining wall shall be broken into multiple stepped walls.2.Multiple stepped walls; separation. A mi...
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