Tuscaloosa, AL Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Sec. ' That subsection exempts nine categories outright: fences in the open space, institutional university, and institutional public districts; customary fencing around athletic fields, tennis courts, and playgrounds; fences installed by a public entity along a public roadway; fences required for structural support of a principal or accessory structure; fences around stormwater retention and detention ponds; temporary construction fences and barricades; temporary or permanent tree-protection fencing; landscaping berms installed without fences; and fences necessary for soil erosion control. For everything else, Sec. ' That means an ordinary residential fence built outside one of those larger applications, such as a routine backyard fence on an existing single-family lot, isn't independently permitted through division 5's own review track, though it must still meet the substantive height, location, and material rules in Secs.

25-148 through 25-151. Landowners in business or industrial districts who want taller fencing or security wire beyond what division 5 allows can apply through the separate security exemption plan process in Sec. 25-152, submitted to and decided by the director of planning. These standards were adopted by Ord. No. 9572, § 2, effective December 17, 2024.