FENCE RULES – GOODLETTSVILLE (CITY), TENNESSEE
OVERVIEW
Residential fences are permitted on private property within City of Goodlettsville, subject to local regulations. For properties located outside City of Goodlettsville municipal limits, unincorporated areas are regulated by the applicable county, including Davidson County and Sumner County where applicable.
Fence rules for the City of Goodlettsville appear primarily in the Goodlettsville Municipal Code, including Title 14, Zoning and Land Use Control; Title 12, Building, Utility, Etc. Codes; Title 16, Streets and Sidewalks, Etc.; Title 18, Water and Sewers; Title 7, Fire Protection and Fireworks; and the City’s Building Department and Planning Department FAQ materials. The City’s Building Department FAQ states that a permit is not required from the Building Department to put up a fence.
This page focuses on typical single-family residential fencing. If the jurisdiction’s adopted materials do not state a specific limit or requirement, this page notes that the code does not specify one.
Compiled From the City of Goodlettsville Community Development Services page, Codes & Building Safety / Fire Marshal’s Office page, Building Department FAQ, Planning Department page, Planning FAQ, Goodlettsville Municipal Code, Tennessee State Fire Marshal Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors, Tennessee State Fire Marshal Residential Permit FAQs, Tennessee State Fire Marshal Residential Permits, Tennessee State Fire Marshal Currently Adopted Codes, and the 2018 International Residential Code as of May 2026.
GOVERNANCE
The City of Goodlettsville governs residential fence rules through the Goodlettsville Municipal Code and through Community Development Services. The City’s Codes & Building Safety / Fire Marshal’s Office administers building-code and fire-code matters. The Planning and Zoning Department and Planning & Development Services administer zoning classifications, subdivision plats, site plans, planned unit development master plans, zoning amendments, and related planning functions.
The City does not publish a single consolidated residential fence code. Fence rules appear across the zoning ordinance’s supplementary district regulations, adopted building-code provisions, property-maintenance provisions, streets and right-of-way provisions, stormwater and drainage provisions, fire-access-gate provisions, and Building Department FAQ materials.
The City of Goodlettsville is listed as EXEMPT for Tennessee residential building-code enforcement, indicating local residential building-code administration. The City’s adopted local residential code is the 2018 International Residential Code, with local amendments.
PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS
• Building Department Permit: The Building Department FAQ states that a permit is not required from the Building Department to put up a fence. The same FAQ directs setback and height questions to the Building Department.
• Zoning Compliance: Building-code permit exemptions are separate from zoning, setback, or plat requirements. Confirm any applicable zoning conditions, setbacks, plat requirements, and permit requirements with Building Department or Planning and Zoning Department before construction.
• Pool Projects: The Building Department FAQ states that both above-ground and in-ground swimming pools require permits. The code materials do not publish a separate pool-barrier dimension for ordinary residential fences.
• Right-of-Way Work: Fence-related work that involves work, digging, excavation, embankment, or another obstruction in, on, above, or under a street, road, alley, sidewalk, or other public way requires permission from the Public Works Director or designee.
FENCE PLACEMENT RULES
• Required Yards and Frontage Area: Fences, walls, and hedges may be permitted in required yards or along the edge of a yard, except where intersection-visibility rules apply. In residential districts, fences and walls in the area between the front of the principal building and the street right-of-way are subject to the City’s lower front-area height limits.
• Property-Line Placement: The ordinance does not state a setback requirement for standard residential fences from property lines; however, fences must be located entirely on the owner’s property and must not encroach into rights-of-way or easements.
• Right-of-Way and Public Ways: Gates or doors may not swing upon or over any street, alley, or sidewalk except where required by law. Work, digging, excavation, embankment, or another obstruction in, on, above, or under a street, road, alley, sidewalk, or other public way requires permission from the Public Works Director or designee.
• Drainage: The code prohibits obstruction of a drainage ditch in a public right-of-way and obstruction of a prescribed drainage way.
• Security Access Gates: Security access gates that bar immediate Goodlettsville Fire Department access must use an approved Fire Department access method, such as a Click 2 Enter system, red access control box, or Knoxbox gate and key-switch system. If more than one entry gate exists, the largest gate is the designated Fire Department entry gate.
• Utility Safety: Tennessee law requires notice through Tennessee 811 before excavation where the Tennessee Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act applies. For fence projects that involve digging, including fence post holes, notice generally must be given at least 3 full working days before excavation begins.
FENCE HEIGHT AND VISIBILITY RULES
• Residential Height and Frontage Area: In any residential district, a fence or wall may not exceed 8 feet in height. Between the front of the principal building and the street right-of-way, an open-type fence may not exceed 6 feet in height, and a solid-type fence or wall is limited to 4 feet in height.
• Height Measurement: Fence height is measured from finished grade to the top of each individual fence section. Individual sections may be measured separately and averaged.
• Corner Visibility: On a corner lot in any district, no fence, wall, hedge, planting, sign, or other obstruction may be erected, placed, planted, or grown in a way that materially impedes vision between 2.5 feet and 10 feet above the centerline grades of the intersecting streets. The controlled area is bounded by the street lines and a line joining points along those street lines 50 feet from the intersection.
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS
• Permitted Fence Materials: The zoning ordinance allows woven wire chain-link fencing excluding barbed-wire-type fencing; wrought iron or similar aluminum; wood, vinyl, steel, or aluminum slats not exceeding 1 inch by 6 inches in width when hung vertically, horizontally, or diagonally between steel, wood, or vinyl posts; masonry materials such as brick, concrete block, split-face block, dry-stack stones, or stones and mortar; and other equivalent materials or combinations approved by the Planning Department.
• Street-Facing Finish: Unfinished fence materials and framing members must not be directly visible from the street. The Planning Department may approve outside framing visible from the street when it enhances architectural character. The code does not require framing members of board fences between adjoining properties to face away from adjoining properties when they are not directly visible from the street.
• Secondary Wire Fencing: Wire fencing may be used as a secondary barrier on the interior side of a fence that complies with the City’s fence-material standards.
• Barbed Wire and Agricultural Fence Types: Property-line and agricultural-type fencing, including woven wire, single wire, and barbed wire, is permitted only in existing nonconforming installations and on agricultural-zoned properties or parcels 5 acres or larger, as identified in the zoning ordinance. The Planning Department may review a property-line single-wire fence, not including barbed wire, on vacant properties under 5 acres when used to define property lines.
• Design Guidelines: Where applicable, fences must be constructed in compliance with the City’s design guidelines.
• Maintenance and Surface Treatment: The property maintenance code requires fences and other exterior surfaces to be maintained in good condition. Exterior wood surfaces must be protected from the elements and decay by painting or other protective covering or treatment. Peeling, flaking, and chipped paint must be eliminated. Exterior surfaces must be repainted or coated in low-reflective, subtle, neutral, or earth-tone colors; high-intensity or metallic colors are prohibited except for accents.
• Graffiti: The property maintenance code treats a fence as property for graffiti rules. Graffiti may not be applied to public or private property, and graffiti visible from rights-of-way or public or private parking areas must be removed after notice.
• Refuse Container Gates: Where residential refuse containers are kept inside a fenced area, the gate must be at least 40 inches wide and open to provide safe and convenient passage for collectors and collection equipment.
• Electric Fences: The code does not publish a separate standard for ordinary residential electric fences.
PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS
Private restrictions operate independently from City fence rules. Subdivision covenants, HOA rules, deed restrictions, private easements, architectural-review covenants, agricultural agreements, and boundary agreements may be more restrictive than the Goodlettsville Municipal Code. The zoning ordinance states that it is not intended to abrogate easements, covenants, or private agreements, except that the zoning ordinance controls where it imposes the more restrictive requirement.
REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT CONTEXT
Fence issues are typically reviewed during permit or approval review when required, and through complaint-based code enforcement. Examples include:
• Building Department Permit Status: The Building Department FAQ states that a permit is not required from the Building Department to put up a fence. The City is listed as EXEMPT for Tennessee residential building-code enforcement and locally administers the 2018 International Residential Code.
• Zoning and Placement Questions: The Building Department FAQ directs setback and height questions to the Building Department, while zoning classification and zoning-map questions are administered through the Planning and Zoning Department.
• Residential Height Limits: Residential fence review may involve the 8-foot residential maximum, which may not extend past the front of the principal building, and the 6-foot open-fence / 4-foot solid-fence or wall limits between the front of the principal building and the street right-of-way.
• Intersection Visibility: Corner-lot visibility review may involve the 2.5-foot to 10-foot visibility plane and 50-foot intersection triangle.
• Materials and Appearance: Review may involve approved fence materials, street-facing framing, barbed-wire and agricultural-fence limitations, applicable design guidelines, property maintenance, exterior surface treatment, and graffiti removal.
• Rights-of-Way and Drainage: Review may involve encroachments or obstructions in public streets, alleys, sidewalks, public rights-of-way, drainage ditches, or prescribed drainage ways.
• Security Access Gates: Review may involve Fire Department access requirements for security access gates that bar immediate access to a residential or commercial location.
• Pool Permit Context: If a fence is part of an above-ground or in-ground swimming-pool project, the City’s pool-permit requirements are a separate review context.
USING THIS INFORMATION
This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within City of Goodlettsville, based on publicly available materials reviewed as of May 2026.
In addition to local fence rules, certain Tennessee laws apply statewide. See Statewide Fence Laws in Tennessee.
It is not legal advice and does not replace official ordinances, permits, surveys, or professional guidance. Rules and interpretations may change, and application may vary based on zoning district, site conditions, easements, rights-of-way, floodplain status, historic district status, rural or agricultural context, residential building-code status, adopted-code status, and private restrictions such as HOA covenants or private agreements. Before purchasing materials or beginning construction, confirm current requirements and any site-specific limitations with Community Development Services and any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, published guidance, or direction from City of Goodlettsville staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.