Building in Hendersonville
Hendersonville had 61,753 residents at the 2020 Census, and the typical home there was built around 1989, so a lot of our work is replacing a first patio, deck or fence rather than building on bare ground. Developments run from Old Town and Bell Harbor on the water to Millstone, Durham Farms and the Villages of Stoneybrook. Building permits come from Building and Codes on Maple Drive North; fences go through the Planning Department.
Hendersonville’s fence rules
Under Ordinance 2025-19, a fence can be up to 8 feet in the rear yard, the interior side yard and along a corner side street. Front yards are different: a fence there needs a permit and can’t come forward of the house unless it’s decorative and 48 inches or lower, or 60 inches on a lot over an acre. Every fence keeps 12 feet back from the edge of the street pavement, the framing faces in, and chain link has to be coated brown, black or green. At a corner, nothing over 24 inches tall goes within 15 feet of the intersection.
Retaining walls and decks
The city offers a same-day permit for a retaining wall up to 4 feet built to its standard details. A wall over 5 feet has to stand 5 feet off the property line. A deck needs a zoning permit and can’t sit on an easement.
Pergolas, pavilions and driveways
An arbor, gazebo or pergola of 120 square feet or less and no more than 15 feet tall can even go in the front yard, 20 feet from the street, without counting against the accessory building limit. Roofed buildings such as a pavilion count toward a total of 800 to 2,500 square feet, depending on lot size. A driveway takes a Public Works permit, with the curb cut no wider than 24 feet.
Lots on Old Hickory Lake
A lot that backs onto Corps of Engineers land has a 10-foot rear setback from that line. Below it, the shoreline belongs to the Corps: paths, steps to the water, clearing and planting need a Corps shoreline permit, and retaining walls aren’t allowed there at all. A patio, wall or fire pit gets built on the private side.
Sources
- City of Hendersonville, Building Codes
- City of Hendersonville Zoning Ordinance — Ordinance 2025-19, 10.4.11 fences and accessory structures, retaining walls
- Hendersonville standard retaining wall details
- Hendersonville driveway permit — Code 16-215
- US Army Corps of Engineers, Old Hickory Lake Shoreline Management Plan (2020)
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey — 2020 population, median year built