Neighborhoods from the valley floor to the ridges
Jones Valley sits between Monte Sano and Green Mountain to the east and Waltons Mountain to the west. Carl T. Jones bought a 2,500-acre tract there in 1939, and the area grew into a range of mid-century houses, newer homes up the slopes and The Ledges, a gated golf community on the mountain. Jones Farm Park still keeps about 33 acres of open green space. Grissom High opened in 1969, named with Chaffee Elementary for Apollo 1 astronauts, and moved to a new campus near Memorial Parkway and Weatherly Road in 2017.
That age range drives the work. A house from the 1970s may be on its third fence, while a newer home on Green Mountain is getting its first one on a slope.
Inside city limits: no fence permit
Everything in this area within city limits follows the city's residential rules, and the city's construction FAQ states that fences do not require a permit. Zoning still limits height, with front yards held lower than backyards; confirm with the Planning Division at (256) 427-5100 before building over 6 feet or putting a solid fence in front of the house. Homeowner associations, especially in gated or golf communities, usually add rules on style and color. The fence permit guide collects the city, county and HOA rules in one place.
Replacing aging fences
Older wood fences on the south side tend to fail in the same order: posts rot at the soil line, rails sag, then sections lean in the first spring storm. Patching one bay at a time stops making sense once several posts are soft. Options:
- Fence removal and a new run, often with the old concrete footings pulled.
- A like-for-like 6-foot privacy fence built on ground-contact posts.
- A switch to composite or vinyl to stop restaining every few years.
- Fence repair when the posts are sound and only boards or a gate need work.
Hillside lots, rock and karst
Lots climbing toward Green Mountain and the ridges above Jones Valley slope, sometimes steeply. Wood and aluminum can be racked to follow the grade; vinyl panels step down, leaving triangles to fill under each section. The ground is limestone karst with red clay on top, so augers hit rock and chert, and a hole may need a rock bit or a wider dig. Runoff on a slope also undermines posts over time, which is another reason to crown the concrete and keep gravel at the base.
Near the river and the parkway
Toward the south end, closer to Ditto Landing and the Tennessee River, lots flatten and sit lower, and drainage easements are common behind houses. Read your plat before fencing a back line; a fence placed in an easement can be removed when the utility needs access. Along the South Parkway corridor, where construction changed access to businesses, the South Huntsville Business Association worked with the city and ALDOT on the transition.
Utility marks and written quotes
Call Alabama 811 two full working days before digging; it applies to owners too. Then send your neighborhood, fence type and footage through the contact page. We forward it to an independent contractor who works the south side, and you hire and pay them directly.
Main guide: fence companies in Huntsville, AL.