Lexington, TN Fence Rules: Front-Yard Height, Setbacks and Easements

Several nearby towns keep their zoning ordinance in a separate document at city hall. Lexington posts its full zoning ordinance online, and the fence section, 11-215, is short enough to read in one sitting.

I read it for this guide. Below is what it says, a few related sections that change how it applies, and the things it does not say, which matter just as much when you are standing in the yard with a tape measure. Lexington is the Henderson County seat, east of Jackson on US-412, and it is part of the area we cover for fence installation.

At a Glance

• Fences, walls and hedges are allowed in any required yard.
• Along the sides or front edge of a front yard: 42 inches maximum (three and a half feet).
• That front-edge fence must sit at least 15 feet back from the curb or the right-of-way, whichever is greater.
• Nothing goes inside a known right-of-way, easement or way.
• Corner lots keep a 25-foot sight triangle clear between two and a half and ten feet.
• The ordinance text sets no side or rear yard height cap and no finished-side-out rule.
• Whether you need a separate fence permit is not spelled out. Ask.

The Front Yard Limit, Section 11-215

Section 11-215 is titled "Fences, Walls and Hedges." It says they may be permitted in any required yard, or along the edge of any yard. Then it adds the restriction. Fences, walls or hedges along the sides or front edge of a front yard are limited to a height of no more than 42 inches, with a setback of at least fifteen feet from the curb or the right-of-way, whichever is greater.

Read that twice, because people skip the second half. The limit is not only about height. A low fence that sits right at the sidewalk edge is not what the section describes, because it asks for the fifteen-foot setback on top of the height limit. The section also notes that buffers required by the reviewing authority may be treated differently, which is worth asking the inspector about if you think a buffer applies to your lot.

What this means in practice: a front-yard fence in Lexington is a low fence, set well back from the street. That fits picket fencing, a low ornamental iron run, or a short decorative line around a flower bed. It does not fit a six-foot solid fence across the front of the house.

What About the Side and Back Yard?

The 42-inch limit applies along the sides or front edge of the front yard. It does not say anything about a fence that runs along a side yard behind the front of the house, or around the back. I checked Section 11-215 for a rear or side yard height cap and for a finished-side-out rule, and the text has neither. It also states no material restrictions.

That is a reading of the text, not a promise from the city. The building inspector interprets the ordinance for your lot. Before you order materials for a backyard privacy fence, ask the inspector whether anything beyond Section 11-215 applies to your parcel. If you want to talk through styles for that part of the yard, privacy fencing and the privacy fence guide are a good start.

Easements and Rights-of-Way

Two sections cover easements, and they point in slightly different directions.

Section 11-215 says no fence, wall or hedge may be built within any known right-of-way, easement or way. That is a flat rule. It does not prohibit a necessary retaining wall.

Section 11-218 deals with utility easements. It bars buildings and structures within ten feet of a utility easement or an underground main, but it says exceptions shall be made for fences. So the ten-foot buffer that keeps a shed or a garage back does not apply to a fence. The same section lets the building inspector deny building permits to prevent encroachment into a recorded utility easement, and it puts the burden of proving where utilities and easements are on the property owner or the owner's surveyor or engineer.

Put those together and the safe rule is this. A fence can sit near a utility easement, but it should not sit on one. Pull the plat for your lot, or ask the city, and find out where the recorded easements run before you lay out the line. A fence that ends up on an easement can become a problem if a utility needs to get to its line. The pre-install checklist and the 811 guide cover the marking side of it.

Corner Lots, Section 11-208

On a corner lot, Section 11-208 keeps a triangle clear of anything that blocks vision. You measure twenty-five feet along the right-of-way lines of both streets from the corner, connect the two points to form an equilateral triangle, and keep the zone between two and a half and ten feet above the street free of structures, plantings and signs.

Do not use the hundred-foot rule from Madison County or Humboldt in Lexington. They measure from the street center lines and cover a bigger area. The corner lot sight triangle guide lays out all of them side by side.

Who Handles Permits and Inspections

I could not find a county building or codes department listed for Henderson County. Inside Lexington, the city is the authority. The Lexington Building and Planning Department lists (731) 968-7091 for the building inspector and codes enforcement, with hours of 7:00 am to 3:30 pm. The page's call link goes to the city main line, (731) 968-6657, so try that if the first number does not connect. The department lists the 2024 international codes as the ones it follows, and it enforces the zoning ordinance.

Here is the part I cannot answer for you. The ordinance says building permits may be denied to prevent encroachment on easements, and the city's application page lists a building permit application. It does not clearly say whether a fence needs its own permit. So I am not going to tell you yes or no. Call the inspector with your address and ask directly: does my fence need a permit, and what do you need from me?

If your property is outside city limits in Henderson County, I do not have a county office to point you to, and that is a statement about what I found listed, not a statement that no rules apply. A phone call to the Lexington office will tell you whether your address is inside the city.

A Short Prep List Before You Call

1. Your street address and, if you have it, the plat or survey.
2. A sketch of the fence line, with the front yard and any corners marked.
3. The height and style you want in each part of the yard.
4. A note of any easements or utility boxes along the line.

If you are comparing this city to the neighbors, the permit and corner-lot rules for Jackson and Madison County are quite different, and for the smaller towns see the Medina, Milan, Trenton and Henderson guide. The Henderson County page and fence repair in Lexington cover the rest of what we do there.

Common Questions About Lexington Fence Rules

The Honest Bottom Line

Lexington put its rules in writing where you can read them. Keep the front low and set back, stay off easements, respect the corner triangle, and ask the inspector about the permit and the parts the ordinance leaves quiet. Then design the fence you want for the rest of the yard.

When you are ready to price it, tell us your address and we will go from there.

More plain-English answers on cost, permits, materials, and repairs are in all of our fence guides.