Columbia County, GA Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- General Ban
- None countywide
- Street-Facing
- No wire or chainlink
- Commercial
- Up to 2 ft security wire
- Rural Lots
- Barbed/field wire ordinary
- HOA
- Usually dictates materials
Summary
Columbia County's zoning sets no general fence-material ban, but bars wire and chainlink on street-facing fences in its suburban districts under Sec. 90-144. HOA covenants usually dictate materials.
A fence or freestanding wall placed along a collector or arterial street, or other placed for privacy or decorative purposes along a street that adjoins a subdivision, may not exceed eight feet in height, and shall not be constructed of, wire or chainlink. ... All other fences or freestanding walls that are closer to a street than the front principal building setback line located between the front exterior wall of the house and the road shall not exceed three feet (36 inches) and shall not be constructed of wire or chainlink.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 54).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 90-144(c)(1) does not restrict fence materials generally, so wood, vinyl, aluminum, masonry, and chainlink are all lawful. But in the R-1A, R-2, R-3, R-3A, and PRD/PUD districts it prohibits wire or chainlink on any fence facing a street, whether the decorative eight-foot fence along a collector or arterial or the low fence between a home's front wall and the road. Commercial fences may add up to two feet of security wire. On rural R-A and R-1 acreage near Clarks Hill Lake, barbed and field wire are ordinary. HOAs across Evans and Martinez routinely mandate approved styles and colors.
Violations & Fines
The county imposes no penalty on a compliant fence's material, but installing wire or chainlink where Sec. 90-144 bars it draws a correction notice. An HOA can compel replacement of a nonconforming fence under its covenants.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I install a chainlink fence?
Is barbed wire allowed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Columbia County
Compare Columbia County to another location·View the Georgia fence regulations overview
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