Lebanon fence rules and permits

A plain-English guide for Lebanon, Tennessee homeowners. Always confirm with the city before work starts. Rules change.

Do you need a permit?

Yes. Lebanon lists a fence permit with a $50 fee on its building permit fee schedule. The Building Inspection office handles it, and the Chief Building Official reviews building permits against the zoning code. Fences in the historic districts have extra rules. Call before you build to confirm the steps for your lot.

Who to ask: City of Lebanon Building Inspection, 200 N Castle Heights Ave, Suite 300, 615-444-3647 (website)

Fee: $50 fence permit (city fee schedule)

The rules

• Fences between the front of the house and the street can be up to 4 feet high in residential and mixed-use zones.
• Fences behind the front of the house can be up to 8 feet high in residential and mixed-use zones.
• On corner and double-frontage lots, a fence along the second street can be as tall as the front-yard limit, and it cannot run past the front face of the house.
• A fence must sit at least 15 feet back from the street pavement, unless it is 4 feet or lower and at least half see-through, or 2.5 feet or lower. It must not block the view at intersections or driveways.
• Allowed materials include wood, brick, stone, finished concrete, ornamental metal, and good vinyl in a neutral color like white, tan or clay. Chain link is allowed in black or dark green vinyl coating only where it is not seen from public view on home lots.
• Barbed wire, razor wire and electric fences are banned. Plain plastic, unfinished metal sheeting and unfinished concrete block are also banned.
• The finished side must face the street and your neighbors. Posts and rails go on your side.
• No fences in the 100-year floodplain. The lot must use landscaping to screen instead, with a landscape plan approved by the city.
• A fence cannot sit in a utility or drainage easement that is in use without written approval from the owner of the line. It cannot block an access easement.
• Fences in a historic district have extra rules under the Historic Preservation Overlay (Section 14.403).
• The city charges a $50 fence permit fee.
• Pool fences: 4 feet tall at least, self-closing and self-latching gate, no more than 3 inches of gap at the bottom, and 3 feet between the pool and the fence.

HOAs

Many Lebanon subdivisions have an HOA. HOA rules can be stricter than the city on height, color and material, and city approval does not override them.

Call before you dig

Tennessee 811: dial 811. Call at least 3 working days before digging. Locate requests are valid for 15 calendar days.

Local conditions

Lebanon has a humid subtropical climate with hot summers and mild winters. The area gets about 54 inches of rain a year and very little snow.

• Heavy rain means posts need good drainage and rot-resistant treatment.
• Hot summers can warp cheap wood boards and fade low-grade vinyl.
• Many Lebanon lots have slopes, floodplain or sinkholes. The city has special rules for those lots.
• Wood fences need a fresh seal or stain every few years in this climate.

Good to know

• Lebanon is the Wilson County seat, about 25 miles east of Nashville.
• Lebanon is nicknamed Cedar City.
• Lebanon is the eastern end of the WeGo Star commuter rail line to Nashville.
• The city has three historic districts where fences need extra approval: East Main, West Main and the Town Square.
• Lots with steep slopes (about 15 to 20 percent), floodplain or sinkholes can need a surveyed Critical Lot Plan approved by the City Engineer.
• Grass or weeds over 8 inches tall on a residential lot are a code violation, so keep the fence line trimmed.