Can I Build My Fence Right on the Property Line in Middle Tennessee?

Most of the towns around here let you build right on the property line in side and back yards. The catch is knowing exactly where that line is, and the street-side rules.

What the local codes say (October 2026)

• Nashville (Metro): no minimum distance from a neighbor's property line. Metro says plainly that it does not decide where your property line is.
• Lebanon and Gallatin: fences are allowed "along the edge of any yard," so on the line is fine. Street setbacks and sight-distance rules still apply.
• Mt. Juliet: fences up to 6 feet are allowed in any yard. I found no side or back setback.
• Wilson County (outside city limits): normal fences have no side or back setback. Along a road, fences over 3½ feet must sit 10 feet back from the right-of-way. Anything over 8 feet tall must sit 10 feet off every property line.

"Which side faces out?"

Some towns decide this for you:

• Gallatin and Lebanon: the finished side faces out, toward the neighbors and the street.
• Nashville: posts and rails must face into your yard.

Even where it isn't required, I recommend good side out. It's the neighborly thing to do, and HOAs usually require it.

Know your line before we dig

1. Find your survey or plat. Those little iron pins at the corners are what count, not the old fence or the edge of the mowing.
2. No pins? Get a survey. It costs a lot less than tearing out a fence that's 2 feet over on the neighbor's ground.
3. Want to stay out of trouble? Set the fence a few inches inside your line. You keep control of it, and the neighbor can't claim it.
4. Watch for easements. Lebanon wants written approval to fence across a utility easement. Gallatin won't allow a fence over 6 feet in one. Nashville lets you build over one, but if the utility tears it out, you rebuild.
5. Call before you dig. We call Tennessee 811 before every job to mark public underground lines. 811 does not mark private lines like irrigation, invisible dog fence or power to an outbuilding, so point those out to us.

Talk to your neighbor first

On a shared line, a five-minute talk over the fence saves a lot of hard feelings. Tell them what's going up, which side faces them, and when we'll be there. Wondering who pays for a fence on a shared line? I wrote about that separately: Who pays for a shared fence in Tennessee?

This is general information, not legal or surveying advice. For a true boundary question, use a licensed surveyor.