Sampson County, NC Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Sampson County Code Sec. 2-18-02, part of the Zoning Ordinance's Application and Enforcement article, sets the baseline rule that no building may be erected, structurally altered, moved, or have its use changed until a Zoning Permit is issued by the Zoning Officer. Subsection B of that section, titled Zoning Permits, spells out which projects need that permit and which do not. It expressly carves fences out of the requirement, stating that Zoning Permits are not required for fences, roof mounted solar panels, driveways, sidewalks, and other development specifically listed as not being an Accessory Structure.

Because a fence is not treated as an Accessory Structure under the ordinance's definitions, a Sampson County property owner can build a fence in the unincorporated county without applying to the Zoning Officer or paying a Zoning Permit fee. That exemption does not eliminate every county rule that might touch a fence, since Sec. 2-27's General Provisions separately addresses accessory structures, height and placement standards that can still apply depending on the district; it only removes the Zoning Permit step itself. For projects that do still need a permit, Sec.

2-18-02.B directs the Zoning Officer to issue Zoning Permits for uses listed in the Table of Uses at Sec. 2-35, and requires a site plan showing setbacks and lot dimensions, none of which a fence-only project must supply.