FENCE RULES – ST. MARYS (CITY), GEORGIA
OVERVIEW
Residential fences are permitted on private property within City of St. Marys, subject to local regulations. For properties located outside City of St. Marys municipal limits, Camden County regulates fences in unincorporated areas.
Local fence rules are not contained in one standalone fence chapter. They appear across the St. Marys Code of Ordinances, including Chapter 110 – Zoning, Chapter 62 – Historic Preservation, Chapter 46 – Environment, Chapter 54 – Floods, Chapter 82 – Streets, Sidewalks and Other Public Places, Chapter 86 – Subdivisions, and Chapter 98 – Utilities, together with City Building FAQs, Community Development materials, Historic District materials, Public Works Engineering materials, and permit forms.
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 St. Marys Code of Ordinances, City of St. Marys Building FAQs, Community Development Frequently Asked Questions, Chapter 62 – Historic Preservation, the St. Marys Historic District Guidelines, the Historic Preservation Commission Certificate of Appropriateness Criteria Checklist, the City of St. Marys Soil Erosion, Sedimentation and Pollution Control Ordinance, the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, the Subdivision Ordinance, the Planned Development District ordinance, Public Works Engineering materials, the Consolidated Development Fee Schedule, and Georgia construction-code and utility-safety sources, as of June 2026.
GOVERNANCE
The City of St. Marys regulates residential fence issues through zoning, building-permit administration, historic preservation review, floodplain administration, land-disturbance review, public-works review, utility easements, and subdivision or planned-development conditions.
The Building Department administers building permits. City Building FAQs state that a fence higher than 7 feet requires a building permit.
The Community Development Department, Planning Department, Planning and Zoning Director, and Planning Commission appear in the zoning, subdivision, floodplain, and development-review materials. For historic properties and properties in the Historic District, the Historic Preservation Commission reviews Certificates of Appropriateness.
The Engineering Department administers or supports review for storm drainage, site-development plans, water, sanitary sewer, streets, drainage, erosion and sedimentation control, state-water buffers, rights-of-way, easements, and construction-procedure questions. The City is a local issuing authority for land-disturbance activities within city limits.
PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS
• Building Permit: A Building Permit is required for a fence higher than 7 feet, as stated in City Building FAQs. The City does not publish a separate all-fences building-permit rule for standard residential fences 7 feet or lower in the official source materials reviewed for this page.
• Contractor Occupational Tax License: Contractors must provide a copy of their Occupational Tax license before the Building Department issues a building permit.
• Historic District Certificate of Appropriateness: If the property is located within the Historic District, a Certificate of Appropriateness is required for alterations that affect the exterior appearance of the property. City Community Development materials expressly include changes to fencing among the examples of alterations requiring a Certificate of Appropriateness.
• HPC Fence and Wall Submittals: The Historic Preservation Commission Certificate of Appropriateness Criteria Checklist identifies fence and wall review materials, including a site plan showing the fence or wall location, a sketch or photograph showing the design, material, and height, and photographs of the area to be fenced or walled and the adjacent structure.
• Floodplain Development Permit: The Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance requires a development permit before development activities begin in areas of special flood hazard. Fence work that involves development activity in a special flood hazard area is reviewed under that chapter rather than as an ordinary yard-fence rule.
• Land-Disturbance Review: The Soil Erosion, Sedimentation and Pollution Control Ordinance requires a land-disturbing permit before nonexempt land-disturbing activity. The ordinance exempts minor land-disturbing activities such as fences when they result in minor soil erosion.
• Storm Drainage and Site Development: Storm drainage designs, installations, or modifications within City limits must be approved by the Engineering Department. Site development plans concerning water, sanitary sewer, streets, and drainage are reviewed through Engineering and Community Development.
• Right-of-Way Work: The St. Marys Right-of-Way Construction Safety Ordinance applies to excavation, construction, building, or other work within or upon City rights-of-way or streets. The Superintendent of Public Works inspects work in, under, or upon public streets or alleys, and notice must be given at least 10 hours before that work begins.
• Pool-Barrier Context: City Building FAQs identify swimming pools as permit-required construction. A fence used as part of a regulated swimming pool, spa, or hot-tub barrier is reviewed under pool-barrier and construction-code context rather than as an ordinary yard fence.
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.
• Historic District Placement: The St. Marys Historic District Guidelines state that fences should be allowed on property lines, but should not obstruct views of the building. Historic District fence placement is subject to Certificate of Appropriateness review when applicable.
• Road Intersections: In all zoning districts, the area formed by the right-of-way lines of intersecting roads and a straight line connecting points on those right-of-way lines 20 feet from the intersection must remain clear of obstructions to vision between 30 inches and 10 feet above the average road grade measured at the centerline. This rule does not prohibit a necessary retaining wall, and trees are allowed if foliage is cut away within the required height range.
• Private Drives and Entrances: At the intersection of any private drive, entrance, or exit with a public street, no fence, wall, hedge, planting, or sign that forms a material impediment to visibility over 2.5 feet may be erected, planted, placed, or maintained.
• Historic District Fences and Walls: In the Historic District, the COA checklist requires the fence or wall location to be shown on a site plan. The checklist also calls for design, material, height, and site photographs.
• Laying-Hen Enclosures: In the R-1 Single-Family Residential District, laying-hen chickens are allowed only under the listed conditions. A maximum of five laying hens is allowed, and the chickens and their enclosures must be 15 feet from property lines and not visible from the street.
• Floodplain, Wetland, Drainage, and Land-Disturbance Conditions: The code does not create an ordinary fence setback from floodplains, wetlands, drainage facilities, or state waters. However, fence work that includes nonexempt land-disturbing activity, development in a special flood hazard area, regulated wetland activity, drainage modification, or stormwater alteration is reviewed under the applicable floodplain, environment, wetlands, erosion-control, and Engineering provisions.
• Rights-of-Way, Easements, and Utilities: Fence placement must account for public rights-of-way, City utility easements, drainage facilities, water and sewer infrastructure, and access reserved under easements. The Public Works and Engineering materials identify rights-of-way, easements, drainage, water, sanitary sewer, and construction procedures as technical review topics.
• Utility Safety: Georgia law requires notice to the Utilities Protection Center, commonly known as Georgia 811, before excavation where Georgia’s underground utility damage-prevention law applies. For fence projects that involve mechanized digging, including mechanized post-hole excavation, the locate request effective date must be not less than two (2) business days and not more than eight (8) business days after the request is received, and work under that locate request may not begin more than 30 calendar days after the effective date.
FENCE HEIGHT AND VISIBILITY RULES
• Standard Residential Fence Height: The code does not specify a maximum height for standard residential fences outside the specific contexts listed below. A Building Permit is required for a fence higher than 7 feet.
• Historic District Height Guidance: The St. Marys Historic District Guidelines state that fence heights should not exceed 4 feet in front of the building and 6 feet in the side and rear.
• Road-Intersection Visibility: In the 20-foot road-intersection visibility area, there must be no obstruction to vision between 30 inches and 10 feet above the average road grade measured at the road centerline.
• Private Drive and Entrance Visibility: At a private drive, entrance, or exit intersecting a public street, no fence, wall, hedge, planting, or sign forming a material visibility impediment over 2.5 feet may be erected, planted, placed, or maintained.
• Laying-Hen Enclosures: The R-1 laying-hen rule requires enclosures to be 15 feet from property lines and not visible from the street. The code does not publish a separate height limit for those enclosures.
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS
• Standard Residential Materials: Outside the Historic District and other special contexts, the code does not specify permitted or prohibited materials for standard residential fences.
• Historic District Materials: The St. Marys Historic District Guidelines identify wooden picket fencing as the dominant historic form. The guidelines state that chain link fences should be prohibited, and that split rail fencing should also be prohibited in the Historic District.
• Historic District Wood Fences: The Historic District Guidelines state that new wooden fences should be painted. Unfinished wood left to weather is described as inappropriate, and rear wooden privacy fences are acceptable if their vertical boards have ornamental top cuts and are painted.
• Historic District Design Relationship: The Historic District Guidelines state that fencing should match the fabric of the building. For frame buildings, the guidelines support wooden fencing.
• Laying-Hen Enclosures: R-1 laying-hen enclosures must be kept neat, clean, sanitary, attractive, well-maintained, and free from offensive odors, excessive noise, or other nuisance conditions.
• Pool Barriers: A fence used as part of a regulated swimming pool, spa, or hot-tub barrier is reviewed under pool-barrier and construction-code requirements. Those pool-barrier standards are not ordinary yard-fence material rules for non-pool fences.
PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS
Private restrictions operate separately from City fence rules. HOAs, subdivision covenants, deed restrictions, private easements, architectural-review covenants, planned-development documents, conservation easements, and private agreements may impose limits that are more restrictive than City requirements.
The Subdivision Ordinance requires final plats to note the presence and initial term of covenants when covenants exist, and states that the City of St. Marys will not enforce any covenants.
The Planned Development District materials require documents related to property owners’ or homeowners’ associations and covenants, conditions, and restrictions as part of planned-development review. Lots in a planned development may therefore be affected by site-specific development standards, private covenants, or association rules in addition to 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:
• Building Permit Review: Fences higher than 7 feet require a Building Permit.
• Historic Preservation Review: Fences, walls, and exterior site changes in the Historic District may require a Certificate of Appropriateness before work begins.
• Visibility Review: Road-intersection and private-drive visibility standards apply to fences, walls, hedges, plantings, and signs that obstruct required visibility areas.
• Right-of-Way and Easement Conflicts: Fence work in or near public rights-of-way, public streets, alleys, drainage facilities, utility easements, water lines, sewer lines, or other public infrastructure may require review by Public Works, Engineering, or the relevant utility authority.
• Floodplain Review: Development activity in a special flood hazard area requires review under the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance before the activity begins.
• Land-Disturbance Review: Minor fence-related land disturbance that results in minor soil erosion is exempted by the erosion-control ordinance, but nonexempt land-disturbing activity requires the applicable land-disturbance permit and erosion-control review.
• Stormwater and Drainage Review: Storm drainage designs, installations, or modifications within City limits require Engineering Department approval.
• Laying-Hen Enclosure Review: R-1 laying-hen enclosures require the listed location, visibility, maintenance, and submittal conditions.
• Pool-Barrier Review: Fences used as part of regulated swimming pool, spa, or hot-tub barriers are reviewed under pool-barrier and construction-code requirements.
• Utility Safety: Mechanized digging for fence posts is subject to Georgia 811 utility-locate requirements where Georgia’s underground utility damage-prevention law applies.
USING THIS INFORMATION
This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within City of St. Marys, based on publicly available source materials reviewed as of June 2026.
In addition to local fence rules, certain Georgia laws apply statewide. See Statewide Fence Laws in Georgia.
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, stormwater or drainage requirements, land-disturbance requirements, road or highway encroachment, historic district status, design-review status, rural or agricultural context, livestock context, pool-barrier use, overhead high-voltage line work, 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 City of St. Marys Building Department, Community Development Department, and any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, published guidance, or direction from City of St. Marys staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.