In Chattanooga, fence height is set by the Building Code, not the zoning ordinance. A building permit is generally required only for fences over 7 feet tall. Unincorporated Hamilton County follows its own Zoning Regulations via the Regional Planning Agency.
Chattanooga's zoning code (Sec. 38-51(d)) expressly delegates fence and wall height to the adopted Building Code rather than fixing a number in zoning. Under the building code, residential fences up to 7 feet generally need no building permit; taller fences do. Fences may sit on the lot line. At street intersections, fences must not violate the City Code's sight-visibility (corner clearance) rules. In unincorporated Hamilton County, fence height is governed by the Hamilton County Zoning Regulations administered through the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency; confirm your zone with Development Services before building.
Building over the permit-exempt height without a permit, or violating sight-visibility rules, can trigger a stop-work order, correction notice, and zoning-enforcement penalties until brought into compliance.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Hamilton County's height limits rules stack up against other locations.
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