FENCE RULES – BLOUNT (COUNTY), ALABAMA
OVERVIEW
Residential fences are permitted on private property within Blount County, subject to local regulations. This page applies to properties in the unincorporated areas of Blount County; incorporated municipalities may regulate fences under their own ordinances.
Blount County does not publish a consolidated residential fence ordinance. Local fence-related review appears through the Blount County Subdivision Regulations, the Blount County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, the Blount County Engineering Department permit materials for road access and drainage, and recorded plat and easement requirements.
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 Blount County Subdivision Regulations, Blount County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, Blount County Engineering Department materials, Blount County Emergency Management Agency floodplain materials, and Blount County Commission road-access permit materials as of May 2026.
GOVERNANCE
The Blount County Commission is the governing authority for county subdivision regulations in the unincorporated county area. The Blount County Engineering Department administers the Blount County Subdivision Regulations and road-access permit materials.
Blount County does not publish a separate zoning ordinance, residential fence ordinance, building department fence-permit guide, or local residential fence-height table in the official source materials reviewed for this page. Fence-related county review is tied to subdivision plats, driveways and county rights-of-way, drainage and utility easements, and floodplain development.
The Floodplain Administrator administers the Blount County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance for development in mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas. The Emergency Management Agency page identifies floodplain management as a county resource.
PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS
• Standard Residential Fence Permit: Blount County does not publish a local fence permit requirement for standard residential fences in the official source materials reviewed for this page.
• Subdivision Development Approval: The Blount County Subdivision Regulations require plat review and approval for regulated subdivisions. A Permit to Develop is issued by the County Engineer after approval of a major subdivision proposed plat and payment of applicable fees. This is a subdivision-development approval and is not published as a standard residential fence permit.
• Minor and Rural Subdivisions: Minor subdivisions with 5 lots or less and rural subdivisions may be approved administratively by the County Engineer when the application meets the subdivision regulations. Rural subdivision parcels must be 10 acres or larger, with 5 parcels or less, and must have access to a private road with its own utility and access easement of at least 30 feet in width or an existing public roadway.
• Exempt Subdivision Letters: Exempt subdivisions require an Exempt Subdivision Letter from the County Engineer. Some exempt divisions still include access, utility-easement, right-of-way, Health Department, state-law, highway-setback, or municipal extraterritorial requirements.
• Floodplain Development Permit: A Development Permit is required before development activity in a Special Flood Hazard Area. The floodplain ordinance defines an obstruction to include a fence in, along, across, or projecting into a watercourse where it may alter, impede, retard, or change the flow of water.
• Driveway and County Right-of-Way Access: A Driveway Access Permit applies when a property owner seeks a license to construct or maintain a turnout or access from private property to a county road. The permit states that the applicant receives no right or control over the county right-of-way and that structures must be placed beyond the right-of-way and must not encroach into it.
FENCE PLACEMENT RULES
• Property Lines and Easements: 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.
• Recorded Plats: Subdivision plats must show existing streets, watercourses, transmission lines, public utilities, public utility easements, proposed rights-of-way or easements, lot lines, and minimum building setback lines. The code does not publish a separate fence setback from those plat features.
• Subdivision Building Setback Context: The subdivision regulations publish residential building setback lines, but they do not publish those numbers as fence setback standards. The published subdivision building setbacks are 50 feet front / 30 feet rear / 20 feet side for existing numbered county roads, farm-to-market roads, arterials, and collectors; 40 feet front / 25 feet rear / 15 feet side for local city or county roads not located in a major subdivision; and 25 feet front / 20 feet rear / 10 feet side for proposed and existing city or county roads located in a major subdivision. Front setback lines are measured from the right-of-way.
• County Rights-of-Way: The county driveway access permit states that a property owner is not granted control over the county right-of-way and that structures must be located beyond the right-of-way. Fence placement at or near a driveway access point must remain outside the county right-of-way.
• Driveway and Drainage Features: Subdivision plats may restrict driveways to locations shown on the plat, and driveway pipe permits are required before installation of driveway pipes. The subdivision regulations also limit driveway side drains to a maximum of 40 feet, allow no more than 2 drive side drains per lot, and require 30 feet of separation when a lot has 2 drive side drains.
• Floodplain Areas: No encroachment in a designated floodplain may be placed unless the required floodplain development permit has been submitted and approved. The floodplain ordinance treats certain fences as obstructions when located in, along, across, or projecting into a watercourse in a way that may affect water flow or debris.
• Subdivision Boundary Markers: For subdivision plats, permanent reference points and lot pins must be established before final plat approval. The code does not publish a fence-specific clearance from survey monuments or lot pins.
• Utility Safety: Alabama law requires notice through Alabama 811 before excavation where Alabama’s underground damage-prevention law applies. For fence projects that involve digging, including fence post holes, notice generally must be given within 2 to 10 full working days before excavation begins, not counting the day of notification.
FENCE HEIGHT AND VISIBILITY RULES
• Maximum Fence Height: The code does not specify a maximum height for standard residential fences.
• Front, Side, and Rear Yard Fence Heights: The code does not specify separate front-yard, side-yard, or rear-yard height limits for standard residential fences.
• Sight Distance: The subdivision regulations require adequate sight distance at all intersections, including driveways. Intersection sight distance is measured from a point on the minor road 15 feet from the edge of the major road pavement, using an eye height of 3.5 feet and an object height of 3.5 feet.
• Sight-Distance Tables: The subdivision regulations include design-speed sight-distance tables for subdivision intersections. The code does not translate those tables into a separate fence-height limit or sight-triangle fence standard.
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS
• Fence Materials: The code does not specify permitted or prohibited materials for standard residential fences.
• Finished Side: The code does not specify a finished-side or decorative-side orientation requirement for standard residential fences.
• Barbed Wire, Electric Fence, and Battery-Charged Fence: The code does not specify a residential rule for barbed wire, electric fences, or battery-charged fences.
• Floodplain Construction Context: In Special Flood Hazard Areas, the floodplain ordinance regulates development, encroachments, obstructions, and accessory structures. The code does not publish a separate residential fence-material standard for ordinary yard fences.
PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS
Private covenants, easements, deed restrictions, and HOA rules operate independently from county review and may be more restrictive than county standards.
The Blount County Subdivision Regulations state that private provisions remain operative and supplemental where they are not inconsistent with county requirements, but the Blount County Commission and County Engineer are not responsible for enforcing private easements, covenants, or agreements.
REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT CONTEXT
Fence issues are typically reviewed during permit or approval review when required, and through complaint-based code enforcement. Examples include:
• Standard Fence Permits: Blount County does not publish a local fence permit requirement for standard residential fences in the official source materials reviewed for this page.
• Subdivision Review: Review may occur when a fence issue is part of a regulated subdivision, resubdivision, private subdivision, driveway layout, plat note, utility easement, drainage easement, or right-of-way condition.
• Major Subdivision Permit to Develop: A Permit to Develop is required for major subdivision construction after proposed plat approval. This permit is not published as an ordinary residential fence permit.
• Floodplain Review: A Development Permit is required before development in a Special Flood Hazard Area, and the floodplain ordinance defines obstruction to include a fence in a watercourse-related location that may affect flow.
• Right-of-Way and Driveway Access: The county access permit states that structures must remain beyond the right-of-way and that the access turnout or adjacent highway right-of-way may be used only for highway access and access-turnout maintenance.
• Visibility and Driveways: Subdivision review may address adequate sight distance at intersections, including driveways, using the 15-foot measurement point and 3.5-foot eye and object heights stated in the subdivision regulations.
• Drainage and Utility Conflicts: Subdivision review may address drainage easements, utility easements, driveway pipes, side drains, stormwater flow, and flood-retention or sedimentation pond areas shown on a plat.
USING THIS INFORMATION
This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within Blount County, based on publicly available source materials reviewed as of May 2026.
In addition to local fence rules, certain Alabama laws apply statewide. See Statewide Fence Laws in Alabama.
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, rural or agricultural context, and private restrictions such as HOA covenants. Before purchasing materials or beginning construction, confirm current requirements and any site-specific limitations with Blount County Engineering Department and any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, published guidance, or direction from Blount County staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.