Shelby, NC Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

Under City Code Sec. 40-12, the owner of any lot bordering a street, alley, or sidewalk must erect and permanently maintain a secure railing or fence along that edge whenever the lot sits more than 18 inches above or below the grade of the street, alley, or sidewalk. The barrier must be high and strong enough to keep people and animals from falling off the lot into the right-of-way, or from the right-of-way down into the lot. Separately, Sec. 40-13 bans barbed wire fencing on any premises along a city street or alley, so a compliant safety fence in that zone cannot be barbed wire.