FENCE RULES – LEWISBURG (CITY), TENNESSEE
OVERVIEW
Residential fences are permitted on private property within City of Lewisburg, subject to local regulations.
For properties located outside City of Lewisburg municipal limits, Marshall County regulates fences in unincorporated areas.
Local fence rules for City of Lewisburg appear principally in the Lewisburg Municipal Code, including Title 20, Chapter 6 as amended by Ordinance No. 25-04, with related building-code context in Title 12, floodplain and land-use context in Title 14, property-maintenance enforcement in Title 13, and streets, sidewalks, rights-of-way, gates, drainage ditches, and intersection-visibility rules in Title 16. The City of Lewisburg Planning & Codes Department and Codes/Stormwater Department administer relevant local review functions.
This page focuses on typical single-family residential fencing. If the jurisdiction's adopted code or ordinance materials do not state a specific limit or requirement, this page notes that the code does not specify one. If no local code or ordinance is available in the approved source packet, this page notes that the jurisdiction does not publish the relevant standard in the referenced published materials.
Compiled From City of Lewisburg Planning & Codes materials, Lewisburg Municipal Code Title 12 – Building, Utility, Etc. Codes, Title 13 – Property Maintenance Regulations, Title 14 – Zoning and Land Use Control, Title 16 – Streets and Sidewalks, Title 20 – Miscellaneous, Ordinance No. 25-04, Floodplain and Stormwater Certificate, Stormwater Management Permit Application Requirements, Tennessee State Fire Marshal residential jurisdiction and permit materials, and Tennessee 811 utility-safety materials as of July 2026.
GOVERNANCE
City of Lewisburg residential fence review is governed through the Lewisburg Municipal Code, local ordinances adopted by the City Council, and administrative review by the City of Lewisburg Planning & Codes Department, Codes/Stormwater Department, and other City offices identified in the code.
• Fence Ordinance: Title 20, Chapter 6 contains the City fence provisions. Ordinance No. 25-04 amends § 20-604 on fence materials and § 20-605 on unsafe and dilapidated fences.
• Residential Building-Code Status: City of Lewisburg is listed as EXEMPT for Tennessee residential building-code enforcement, indicating local residential building-code administration rather than State Residential Building Permit administration.
• Adopted Codes: Title 12 adopts the 2018 International Building Code and the 2018 International Residential Code by reference, with local modifications to the residential code in § 12-502.
• Floodplain and Stormwater Administration: Title 14 designates the Planning Director or duly appointed designee as the flood-damage-prevention administrator. City stormwater materials direct stormwater permit submissions to the Codes/Stormwater Department.
• Property-Maintenance Enforcement: Ordinance No. 25-04 cross-references § 13-212 for enforcement of violations of §§ 20-601 through 20-605.
PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS
• Building-Code Permit Context: City of Lewisburg is listed as EXEMPT for Tennessee residential building-code enforcement, indicating local residential building-code administration. Title 12 adopts the 2018 International Residential Code, and the 2018 IRC includes a building-permit exemption for fences not over 7 feet high. City of Lewisburg does not publish a separate local fence permit requirement for standard residential fences.
• Local Fence Ordinance Context: Title 20, Chapter 6 and Ordinance No. 25-04 regulate fence materials, front and street-facing fence materials, certain wire materials, chain-link placement, and unsafe or dilapidated fences. They do not publish a separate fence-permit application requirement for standard residential fences.
• Zoning Compliance: Building-code permit exemptions, Tennessee residential building-code status, and State Residential Building Permit status are separate from zoning, setback, subdivision, floodplain, stormwater, drainage, historic, right-of-way, easement, utility, and plat requirements. Confirm any applicable zoning conditions, setbacks, plat requirements, and site-specific limitations with the City of Lewisburg Planning & Codes Department before construction.
• Floodplain and Stormwater Context: Title 14 requires a development permit before development activities in areas governed by the flood-damage-prevention ordinance. The land-disturbance permit serves as the development permit when a land-disturbance permit is required, and the building permit serves as the development permit when a land-disturbance permit is not required. City stormwater materials separately identify stormwater, land-disturbance, and floodplain certificate review for qualifying projects.
• Right-of-Way and Street Excavation Context: Title 16 requires a permit before making any excavation in a street, alley, or public place, or tunneling under a street, alley, or public place. This is a public-way excavation rule, not a separate ordinary fence permit requirement.
FENCE PLACEMENT RULES
• Property Lines: 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.
• Rights-of-Way and Public Ways: Title 16 prohibits using or occupying any portion of a public street, alley, sidewalk, or right-of-way for stored, sold, or exhibited materials except when expressly authorized in writing by the City Manager after a no-hazard finding. Fence construction must not obstruct streets, alleys, sidewalks, or rights-of-way.
• Gates and Doors: Title 16 prohibits allowing any gate or door to swing open upon or over any street, alley, or sidewalk except when required by statute.
• Intersection Visibility: Title 16 prohibits maintaining any tree, shrub, sign, or other obstruction on property that prevents drivers on public streets or alleys from obtaining a clear view of traffic when approaching an intersection.
• Drainage Ditches: Title 16 prohibits permitting or causing obstruction of any drainage ditch in a public right-of-way or on a person's own property.
• Utility and Sewer Easements: The Lewisburg water and sewer ordinance describes sanitary sewer utility easements and states that no permanent structure may be built in the easement. The standard Lewisburg Water and Wastewater Department utility easement is 20 linear feet, centered on the sewer main and manholes, unless a recorded or descriptive easement provides otherwise.
• Floodplain, Stormwater, and Land Disturbance: Fence work that involves excavation, fill, alteration of a watercourse, land disturbance, drainage changes, stormwater controls, or work in a special flood hazard area may require review under Title 14, the floodplain certificate, stormwater certificate, land-disturbance permit materials, or the Stormwater Management Permit Application Requirements.
• 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 digging, drilling, augering, boring, grading, or other movement of earth, notice generally must be given at least three full working days before excavation begins. Tennessee 811 is a notification center and does not mark lines itself; member utilities or their locators mark covered facilities, and the excavator must check the positive-response status before beginning work where required. This statewide utility-notice framework is separate from local fence permitting, zoning, development approval, easement limits, right-of-way approvals, floodplain review, stormwater review, drainage review, historic or design review, HOA restrictions, and other applicable requirements.
FENCE HEIGHT AND VISIBILITY RULES
• Maximum Height: The code does not specify a maximum height for standard residential fences.
• Building-Code Exemption Context: The 2018 International Residential Code building-permit exemption for fences not over 7 feet high is a building-code permit exemption. It is not stated as a local maximum fence height.
• Intersection Visibility: Title 16 prohibits trees, shrubs, signs, or other obstructions that prevent a clear view of traffic when drivers on public streets or alleys approach an intersection. The referenced published materials do not specify a numeric sight-triangle dimension for standard residential fences.
• Street-Facing Residential Areas: Ordinance No. 25-04 regulates materials for fences in the front of a residence and for side yards abutting a public street or alley, but it does not state a separate height limit for those locations.
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS
• Finished Side: § 20-604 states that a finished side of all fences shall face off site.
• Prohibited Wire Materials: § 20-604 prohibits razor wire, concertina wire, barbed wire, and similar fencing materials in and directly adjacent to all residential districts and uses, including those separated by a public right-of-way.
• Chain Link in Street-Fronting Yards: § 20-604 prohibits the use of chain-link fences in yards fronting on public streets, including parcels on corner lots, only for the portions of the fence adjacent to the public street or right-of-way for the public street.
• Front and Corner-Lot Fence Materials: When constructing fences in the front of the residence and on any corner lot abutted by a public street, § 20-604 states that no type of wire, mesh, chain, or similar material may be used as the primary fencing material.
• Suitable Street-Facing Materials: § 20-604 identifies brick, rock, wrought iron, finished wood, and vinyl as suitable materials for fences in the front of a residence and for any side yard abutting a public street or alley.
• Rear-Yard Materials: The code does not specify a different material standard for rear-yard residential fences that are outside the front-yard, street-fronting, corner-lot, public-street/right-of-way, or side-yard-abutting-public-street-or-alley contexts described above.
• Unsafe or Dilapidated Fences: Ordinance No. 25-04 amends § 20-605 and states that violations of §§ 20-601 through 20-605 may be enforced as set out in § 13-212.
PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS
Private restrictions operate separately from City requirements. A subdivision covenant, HOA rule, deed restriction, private easement, architectural-review covenant, boundary agreement, agricultural agreement, conservation easement, or recorded plat note may impose stricter standards than the City code.
City of Lewisburg materials do not state that the City enforces private covenants or HOA architectural rules as part of ordinary residential fence review.
REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT CONTEXT
Fence issues are typically reviewed during permit or approval review when required, and through complaint-based code enforcement. Examples include:
• Residential Building-Code Status: City of Lewisburg is listed as EXEMPT, and Title 12 adopts the 2018 International Residential Code. The 2018 IRC building-permit exemption for fences not over 7 feet high should be treated as permit context, not as a zoning height limit.
• Fence-Material Review: Title 20, Chapter 6 and Ordinance No. 25-04 provide the specific local material rules for finished-side orientation, prohibited wire materials, chain-link placement, and front or street-facing fence materials.
• Visibility and Public-Way Conflicts: Title 16 addresses intersection visibility obstructions, gates or doors opening over streets, alleys, or sidewalks, public-way obstruction, drainage-ditch obstruction, and street, alley, or public-place excavation.
• Floodplain, Stormwater, and Land Disturbance: Fence projects involving special flood hazard areas, land disturbance, excavation, fill, drainage, stormwater controls, or watercourse alteration may be reviewed under Title 14, the floodplain certificate, stormwater certificate, land-disturbance permit materials, or stormwater permit materials.
• Property-Maintenance Enforcement: Ordinance No. 25-04 states that violations of §§ 20-601 through 20-605 may be enforced under § 13-212, which assigns property-maintenance enforcement functions to the City Manager or designee.
• Utility Safety: Tennessee 811 notice and positive-response requirements may apply when fence work involves digging, drilling, augering, boring, grading, or other movement of earth.
USING THIS INFORMATION
This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within City of Lewisburg, based on the referenced published materials as of July 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, zoning approvals, zoning certifications, development approvals, State Residential Building Permits, adopted building codes, 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, stormwater requirements, drainage conditions, historic district status, design-review status, rural or agricultural context, livestock or enclosed-land context, residential building-code status, adopted-code status, opt-out status, pool-barrier use, Tennessee 811 utility safety requirements, overhead utility-line safety, and private restrictions such as HOA covenants, deed restrictions, private agreements, or conservation easements. Before purchasing materials or beginning construction, confirm current requirements and any site-specific limitations with the City of Lewisburg Planning & Codes Department and any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, published guidance, or direction from City of Lewisburg staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.