6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Norfolk City, Virginia.
Verified from official government sources
Norfolk's zoning ordinance caps fences at four feet in the required front yard, eight feet in rear and side yards behind the front building wall, and six feet in a corner lot's street-side yard.
Norfolk issues no building permit for an ordinary residential fence, but a zoning certificate is required before installing a fence on a corner lot, and fences in historic districts need Architectural Review Board approval.
Virginia has no law forcing neighbors to share the cost of a boundary fence, so cost-splitting in Norfolk is voluntary. A fence built only to spite an adjoining owner is a common-law nuisance a court can order removed.
Norfolk requires a building permit for a retaining wall over four feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing, and taller or surcharged walls need an engineer's stamped design. Shorter unloaded walls are usually exempt.
Every residential pool in Norfolk must be enclosed by a barrier at least 48 inches high with a self-closing, self-latching gate, under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code. A building permit and inspection are required.
Norfolk's zoning ordinance limits fence materials to wood, chain-link, PVC or resin, stone or masonry, and ornamental metal. Barbed and razor wire are barred in residential zones, and historic districts dictate traditional materials.
1 cities in Norfolk City have their own fence regulations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
See every category we cover for Norfolk City — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Norfolk City Ordinance Hub →