Fences in the City of Franklin are reviewed by the Department of Planning and Sustainability for compliance with Chapter 13 of the Zoning Ordinance, and building permits for fences and walls are issued by Building and Neighborhood Services (615-794-7012) at 109 3rd Avenue South. Plan review checks height (Sec. 13.1.2), opacity (Sec. 13.1.4), location and sight-distance triangles, and ensures the fence does not encroach into easements. Retaining walls and fences taller than the standard residential limits require additional engineering review under the City's adopted building code.
Chapter 13 of the Franklin Zoning Ordinance regulates the location, height, opacity, and materials of fences and walls. Building and Neighborhood Services administers the permit process under the City-adopted construction codes (the 2018 ICC family, transitioning to the 2024 editions effective January 1, 2026 per Adopted Codes published by the City). Section 13.1.6 (Materials) requires that 'Fences shall be constructed of any combination of treated wood posts, pickets, rot-resistant wood (such as cypress or redwood), or metal,' with separate masonry-column requirements for nonresidential fences ('Fences serving nonresidential uses shall have masonry columns every 50 feet on-center or less'). A fence may not be placed within a public right-of-way, must respect utility easements, and must preserve sight-distance triangles at street intersections and driveways. Plans submitted before January 1, 2026 are reviewed under the 2018 IBC family; plans submitted on or after that date are reviewed under the 2024 IBC family and the 2023 NEC. Williamson County also enforces TCA Title 68, Chapter 120 statewide standards. Inside the Downtown Historic Overlay and Conservation Districts, fences also require Historic Zoning Commission review for compatibility.
Erecting a fence without the required zoning review or building permit, or building one that exceeds the height limits in Section 13.1.2 or fails the opacity rule in 13.1.4, may result in a stop-work order, citation, or required removal by Building and Neighborhood Services. Fences within easements may have to be removed at the owner's expense. Inside historic overlays, building without a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Zoning Commission is itself a violation.
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