Memphis, TN Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Memphis Code § 12-40-7.A
- Height cap near ROW
- 4 feet within 30 ft of street ROW
- Exempt materials
- Ornamental iron or brick walls
- Construction exception
- 10 days pre-construction to C.O. issuance
- District covered
- Central Business Improvement District
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 4268, 7-26-1994
Summary
In Memphis's Central Business Improvement District, fences and walls taller than four feet cannot be built within 30 feet of a public street right-of-way, except ornamental iron or brick walls. A construction-period exception lets taller temporary fencing go up shortly before and during building work.
Sec. 12-40-7. - Fences and walls. In addition to the requirements of the Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code, included herein as title 15, the following regulations shall apply within the CBID boundaries set out in section 12-32-2(B): A. Fences and walls greater than four feet in height, except ornamental iron or brick walls, shall not be permitted within 30 feet of any public street right-of-way; however, such fences shall be permitted during construction of a building on the premises during a period beginning ten days prior to commencement of construction and ending upon issuance of a certificate of use and occupancy by the building official.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 32 | Charter: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
A sets the district's basic fence-height requirement: fences and walls greater than four feet in height, except ornamental iron or brick walls, are not permitted within 30 feet of any public street right-of-way. The rule applies within the Central Business Improvement District boundaries defined in Section 12-32-2(B), and is layered on top of the requirements of the joint Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code (Title 15), which the section expressly cross-references. Subsection A carves out a construction exception: taller fencing is permitted during construction of a building on the premises, starting ten days before construction begins and lasting until the building official issues a certificate of use and occupancy.
The height cap works together with the material ban in subsection B (no razor, ribbon or concertina wire, and no cantilevering beyond the property line) to form the district's complete fence standard, and with the separate parking-lot fencing rule in Section 12-40-6, which requires ornamental iron, brick or masonry construction and CBID design review committee approval for any lot fence. Both requirements were folded into Chapter 12-40 by Ordinance No. 4268 in 1994, amending the 1985 Code section 7-68 that established the CBID parking and site-improvement rules.
Violations & Fines
Erecting a fence or wall taller than four feet within 30 feet of a public street right-of-way in the CBID, outside the construction-period exception, violates Section 12-40-7.A. Ornamental iron and brick walls are exempt from the height cap; all other materials taller than four feet in that zone are noncompliant and subject to the CBID's design review enforcement process.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a fence be near a downtown Memphis street?
Can a taller fence go up during construction?
Does this height rule apply outside the CBID?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Memphis
How Memphis compares: Cities That Allow the Tallest Residential Fences·Compare Memphis to another location·View the Tennessee fence regulations overview
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