Madison County, AL Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit-exempt height
- Fences 7 feet (1829 mm) or under
- Fences over 7 feet
- Require a building permit under § R105.1
- Late-permit penalty
- Permit fee tripled under § R105.9
- No zoning fence rule
- County has no zoning; this is the only fence limit
Summary
Madison County does not require a building permit to put up a fence as long as it stands 7 feet or less. The exemption sits inside the county's amended Residential Code permit rules, which govern the unincorporated area alongside the Junk Ordinance's fencing-material limits.
Subsection R105.2 Amended- Work exempt from permit. Permits shall not be required for the following... Building: ... 2. Fences not over 7 feet (1829 mm) high.
Full Breakdown
2 of the 2018 International Residential Code, the section titled "Work exempt from permit," to list specific work the Inspection Department will not require a permit for. " Nothing in the resolution requires a homeowner to notify the county or submit plans for a fence at or under that height; the exemption applies only to the building-permit requirement itself, not to any other law, so a fence still has to comply with the county's other rules, such as the Subdivision Regulations' easement and right-of-way protections on platted lots.
9 triples the permit fee for anyone who starts that work first. Because Madison County has no zoning ordinance in the unincorporated area, per the Public Works Director's own 2025 letter, there is no separate zoning-driven fence-height cap or front/side-yard fence rule beyond this permit exemption: 7 feet is the county's only stated numeric line for fence construction. 2 apply only when a permit is actually required, so a permit-exempt fence under 7 feet carries no county fee at all.
Violations & Fines
Building a fence taller than 7 feet without first obtaining a permit from the Inspection Department triggers Section R105.9's tripled permit fee once discovered, the same penalty applied to any other unpermitted work covered by the Residential Code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to build a fence in unincorporated Madison County?
Is there a zoning height limit on fences in Madison County?
What if I build a fence taller than 7 feet without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madison County
Compare Madison County to another location·View the Alabama fence regulations overview
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