Picket Fences
Classic front-yard picket fences for Charlotte's bungalows, cottages and colonials.
A picket fence is usually 3 to 4 feet tall and placed in the front yard, where Charlotte's UDO generally limits fences in the required front setback to 5 feet. If it runs near a city-maintained sidewalk or street, you need a free CDOT Fence and Wall Certificate, and in historic districts a Certificate of Appropriateness.
Styles
- Pointed or Gothic pickets for Victorian and colonial homes
- Flat or square pickets for craftsman bungalows
- Scalloped tops that dip between posts
- Arbor gates for a front walk
Charlotte placement rules
- Generally up to 5 feet in the required front setback (6 feet in zero-lot-line subdivisions)
- CDOT certificate when near a city-maintained street or sidewalk
- Keep corner sight triangles clear. See Corner lots and sight triangles.
- Don’t place posts in the planting strip or damage street tree roots. See Street trees and fences.
Historic districts
Painted wood pickets of appropriate height and spacing are a common approved front fence in districts like Dilworth, Wilmore and Wesley Heights. See Fences in Charlotte historic districts.
Questions Charlotte homeowners ask
Wood or vinyl picket?
Painted wood suits historic homes and many HDC reviews. Vinyl is low-maintenance and fine in most HOAs and non-historic areas.
How far from the sidewalk should it go?
Keep it fully on your property and out of the public right-of-way. In older neighborhoods the right-of-way often extends behind the sidewalk, so check before you set posts.
Reviewed by the 76 Fence Charlotte installation team. Updated November 2, 2026. Charlotte rules change, so confirm permits, CDOT, historic district and HOA requirements before you build. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Keep reading
- Semi-Privacy Fences
- Composite Fences
- Board-on-Board Fences
- Dog-Ear Privacy Fences
- Mixed-Width Modern Fences
- Aluminum vs. Steel Fences
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