Lynchburg, VA Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Front yard fence limit
- 4 feet maximum
- Side/rear, residential districts
- 8 feet maximum
- Side/rear, other districts
- 10 feet maximum
- Exterior side setback (corner lot)
- 4 feet maximum
- Visibility triangle
- Must comply with Section 35.2-66.4
- Governing section
- Zoning Ordinance § 35.2-61.3(e)(5)
Summary
Lynchburg caps fences and walls at four feet in any front yard or corner-lot exterior side and rear yard abutting a street, while side and rear yards elsewhere allow eight feet in residential districts and ten feet in other districts, all without triggering the Zoning Ordinance's setback rules.
5.Fences and Walls.a.The setback requirements of this Zoning Ordinance shall not be deemed to prohibit any otherwise lawful fence or wall if:1.Each fence and/or wall does not exceed four feet in height in a front yard.2.Each fence and/or wall shall not exceed eight feet in height in side and rear yards in residential districts of ten feet in height in other districts.3.Fences and/or walls in required exterior side setbacks shall not exceed four feet in height.4.Fences and walls do not conflict the standards for visibility at intersections established in section 35.2-66.4 (Visibility at Intersections) in any district.5.On a corner lot, no fence and/or wall shall exceed four feet in height in the required exterior side or rear setback abutting a street when a front yard is required for any lot on the side street in any district.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 10).
Full Breakdown
3(e)(5) lets a fence or wall stand within a required setback without violating the setback rule itself, but only if it meets the ordinance's own height caps. A fence or wall in any front yard cannot exceed four feet in height. In side and rear yards, residential districts allow up to eight feet, while all other districts allow up to ten feet. Fences or walls within a required exterior side setback, the side facing a street on a corner lot, are held to the same four-foot cap as a front yard, and the same subsection repeats that four-foot limit specifically for the exterior side or rear setback abutting a street when a front yard is required on the side street.
4, meaning a taller fence cannot be installed where it would block a driver's sight line at a corner or driveway. 3(e)(1), may carry its own guard railing, wall, or fence up to four feet high with less than 50 percent opacity.
Violations & Fines
A fence or wall that exceeds the four-foot front-yard cap, the eight or ten-foot side/rear cap, or that blocks the visibility triangle required by Section 35.2-66.4, is a Zoning Ordinance violation enforced under Section 35.2-102: a misdemeanor fine of up to $1,000.00, with each additional 30-day period of noncompliance charged as a separate offense. The Zoning Administrator can also order the fence relocated or lowered to restore compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can my front yard fence be in Lynchburg?
Can I build an eight-foot privacy fence in my backyard?
Does a corner lot fence have different height rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lynchburg
How Lynchburg compares: Cities That Allow the Tallest Residential Fences·Compare Lynchburg to another location·View the Virginia fence regulations overview
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