Auburn, AL Fence Regulations: Neighbor Fence Rules (2026)

Auburn's Zoning Ordinance regulates where and how high a fence can go, but it does not address how neighbors share the cost of a shared boundary fence. That question is answered by Alabama state law. Under the Code of Alabama, Title 35, Chapter 7 (Partition Fences), a partition fence is one "erected on the line between lands owned by different persons" (Section 35-7-1). Section 35-7-3 provides that partition fences between improved lands are to be erected and maintained at the joint expense of the adjoining occupants, and Section 35-7-7 allows an owner who pays for the fence to recover a neighbor's proportionate share through the district court after proper notice (Sections 35-7-4 through 35-7-6 set the fence-viewer procedure). On the city side, the Zoning Ordinance requires that fences not encroach into any required bufferyard (Section 502.02) and that walls in town house developments not "prevent a clear view of intersecting streets" (Section 502.02.C). Auburn has no specific 'spite fence' statute; a fence built purely to annoy a neighbor would be addressed, if at all, under general nuisance law. Property owners should confirm the exact boundary by survey before building, since the city does not adjudicate private property-line disputes.