Gaston County, NC Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)

Unified Development Ordinance Sec. 1(D) states plainly that in residential districts, 'Electric fences, except for livestock protection fences, shall be prohibited,' and clarifies that 'Invisible pet fences shall not be considered as an "electric" fence,' so buried pet-containment systems remain allowed even though above-ground electric fencing is not. The county applies a parallel, though not identical, rule to non-residential districts: Sec. 2(B) similarly bars electric fences except livestock protection fences and again exempts invisible pet fences from the definition. Beyond the electric-fence ban, Sec. 1(B) requires that fence materials, color and texture be compatible in appearance with the principal residential structure and the general appearance of the surrounding neighborhood, giving the zoning administrator a materials-compatibility standard alongside the electric-fence prohibition.

Sec. 1(C) further bars any fence or wall from being built within a general drainage or utility easement in a way that blocks or impedes stormwater flow, or within any road right-of-way, regardless of material. A narrow height-only exception for material is carved out at Sec. 1(E), which lets botanical gardens install deer fencing up to ten feet, and Sec. 3 lifts height limits (though not the electric-fence ban) for correctional facility and public utility fencing. These material restrictions bind only unincorporated county land; Gastonia, Belmont, Mount Holly, Cherryville, Dallas, Stanley and Bessemer City set their own fence-material rules within town limits.