Columbia, SC Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

Sec. 8(d) sets fence and wall height by where the fence sits on the lot rather than by material or use. In a side or rear required yard, the ceiling is 8 feet. On a corner lot's second front yard, the limit drops to 6 feet, and in any other front yard it drops further to 4 feet. Fence posts and wall columns are allowed to rise above those numbers by up to 36 inches for a decorative cap or post finial, but the code caps that exception too: no part of any fence or wall, including the posts, may ever exceed 8 feet regardless of yard type.

A separate absolute rule overrides the yard table entirely: notwithstanding any provision in the subsection, a fence or wall shall not extend into a street intersection sight area, which Sec. 4 defines as the triangular area at a street or driveway intersection kept clear so drivers can see oncoming traffic. A fence that meets the yard-height table can still be cited if it sits inside that sight triangle. Height and sight-triangle compliance is checked during the same site plan or Zoning Permit review that covers whether a fence needs review at all under Sec.

8(b)(3), and materials still have to clear the separate prohibited-materials list in Sec. 8(e), which bars fabric, fiberboard, garage door panels, plywood, and rolled plastic or vinyl tarps regardless of height.