Apex, NC Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Allowed materials
- wood, stone, brick, block, wrought iron
- Banned materials
- plywood, sheet metal, concrete slabs
- Barbed wire
- only for farms/livestock use
- Barbed-wire exception
- up to 2 ft atop industrial fence
- Governing instrument
- Apex UDO, codified July 2021
Summary
Apex fences must use wood, stone, brick, block, or wrought iron; plywood, sheet metal, and concrete slabs are banned, and barbed wire is restricted to farms and livestock.
Fences or walls shall be constructed of wood, stone, brick, decorative concrete block, wrought iron, (or products created to resemble these materials), or a combination of any of these materials... Materials such as, but not limited to, plywood, particleboard, sheet metal, concrete slabs, concrete barriers shall not be used for fencing or for walls. Barbed-wire and similar fence materials may only be used in conjunction with a permitted agricultural use or in conjunction with the permitted keeping of horses or livestock.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Under the Apex Unified Development Ordinance, fences and walls must be built of wood, stone, brick, decorative concrete block, wrought iron, or look-alike products, or a combination of these. Chain link is allowed only if it meets the ordinance's separate chain-link standards. Plywood, particleboard, sheet metal, and concrete slabs or barriers are flatly prohibited as fencing or wall material anywhere in town. Barbed wire is off-limits except alongside a permitted agricultural use or the permitted keeping of horses or livestock, with a narrow allowance for up to 2 feet of barbed wire atop another fence for industrial or utility security.
Violations & Fines
Fences built from banned materials, or barbed wire installed outside farm/livestock or the limited industrial-security exception, are UDO violations subject to the ordinance's standard zoning enforcement and correction process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up a barbed-wire fence around my Apex yard?
Can I build a fence out of plywood or sheet metal in Apex?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Apex
Compare Apex to another location·View the North Carolina fence regulations overview
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Material Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wake County handle material restrictions.