Pitt County, NC Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Fence permit status
- Exempt from zoning permit, §3(C)(2)
- Exemption last amended
- December 21, 2015
- Also exempt with fences
- Trees, gazebos, wells, swing sets
- General permit trigger
- §3(A), most other development
- Civil penalty if unpermitted work required
- $50 per violation, per day
- Applies in
- Unincorporated Pitt County only
Summary
Pitt County's Zoning Ordinance requires a zoning permit for development generally, but Section 3(C)(2) specifically exempts fences, grouped with other landscaping features, from that permit requirement. No zoning permit application, plan review or fee is needed to install a fence in unincorporated Pitt County.
C. Permit Exemptions: The following are exempt from zoning permit requirements: 1. Farm buildings (other than residences) and bona farm activities including other forms of agriculture as defined in NCGS 106-581.1; 2. Residential accessory buildings with no dimension greater than 12 feet, as well as such accessory uses and structures as flagpoles and mailboxes; landscaping features such as fences, trees and shrubs, terraces, gazebos, and similar items; piers, wharves; bulkheads; recreational improvements such as swing sets and playgrounds; and wells and pumphouses;
Full Breakdown
Section 3(A) states that no person may undertake development activity subject to the ordinance except under a zoning permit, special use permit, or high-density watershed permit. Section 3(C), Permit Exemptions, carves out five categories of activity, and item 2 covers residential accessory buildings no larger than 12 feet in any dimension plus a list of accessory items including fences, trees and shrubs, terraces and gazebos, piers, wharves, bulkheads, recreational improvements like swing sets and playgrounds, and wells and pumphouses. Unlike accessory buildings, which lose the exemption once a dimension exceeds 12 feet, the fence exemption carries no size ceiling in the text.
Section 3(C) was itself amended by the Board of Commissioners on December 21, 2015, alongside related changes to Section 6(B) accessory-use standards. The ordinance applies only to properties within Pitt County that are not inside a municipal zoning jurisdiction (municipalities like Greenville, Winterville, Ayden and Farmville administer their own zoning within their limits). Permit applications that do apply to other development go to the Zoning Administrator under Section 3(D), and the Zoning Administrator may waive submission requirements deemed unnecessary to review an application.
Violations & Fines
Because fences are exempt, no permit violation attaches to installing one. Erecting development that does require a permit without one is a 'development without permit' violation under Section 11(A)(1), enforced by the Zoning Administrator with a written Notice of Violation and, if uncorrected, a civil penalty of $50 per violation per day (Section 11(E)(1)); the Administrator can also issue a stop-work order or deny future permits until the violation is cured.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Pitt County zoning permit to install a fence?
Does the fence exemption have a size limit like accessory buildings do?
What if I build something on my Pitt County property that isn't exempt without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pitt County
Compare Pitt County to another location·View the North Carolina fence regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.