Fence permit checklist — Norfolk, Virginia
Assembled from Norfolk’s own published permit rules. Every line below is quoted from a city document and linked to it. Nothing here is generated, estimated, or inferred from another jurisdiction.
Do you need a permit?
Norfolk requires a permit for a fence.
Under Section 108.2 of the 2018 Virginia code as posted by the city, fences of any height are exempt from a building permit application unless required for pedestrian safety as provided for by Section 3306 or used as the barrier for a swimming pool, and concrete or masonry walls up to 6 feet above finished grade are exempt, with ornamental column caps not counted toward the height. A zoning certificate is still required when a building permit is not needed.
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Sources
- fence — permit rules ↗verified August 2026
Other permits Norfolk publishes rules for
Listed because the city publishes a separate rule for each type — not because this project necessarily triggers one. Whether it does depends on your scope of work.
- Deck permit checklist
- Shed permit checklist
- Water heater permit checklist
- Re-roof permit checklist
- Retaining wall permit checklist
- Electrical work permit checklist
- General building work permit checklist
BuildSpec is a reference, not the authority having jurisdiction. Confirm requirements with Norfolk before you build.