Winston-Salem permits wood, vinyl, chain-link, aluminum, and masonry fencing. Barbed wire is banned in residential zones. Historic districts restrict materials to traditional styles.
The Winston-Salem UDO places few material restrictions on residential fences outside historic districts. Standard wood (cedar, pressure-treated pine), vinyl, aluminum, wrought iron, chain-link, and masonry are all permitted. Front-yard fences in most neighborhoods should be decorative (picket, split-rail, wrought iron, ornamental aluminum) rather than chain-link, though chain-link is allowed. Barbed wire and razor wire are prohibited in residential zones but allowed on the top of commercial/industrial security fencing at least 7 feet up. In historic overlay districts, the Historic Resources Commission reviews fence materials and generally requires wood picket, wrought iron, or brick to match the period architecture of neighborhoods like Old Salem and West End.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Winston-Salem, NC
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See how Winston-Salem's material restrictions rules stack up against other locations.
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