Dothan, AL Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Dothan requires a permit for fence work through two overlapping sections of the code. Chapter 14's general building regulations list, at § 14-5, the activities that trigger a construction permit application to the building official; item (4) on that list is fence erection or construction, alongside curb cuts, land disturbance, roofing, siding, awnings and swimming pools. Permit fees for that application are set under the schedule in § 14-6, based on the cost of construction or another valuation method defined in that article, and must be paid when the application is filed, before any construction begins.

The zoning chapter's fence standard in § 114-183(b)(3)a restates the requirement specifically for residential accessory fences: all fences require a permit and shall comply with the building code, tying the permit obligation directly to the material, height, barbed-wire and setback standards that follow in the same subsection. Because the fence permit sits inside the building official's general permitting process rather than a standalone fence-only application, an applicant seeking a fence permit is reviewed against both the building code's construction standards and the zoning code's placement, height and material rules in the same visit, rather than applying to two separate departments.

A property owner who wants an exception, such as a taller fence for wind load or a barbed-wire exception in a residential district, must secure board of zoning adjustment approval before or alongside the permit application, since the permit itself does not waive the underlying zoning standard.