FENCE RULES – SOUTHAVEN (CITY), MISSISSIPPI
OVERVIEW
Residential fences are permitted on private property within City of Southaven, subject to local regulations. For properties located outside City of Southaven municipal limits, DeSoto County regulates fences in unincorporated areas.
Fence rules for the City of Southaven appear primarily in the Code of Ordinances, including the building-permit provisions in Sections 4-26 and 4-27, the property-maintenance provisions in Section 4-67, the swimming-pool provisions in Section 4-127, and the residential zoning standards in Section 13-10(h). The Building Department administers fence permits, the Planning and Zoning Department regulates fence height, placement, and materials, and the Municipal Code Enforcement Division addresses fence-maintenance violations.
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 the City of Southaven Code of Ordinances, Supplement No. 69, including Sections 4-26, 4-27, 4-31, 4-67, 4-127, 13-1(b), and 13-10(h); the City of Southaven Fence Permit Application; the Building Department FAQ; the Residential Permits and Inspection Guide; the Certificate of Compliance form; and Mississippi 811 materials as of July 2026.
GOVERNANCE
The City of Southaven governs residential fence permitting, placement, height, materials, corner-lot conditions, visibility, pool barriers, and maintenance through the Code of Ordinances and dedicated fence-permit materials. Section 13-10(h) contains the principal residential fence, wall, and hedge standards.
Section 4-26 locally adopts and enforces the 2024 International Residential Code and the 2024 Swimming Pool and Spa Code, effective January 1, 2026, together with related technical codes. The Building Official administers building permits, and Section 4-27 expressly applies the City building-permit requirement to fences.
Current Building Department guidance distinguishes new or extended fencing from repair work: a new fence or extension requires a permit, while repair or replacement of an existing fence does not. The Planning and Zoning Department administers the zoning standards for fence height, placement, and materials.
The City publishes a locally adopted and administered residential code. The referenced published materials do not separately state whether this current local administration reflects continued participation in, or a prior statutory opt-out from, Mississippi’s State Uniform Construction Code framework.
PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS
• Fence Permit: A City building permit is required before installing a new fence or extending an existing fence. Current Building Department guidance states that repair or replacement of an existing fence does not require a permit.
• Application Materials and Fee: The Fence Permit Application must be accompanied by a Certificate of Compliance; current guidance also calls for a plot plan, diagram, or survey when needed to show the proposed fence location. The published residential fence-permit fee is $45, and the application identifies a City inspection requirement.
• Permit Duration: Under Section 4-31, a building permit expires if construction has not commenced within 6 months after issuance or if the proposed construction has not been completed within 1 year after issuance.
• Zoning Compliance: Building-permit approval is separate from compliance with the City’s zoning, right-of-way, sight-triangle, subdivision, easement, utility, pool-barrier, and private-restriction requirements. Confirm applicable site conditions with the City of Southaven Planning and Zoning Department before construction.
• Pool-Barrier Review: A temporary or portable residential pool deeper than 2 feet must be enclosed by a 4-foot fence. Other residential pool and spa barriers are subject to the City’s adopted 2024 Swimming Pool and Spa Code and the applicable fence-permit process.
FENCE PLACEMENT RULES
• Front-Yard Placement: Between the front of a residential building and the street, a fence must be decorative and must be set back at least 10 feet from the right-of-way.
• Corner Lots: On a residential corner lot with two front yards, a maximum 6-foot sight-proof fence may be placed in the front yard that is not designated for the entrance. The entrance front yard remains subject to the ordinary decorative-fence, 4-foot height, and 10-foot right-of-way setback rules.
• Sight Triangles: Fences, walls, and hedges may not be erected within a defined sight triangle. At a street intersection, the sight triangle extends 50 feet along the back of curb on both streets from the point where the curb lines intersect. At a curb opening on a private lot, it extends 10 feet along the street-side property line and 10 feet up the driveway.
• Side and Rear Property Lines: The code does not state a separate side- or rear-property-line setback for standard residential fences. The front-yard right-of-way setback and sight-triangle restrictions continue to apply where relevant.
• Walls and Hedges: Residential walls, hedges, and similar structures are subject to the same placement guidelines as fences.
• Utility Safety: Mississippi law requires notice through Mississippi 811 before excavation where the Mississippi 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. Mississippi 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
• Front Yard: A residential fence may not exceed 4 feet in the front yard.
• Rear Yard: A residential fence may not exceed 6 feet in the rear yard.
• Corner-Lot Secondary Front Yard: The front yard not designated for the entrance on a two-front-yard corner lot may contain a sight-proof fence up to 6 feet high. The entrance front yard remains limited to 4 feet.
• Side-Yard Height: The code does not publish a separate maximum height specifically for an ordinary residential side-yard fence.
• Visibility: No fence, wall, hedge, or similar structure governed by Section 13-10(h) may be placed within the defined street-intersection or driveway sight triangle.
• Pool-Fence Height: The 4-foot enclosure required for a temporary or portable pool deeper than 2 feet is a pool-barrier minimum, not the general maximum height for an ordinary residential fence.
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS
• Front-Yard Design: Only decorative fencing may be placed between the front of a residential building and the street. The code gives picket, wrought iron, and split rail fencing as examples.
• Front-Yard Wire Fencing: Wire fencing, including chain link, is prohibited in the front yard.
• Barbed Wire: Barbed-wire fencing is prohibited except on agriculturally zoned property.
• Walls and Hedges: Walls, hedges, and similar structures are restricted under the same residential guidelines as fences.
• Maintenance: A fence or gate constitutes a blighted-property violation when it is leaning; has missing or broken planks, rails, or posts; or has iron, aluminum, or other metal materials decayed by rust or corrosion.
• Pool Barriers: A fence used as a swimming-pool or spa barrier must also satisfy the City’s adopted pool-code requirements.
PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS
Private restrictions operate independently from City of Southaven fence rules. These may include HOA covenants, subdivision restrictions, deed restrictions, private easements, architectural-review covenants, utility or drainage easements, and private boundary agreements.
The Fence Permit Application distinguishes City approval from HOA approval. A private restriction may impose a lower height, different material, additional setback, design-review requirement, or other limitation even when a fence complies with the City code.
REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT CONTEXT
Fence issues are typically reviewed during permit or approval review when required, and through complaint-based code enforcement. Examples include:
• Permit Review: Whether the work involves a new fence or extension requiring a City permit, or repair or replacement of an existing fence that current Building Department guidance treats as permit-exempt.
• Front-Yard Review: Whether a front-yard fence is decorative, set back at least 10 feet from the right-of-way, free of prohibited chain-link or other wire material, and no more than 4 feet high.
• Corner-Lot and Visibility Review: Whether a corner-lot fence uses the correct entrance-front and secondary-front standards and remains outside the 50-foot street-intersection or 10-foot driveway sight triangle.
• Rear-Yard Height: Whether a rear-yard fence exceeds the 6-foot maximum.
• Materials and Agricultural Context: Whether prohibited front-yard wire fencing or barbed wire is proposed and, for barbed wire, whether the property is agriculturally zoned.
• Pool-Barrier Review: Whether a temporary or portable pool deeper than 2 feet has the required 4-foot fence and whether another pool or spa barrier satisfies the adopted pool code.
• Fence Maintenance: Whether a fence or gate is leaning, missing or broken components, or deteriorated by rust or corrosion under the City’s property-maintenance provisions.
• Utility Safety: Whether the project involves digging, drilling, augering, boring, grading, or other excavation requiring Mississippi 811 notice and positive-response review.
USING THIS INFORMATION
This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within City of Southaven, based on the referenced published materials as of July 2026.
In addition to local fence rules, certain Mississippi laws apply statewide. See Statewide fence laws in Mississippi.
It is not legal advice and does not replace official ordinances, permits, zoning approvals, zoning certifications, development approvals, locally 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 party-fence context, local building-code administration, adopted-code status, opt-out status, pool-barrier use, Mississippi 811 utility-safety requirements, coastal wetlands conditions, 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 Southaven Building Department and Planning and Zoning Department and any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, published guidance, or direction from City of Southaven staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.