FENCE RULES – HENRICO (COUNTY), VIRGINIA

OVERVIEW

Residential fences are permitted on private property within Henrico County, subject to local regulations. This page applies to properties in the unincorporated areas of Henrico County; incorporated towns, cities, or other municipalities may regulate fences under their own ordinances.

Local fence rules appear primarily in Chapter 24 of the Henrico County Code, the county zoning ordinance, especially Article 5, Division 4, Fences and Walls. Additional permit, right-of-way, floodplain, stormwater, Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area, Resource Protection Area, wetland, utility-easement, and land-development rules appear in the Permit Center, Planning Department, Department of Public Works, and related county code provisions.

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 Henrico County Zoning Ordinance Chapter 24, Henrico County Code Chapters 10, 18, and 19, Henrico County Permit Center, Planning Department, Department of Public Works, and Virginia statewide utility and fence-law materials as of July 2026.

GOVERNANCE

Henrico County regulates fences and walls through Chapter 24, which establishes zoning standards for fence and wall location, height, materials, finished-side orientation, landscaping, retaining walls, maintenance, and security exemptions.

The Permit Center and Building Inspections administer building-permit intake and published permit guidance. The Planning Department administers zoning and land-development review, including fence and wall standards in Chapter 24. The Planning Director and, when requested by the Planning Director, the Planning Commission may review alternative fence-height requests under Chapter 24.

The Department of Public Works and the County Engineer administer relevant floodplain, stormwater, Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area, Resource Protection Area, wetland, drainage, and right-of-way issues when those site conditions apply. The code does not consolidate all residential fence rules into one standalone fence-permit article.

PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS

• Building Permit: Henrico County states that a building permit is not required for fences not more than 7 feet in height that do not serve as a barrier for a swimming pool. The county also lists concrete or masonry walls not exceeding 6 feet and retaining walls supporting less than 3 feet of unbalanced fill as building-permit-not-required items.

• Permit-Required Fence Situations: A building permit is required for fences required for a swimming pool. Concrete or masonry walls exceeding 6 feet and retaining walls supporting more than 3 feet of unbalanced backfill are also listed as permit-required projects.

• Zoning Compliance: Building permit status is separate from Chapter 24 zoning compliance. Standard residential fences and walls must comply with the zoning ordinance’s location, height, visibility, material, finished-side, landscaping, retaining-wall, and maintenance standards.

• Alternative Fence Height: The Planning Director or, at the request of the Planning Director, the Planning Commission may permit fences or walls identified on a landscaping plan or alternative landscaping plan up to the alternative maximum heights listed in Chapter 24 when the required compatibility, sight-distance, landscaping, safety, and character findings are met.

• Right-of-Way and Utility Easement Review: Work in a public street, right-of-way, easement, or other area dedicated to public use requires a permit from the county director or designee before work begins. Fences must not be located within utility easements without written authorization from the easement holder or Henrico County, as applicable.

• Floodplain, Stormwater, Chesapeake Bay, and Wetland Review: A floodplain development permit is necessary for any use, activity, or development within a special flood hazard area. Chapter 24 prohibits land-disturbing activities, land development, redevelopment, and clearing of live vegetation in Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas and associated buffers except as permitted and regulated. For any proposed land disturbance in Resource Protection Areas, a water quality impact assessment must be submitted for approval by the County Engineer. Chapter 10 separately states that installation of fences and signposts is not required to comply with the county stormwater article unless otherwise required by federal law; that narrow exception does not remove floodplain, Resource Protection Area, wetlands, right-of-way, utility-easement, or zoning requirements that apply to the site.

FENCE PLACEMENT RULES

• Property Lines: Fences and walls are permitted on the property line between two or more parcels of land held in private ownership.

• Required Yards: Fences and walls may be located within any required yard, but uses located within a fenced area may still be subject to separate yard-location limits.

• Required Landscaping Areas: Fences and walls may be installed within required landscaping areas only subject to an approved landscaping plan.

• Utility Easements: Fences must not be located within utility easements without written authorization from the easement holder or Henrico County, as appropriate. The county states that it is not responsible for damage to, or repair or replacement of, fences that must be removed to access utility easements or facilities.

• Drainage and Fire Access: A fence or wall must not block or divert natural drainage flow onto or off of any land, and fences and walls must not prevent immediate view of, or access to, fire hydrants or other fire-fighting water supply devices.

• Public Right-of-Way and Sight Easements: Fence work in a public street, right-of-way, easement, or other area dedicated to public use requires the county right-of-way permit process. Fences, walls, and associated landscaping must not obstruct sight lines or sight easements identified on an approved plan of development, site plan, or subdivision plan.

• Chesapeake Bay and Floodplain Site Conditions: On lots affected by a special flood hazard area, Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area, Resource Protection Area, Resource Management Area, stream protection area, wetland, or state-water condition, fence placement may also be limited by floodplain, water-quality, buffer, land-disturbance, wetland, and environmental-compliance rules administered by the County Engineer and Department of Public Works.

• Utility Safety: Virginia law requires notice to the notification center / Virginia 811 before excavation or demolition where the Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act applies. For fence projects that involve excavation, including digging, drilling, augering, or other movement of earth, the excavator must submit a locate request and must review the positive-response information before work begins unless an exemption applies. A Virginia locate request is generally valid for 15 working days, and re-marking may be required before that period ends or when markings become illegible. Virginia law includes an important exemption for hand digging performed by an owner or occupant of a property. This statewide utility-notice framework is separate from local fence permitting, zoning, development approval, easement limits, right-of-way approvals, floodplain review, Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area review, Resource Protection Area review, stormwater review, wetland or shoreline approvals, HOA restrictions, and other applicable requirements.

FENCE HEIGHT AND VISIBILITY RULES

For single-family dwellings, duplex dwellings, and manufactured home dwellings, Chapter 24 uses yard-based maximum fence and wall heights.

• Front Yard: In the actual front yard between the front lot line and the nearest part of the dwelling, the maximum height by right is 3 feet 6 inches, with a maximum alternative fence height of 7 feet if the alternative-height process is approved.

• Street Side Yard Less Than 10 Feet From Right-of-Way: The maximum height by right is 3 feet 6 inches, with a maximum alternative fence height of 7 feet.

• Street Side Yard 10 Feet or More From Right-of-Way: The maximum height by right is 7 feet, with a maximum alternative fence height of 10 feet.

• Interior Side Yard or Rear Yard: The maximum height by right is 7 feet, with a maximum alternative fence height of 10 feet.

• Residential Lot-Line Exceptions: Where the side lot line of a residential lot adjoins a business, office, or industrial use, a fence or wall up to 7 feet tall along the side lot line may extend into the front yard within 15 feet of the front lot line, subject to sight-distance requirements. Where a residential side lot line adjoins the rear lot line of another lot, or is separated from it by an alley, a 7-foot fence or wall may be permitted along the abutting or adjacent side and rear lot lines to within 10 feet of the front lot line. Where a residential side lot line adjoins another residential side lot line, a fence up to 7 feet may be permitted along the common side lot line on either lot to the actual front yard of either lot.

• Height Measurement: Fence or wall height is measured from the highest point above grade, excluding supporting columns or posts, to grade on the side where grade is lowest. The measurement excludes the height of any retaining wall directly beneath the fence or wall. Supporting columns or posts may extend up to 18 inches above the maximum allowed fence or wall height.

• Sight-Distance Triangles: Fences and walls must not obstruct vision at any height between 30 inches and 8 feet above grade in Chapter 24 sight-distance triangles. At a street intersection with another street or with a driveway serving property other than a single-family or duplex dwelling, the triangle uses 20-foot points. At a street intersection with a driveway serving a single-family or duplex dwelling, the triangle uses 10-foot points.

• Street-Intersection Visibility: Chapter 18 also prohibits a wall, fence, planting, or structure from obstructing vision within 20 feet of the intersection of two street right-of-way lines at elevations greater than 30 inches above curb level or the centerline street grade.

MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS

• Durable Materials: Fences and walls must be constructed of durable all-weather materials, including masonry, stone, wrought iron, welded steel, electroplated aluminum, pressure-treated or rot-resistant lumber, composite materials designed to appear as wood or masonry, vinyl, or similar customary fencing materials.

• Chain-Link Fences: Chain-link fences used in conjunction with a single-family or two-family dwelling are not subject to the county’s vinyl-clad and landscape-screening requirement that applies to other chain-link fences outside the listed exceptions.

• Prohibited Materials: Barbed wire and razor wire are prohibited unless approved through a security exemption plan, used as part of an Agricultural use, or used on regulated public-utility high-voltage land. Chicken wire, corrugated metal, fabric materials except athletic-facility windscreen or sunscreen, slats inserted into chain-link fences, fiberboard, garage door panels, plywood, rolled plastic, sheet metal, debris, junk, and waste materials are prohibited for fences and walls.

• Electric Fences: Above-ground fences that carry electrical current are prohibited except for enclosing livestock in the C-1 or A-1 districts. The code states that this does not prohibit below-ground electrical fences intended for keeping pets.

• Finished Side: Wherever a fence or wall is visible from off-site locations, if one side has visible support framing and the other does not, or one side of a wall has a textured surface and the other does not, the side without support framing or with the textured surface must face the exterior of the lot.

• Street-Facing Landscaping: Except where modified by the Planning Director, portions of fences or walls taller than 3 feet 6 inches and located within 20 feet of a street right-of-way must be supplemented with landscaped screening. The standard is at least one evergreen shrub for every 5 linear feet of fence or wall on the side facing the public street right-of-way, with one small tree allowed as a substitute for every three shrubs.

• Retaining Walls: Retaining walls in front or street side yard setbacks must not be taller than 6 feet. A retaining wall at least 4 feet high must have a minimum 4-foot-high fence on the upper side. Except for shared retaining walls along the property lines of two parcels, a retaining wall must be set back at least 5 feet.

• Agricultural and Animal-Related Fencing: Fences for protecting livestock or similar agricultural functions are exempt from the Chapter 24 fence-and-wall standards when they are part of an Agricultural use classification. The code separately requires a 7-foot opaque fence or evergreen hedge for certain honeybee hive orientations near property lines and requires one acre of fenced pasture for each horse or pony kept as an accessory use.

• Maintenance: Fences, walls, and associated landscaping must be maintained in good repair and safe condition. Missing, decayed, or broken elements must be replaced, deteriorated or damaged fence materials must be repaired, weathered surfaces visible from the public right-of-way must be repaired, sagging sections must be repaired, posts leaning more than 10 degrees from vertical must be repaired, and trash must not accumulate along a fence or wall.

• Security Exemptions: A landowner or tenant needing heightened security may submit a security plan to the Planning Director and Chief of Police for a fence or wall taller than otherwise permitted or for barbed, razor, or electrical wire atop a fence or wall. The Planning Director may approve the plan when the Chapter 24 security findings are met.

PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS

Private covenants, HOA rules, subdivision restrictions, deed restrictions, recorded easements, conservation easements, architectural-review covenants, agricultural agreements, and private boundary agreements operate independently from Henrico County zoning and permit rules.

A fence that satisfies county zoning or permit requirements may still be limited by private restrictions. The county materials referenced for this page do not state that Henrico County enforces private HOA covenants or private deed restrictions for residential fences.

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-Permit Review: Pool-barrier fences, concrete or masonry walls exceeding 6 feet, and retaining walls supporting more than 3 feet of unbalanced backfill are listed as permit-required contexts.

• Chapter 24 Fence Review: Fence and wall compliance may be reviewed during applications for a provisional use permit, conditional use permit, building permit, certificate of occupancy, plan of development, site plan, subdivision, or required landscaping plan, as appropriate.

• Alternative Height Review: Fence or wall heights above the by-right limits require the Chapter 24 alternative-height process before the higher alternative maximums may be used.

• Visibility and Placement Review: Sight-distance triangles, the 20-foot street-intersection visibility rule, utility easements, right-of-way work, drainage flow, sight easements, and fire-hydrant access may affect fence placement.

• Environmental Review: Special flood hazard areas, Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas, Resource Protection Areas, Resource Management Areas, wetlands, state waters, stormwater controls, and land-disturbance rules may require review by the County Engineer or Department of Public Works when those site conditions apply.

• Materials and Maintenance Review: Prohibited materials, finished-side orientation, street-facing landscaping, deteriorated fence materials, sagging sections, leaning posts over 10 degrees, and trash accumulation along fences or walls are source-grounded enforcement contexts.

• Utility Safety: Fence excavation may also trigger Virginia 811 notice and positive-response review unless an exemption applies.

USING THIS INFORMATION

This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within Henrico County, based on the referenced published materials as of July 2026.

In addition to local fence rules, certain Virginia laws apply statewide. See Statewide fence laws in Virginia.

It is not legal advice and does not replace official ordinances, permits, zoning approvals, zoning certifications, development approvals, 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, Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area status, Resource Protection Area status, wetland or shoreline status, historic district status, design-review status, rural or agricultural context, livestock or division-fence context, pool-barrier use, utility safety requirements, 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 Henrico County Planning Department and Permit Center and any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, published guidance, or direction from Henrico County staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.