Fence Regulations in Beaufort County, SC (2026)
4 rules for unincorporated Beaufort County, South Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
Beaufort County caps residential fences at four feet in front and corner side yards and six feet in side and rear yards across its Transect Zones and the C3 Zone, measured from natural grade, with an eight-foot cap in the C4, C5 and S districts and a separate rule keeping fences out of corner sight triangles.
Beaufort County Fence and Wall Height Limits
Some RestrictionsBeaufort County Community Development Code § 5.4.40
All fences and walls shall conform to the following standards unless exempted by Subsection C below, and except as otherwise provided in Section 5.4.70 (Visibility Clearance). In all cases, heights are measured from natural grade. A. Transect Zones and C3 Zone. Fences or walls shall not exceed a height of four feet in front yards and corner side yards located between the side street right-of-wa...
Neighbor Fence Rules
Beaufort County's Community Development Code lets property owners build a fence directly on the line shared with a neighbor. The same section bars fences that block natural drainage and discourages fencing inside utility easements, since the County will not pay to repair or replace a fence removed for utility access.
Beaufort County Boundary Fence Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsBeaufort County Community Development Code § 5.4.30
A. Location. Fences are permitted on the property line between two or more parcels of land held in private ownership. D. Fences in Easements. Fences should not be located within utility easements. The County shall not be responsible for damage to, or the repair or replacement of, fences that must be removed to access such easements. In no instance shall this provision be construed to prevent fe...
Retaining Walls
Beaufort County does not set a stand-alone retaining wall height cap, but if a fence sits on top of a retaining wall or berm, the Community Development Code caps the combined height at whatever the underlying fence height limit would be for that yard.
Beaufort County Fence-on-Wall Combined Height Rule
Some RestrictionsBeaufort County Community Development Code § 5.4.30(F)
F. Fences on Retaining Walls or Berms. If a fence is constructed on top of a wall or berm, the combined height of the fence and wall or berm shall not exceed the maximum height that would apply to the fence or wall alone.
Material Restrictions
Beaufort County bans barbed wire, concertina wire, and aboveground electrified fences in every zone, with narrow exceptions for agricultural activity or a Director-approved security plan, and limits chain link fencing in residential areas to rear yards only.
Beaufort County Barbed Wire and Chain Link Fence Rules
Significant RestrictionsBeaufort County Community Development Code § 5.4.80
A. Restricted Fences. 1. Chain Link fences in Residential Areas. Chain link fences in residential areas may be permitted in rear yards only. Single-family lots in all T1 and T2 districts shall be exempt from this restriction. B. Prohibited Fences. 1. Barbed Wire, Concertina Wire, and Aboveground Electrified Fences. In all zones, fences using barbed or concertina wire and aboveground electrified...
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