Portsmouth, VA Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Sec. 2-305(B) sets the baseline: unless a specific exemption applies, the provisions of the section apply to the construction, reconstruction, replacement, or relocation of fences or walls in the city, and subsection (B)(2) requires that all fence or wall construction, reconstruction, replacement, or relocation must obtain a Zoning Permit. Compliance with the height, material, and location standards in the rest of Sec. 2-305 is checked prior to approval of a building permit or zoning permit, whichever occurs first, per (B)(3), so the review happens on the front end rather than after the fence is up.

Two narrow exemptions skip the permit: customary fencing built as part of an already-permitted tennis court, athletic field, or recreational facility, and temporary fencing put up around a construction site, demolition, or other unsafe condition, as long as it meets the Building Code. Everything else, including a routine residential backyard fence, needs the Zoning Permit. Fences inside a historic district face an added layer: Sec. 2-305.