Decatur requires a fence permit
The Building Department (402 Lee Street NE, fourth floor, 256-341-4570) lists a fence permit application among its forms, and permits can be filed through the city's CityView portal. Fence standards themselves live in Section 25-5.5 of the zoning ordinance, administered by Planning. Aggregator sites say the application needs a survey; confirm what the city wants when you apply.
Section 25-5.5 in plain terms
| Rule | Residential districts |
|---|---|
| Front yard height | 4 ft max |
| Side yard on a street | 6 ft max |
| Rear or interior side yard | 6 ft max |
| Posts and columns | Up to 18 in above the fence |
| Finished side | Must face outward |
| Location | Outside the right-of-way; allowed on the property line and in setbacks |
- Allowed materials: masonry or stone; painted, pressure-treated or rot-resistant wood such as cedar or cypress; ornamental or wrought iron, welded steel and black aluminum; vinyl; composite; chain link.
- Prohibited: barbed and razor wire (outside agricultural use, utilities or an approved security plan), chicken wire, corrugated or sheet metal, plywood, pallets and junk materials, and above-ground electric fences except for livestock in agricultural and estate districts. Buried pet fences are allowed.
- Gates: unattended gates and gates opening onto a public sidewalk must be self-closing, self-latching and locked when not in use.
- Placement: no fence in a visibility triangle, in front of a fire hydrant, across natural drainage, or blocking required window or door access.
Easements and drainage
Fences in a utility easement need written authorization from the easement holder or the City, and the City is not responsible for repairing or replacing a fence removed to reach utilities. Decatur's rule against blocking natural drainage matters on lots along Flint Creek and Dry Branch and in low-lying parts of town; a solid fence with no gap at the bottom can dam sheet flow in a heavy rain.
Neighborhoods and lots
Decatur divides into four quadrants along the CSX main line and Moulton Street, with noticeable differences in street grids, zoning and architecture between them, and the city reaches past Flint Creek to the Indian Hills and Burningtree subdivisions. Historic Old Decatur and Albany are reported to need a Certificate of Appropriateness for fence work; confirm with Planning. North of the 14th Street area the city sits on a hill that drops steeply to the river shore at Rhodes Ferry Park; sloped lots like these suit aluminum panels that can rack with the grade.
Getting quotes
Send a request through the contact page with your Decatur neighborhood, fence type and footage. We pass it to an independent contractor who works in Decatur; ask them to handle the fence permit and the Alabama 811 request, and to build the finished side out. See the fence cost guide for national ranges.
Main guide: fence companies in Huntsville, AL.