ZoningVerdict

Fences in Apex, NC

What the Apex zoning ordinance says about fences, district by district. Section numbers link to the official ordinance.

All districts

Fences and walls must be wood, stone, brick, decorative concrete block, wrought iron, or a combination (or products resembling these materials); the side facing a right-of-way or adjacent properties must be finished. Plywood, particleboard, sheet metal, and concrete slabs/barriers are prohibited as fencing (Sec. 8.2.7.A). Chain link is allowed if vinyl-coated in non-residential districts (industrial and public-utility chain link is exempt from coating); in residential districts chain link is limited to side/rear yards of individual lots and may not be used by a subdivision developer for buffering. Barbed wire is limited to agricultural uses or keeping horses/livestock. No freestanding fence or wall may exceed 7 feet including piers, posts, and finials; non-residential fences may go higher for security/screening with Planning Director approval, and vinyl-coated chain link around single-family recreational uses (tennis/basketball courts) may be approved up to 10 feet. Fences and walls in front yards are capped at 48 inches (Sec. 8.2.7.B). Fences abutting a public right-of-way have additional setback and planting requirements (Sec. 8.2.7.C), and fences in required buffers have separate rules (Sec. 8.2.7.E).

Get the full picture for your property

Enter an address. We identify the zoning district and assemble what the ordinance says about it: permitted uses, dimensional rules, accessory structures, and the approval process.

District identification is free. The full brief is $79.