7 rules for unincorporated Clayton County, Georgia.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated Clayton County, residential chain-link and privacy fences may reach 6 feet in side and rear yards; ornamental fences 4 feet front and 6 feet elsewhere. Any fence in the front yard must be under 4 feet. Inside Jonesboro, residential fences top out at 6 feet (4 feet in
Clayton County Zoning Ordinance Sec. 6.30 (FW-01)(A)(3)
All fences and walls located within the front yard shall be less than four (4) feet in height.
Yes. The Clayton County Zoning Ordinance requires a permit for every fence and wall: Sec. 6.30 states they 'shall be permitted in all zoning districts with the issuance of a permit.' The permit confirms height, location, materials and sight-visibility compliance before you build.
Clayton County Zoning Ordinance Sec. 6.30 (FW-01)(A)
Fences and walls shall be permitted in all zoning districts with the issuance of a permit subject to conformance with the following requirements
Clayton County lets a side- or rear-yard fence sit on the property line only with written consent from all adjacent owners or a certified boundary survey (Sec. 6.30). Fences with one finished side must face it outward toward neighbors. Who pays for a shared fence is a private civil matter.
Clayton County Zoning Ordinance Sec. 6.30 (FW-01)(A)(4)
Fences and walls located within required side and rear yards may be erected on the property line with the submission of written consent from all adjacent property owners or a certified survey verifying the location of lot boundaries.
Clayton County's zoning ordinance sets no dedicated retaining-wall height limit. Retaining walls are structures needing a building permit, and Sec. 6.34 bars retaining walls from extending into any right-of-way or easement without written permission from the agency that established it.
Clayton County Zoning Ordinance Sec. 6.34 (Landscaping Standards)
No landscaping materials, vegetation, plants, shrubs, trees, retaining walls, bedding, lighting, or mounds may extend into any existing or proposed right-of-way or easement without written permission from the agency that established the right-of-way or easement.
Clayton County requires every fence to sit completely within the owner's lot, including posts, foundations and overhangs (Sec. 6.30). Fences must clear the sight-visibility zone, stay out of easements, keep at least 2 feet back from adjacent rights-of-way, and be built with a permit.
Clayton County Zoning Ordinance Sec. 6.30 (FW-01)(A)(4)
All fences and walls, including, but not limited to posts, foundations, and overhanging elements, shall be located completely within the limits of the lot to which they are associated.
In Jonesboro, barbed wire, razor wire and similar materials are prohibited in all zoning districts except approved M-1 light industrial (Sec. 86-264). In unincorporated Clayton County, electric fences are allowed only under IEC safety standards (Sec. 6.49), and fences must be finished on the outward-facing side.
City of Jonesboro Code Sec. 86-264(c)
The use of barbed-wire, razor wire or similar fencing materials is specifically prohibited in all zoning districts; except such fencing materials may be allowed in M-1, light industrial districts upon approval by the code enforcement officer.
Clayton County's Sec. 6.30 table recognizes chain-link, living, ornamental, privacy, rail and industrial fences, plus decorative and obscuring walls, each with its own height limit. Inside Jonesboro, residential fences may be chain-link, ornamental metal, ornamental masonry or wood up to 6 feet.
City of Jonesboro Code Sec. 86-264(a)
Fences of a woven-wire type referred to a "chain link" or hurricane fencing, of ornamental metal, of ornamental masonry, or of wood, not exceeding six feet in height, may be placed within yard areas of any residential zoning district
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