Do I need a permit for fence installation or replacement in Decatur?

Most likely yes. Fence installation or replacement usually requires a permit in Georgia. Confirm the specifics with Decatur.

Georgia has no statewide list of work exempt from a building permit. The Georgia amendments to the 2024 International Residential Code delete Chapter 1, Scope and Administration, without substitution, and keep it in the code only as a reference and guide for local governments developing their own administrative procedures. The 7 foot fence line that Chapter 1 contains is therefore a model figure, not a Georgia rule. Permit thresholds for fences in Georgia are set by each local government. Many jurisdictions require a zoning or land-use approval for a fence of any height, and apply their own limits on front-yard height, corner sight triangles and which side the finished face must face, so confirm the local rule. Pool barrier fences are a separate matter and must meet the code height, gate and latch requirements regardless of any local fence-permit threshold. DeKalb County's own permitting office is the DeKalb County Planning and Sustainability, reachable on 404-371-2155 at https://dekalbcountyga.gov/departments/planning-and-sustainability/permits-plan-review-and-inspections. Its online permit portal is https://epermits.dekalbcountyga.gov/. It issues permits for the unincorporated county. If your city does not run its own building department, and many smaller Georgia municipalities do not, this is the office that will handle the job. Fences are usually a zoning review rather than a building permit, and the zoning office may be separate from the building office. Decatur's Fence Permits guideline asks for a survey or to-scale site plan to verify property lines, and a fence in a local historic district first needs a Certificate of Exemption from Planning and Zoning. Fences are limited to 4 feet in front of the front building line of the house and 8 feet in side and rear yards; the side yard begins at the front building line. On a corner lot, a fence within 20 feet of the street intersection may be no more than 3 feet high. Outside historic districts, any material is allowed and either side may face the owner's property, but the fence must be on the owner's property and outside the right-of-way.