York County, VA Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)

Section 24.1-271(j)(9) of the York County zoning ordinance prohibits all theft-deterrent wire fencing on residential property, which by definition covers barbed wire, razor wire and similar deterrent wire. Only two narrow exceptions exist. First, theft-deterrent wire may confine domesticated livestock consistent with Va. Code § 55.1-2804. Second, low-energy, non-lethal animal-deterrent fencing that is intended solely to deter wildlife or pests, and is not designed to keep out people, may protect a garden or landscaped area if it uses smooth wire, polywire or tape; stays at four feet in height (six feet in the RC and RR districts); sits only in a rear yard (front, side or rear in RC and RR); is installed within two feet of the garden it protects; encloses no more than one thousand square feet; and is removed once no longer actively used.

Commercial and industrial properties face a looser standard under § 24.1-272(a)(5): theft-deterrent wire there is barred only when abutting a residential district, except for barbed wire, and any wire that is used must sit atop a primary fence at least six feet above grade, stay clear of property lines, and be painted a neutral, non-reflective color when visible from a right-of-way or residential area.