Do I need a permit for a wood fence in Brunswick?

In most cases, yes. If your home is inside the city limits, the application goes through the City of Brunswick. If you are in Sterling, Dock Junction, Blythe Island or anywhere else in unincorporated Glynn County, it goes through the county instead. The two offices have different height and setback rules, so we confirm which one covers your parcel before we quote.

Can I build a six-foot privacy fence in my front yard?

Usually not. Both the city and the county generally hold front-yard fences to around four feet, with six-foot privacy fences reserved for side and rear yards. Corner lots have extra sight-line rules at the intersection. We lay this out during the estimate so there are no surprises after the permit review.

What if I am not sure where my property line is?

We ask homeowners to find their property pins or have a survey done before we build. In the older parts of Brunswick the pins are often buried or missing, and a fence built a foot over the line is an expensive thing to move. A survey costs far less than rebuilding.

Why do wood fence posts rot so fast in Brunswick?

The water table is high across most of the city, so the bottom of a post sits in damp ground for months at a time. We set posts in concrete with the top of the footing crowned so water runs away from the wood, and we use ground-contact rated treated pine, which is treated to a higher level than standard boards.

How does a wood fence handle a tropical storm here?

A solid privacy fence catches wind like a sail, so we build for it. Six-by-six posts, closer post spacing on long open runs, and screwed rather than nailed pickets have held up through the storms of recent years. Shadowbox designs let some wind through and are a good choice for exposed lots near the marsh.

When should I stain or seal a new fence in this climate?

Wait four to six weeks after installation so the pressure-treated wood can dry out, then apply a penetrating oil stain or water repellent. In Brunswick's humidity a recoat every two to three years keeps the boards from graying and checking, and a quick wash each spring keeps mildew off the shaded side.

Wood fencing in Brunswick, GA: privacy fences built for wet ground and city rules

A wood fence in Brunswick has to survive the water table before it ever sees a storm.

Brunswick sits low. Most of the city is only a few feet above the tide line, and the ground under Windsor Park, Sterling, Dock Junction and the Old Town grid stays damp for weeks after a summer thunderstorm. That is the first thing we think about when a homeowner in Brunswick asks for a wood privacy fence. A fence that looks fine on installation day will lean within two years if the posts were set shallow in soft, saturated sand. Golden Isles Fencing and Excavation builds every wood fence in Brunswick with that ground in mind, and we build it on site, picket by picket, rather than dropping in prefabricated panels.

We are a family-owned, Christian-based company working out of Brunswick, so this is our home market. We know which streets flood after a hard rain, which older lots have property pins that vanished decades ago, and which neighborhoods sit inside the city limits versus the county. Those details decide how a fence gets built and permitted, and getting them right up front saves you money and a return visit.

City lot or county lot: it changes the permit

Brunswick is unusual in that the city limits wrap tightly around the historic core while much of what people call Brunswick is actually unincorporated Glynn County. A home on Union Street or in Windsor Park is inside the city. A home on Blythe Island, in Sterling or along Altama Avenue past the county line is not. The City of Brunswick and Glynn County Community Development each run their own fence permits, and the height limits, setbacks and corner-lot sight-line rules are not identical.

We handle this as part of the job. Before we quote, we check which jurisdiction your parcel falls under and what it allows. In the Old Town historic district, the city's historic preservation review can also have a say on fences visible from the street, so a front-yard picket fence there may need a different design than the same fence in Country Club Estates. We would rather spend an hour on this at the start than rebuild a section after an inspector's visit.

Setting posts in Brunswick's soil

The soil across the city is mostly fine coastal sand with pockets of clay and, near the marsh edges along the Marshes of Glynn and Terry Creek, soft organic muck that will not hold a post at all. Our standard for a six-foot privacy fence in Brunswick is a six-by-six ground-contact treated post set at least a third of its length in the ground, in concrete, with the footing crowned at grade so water sheds away from the wood. On low lots we go deeper. On marsh-edge lots we sometimes recommend moving the fence line back a few feet onto firmer ground rather than fighting the muck.

Because we are also an excavation company, we can fix the ground itself. If the fence line runs through a low spot that holds water, we can grade a shallow swale so rain moves along the fence and away from the posts instead of pooling against them. That one step adds years to the life of the bottom rail and pickets.

Designs that hold up to coastal wind

Brunswick gets the same tropical systems the islands do, with a little less salt spray. A solid board-on-board privacy fence is the most popular request in town because it blocks the view from the street and the neighbors, but a solid wall catches wind. On open lots near the river or the causeway we often suggest a shadowbox design, which alternates pickets on each side of the rail so air passes through while the view stays blocked. For yards tucked into the older neighborhoods with big oaks as windbreaks, a full privacy fence with a decorative cap rail is usually fine.

Board-on-board privacy. Overlapping pickets with no gaps, six feet tall, the standard for Brunswick backyards and pet owners.
Shadowbox. Wind-friendly privacy that looks finished from both sides, well suited to lots along the marsh and the Golden Isles Parkway corridor.
Picket and split rail. Lower front-yard fences that meet city height limits and fit the look of Old Town and Windsor Park.
Gates. Walk gates and double drive gates framed to stay square, with heavy hinges that will not sag in the humidity.

Our process on a Brunswick job

Site visit and estimate. We walk the line, check for pins, note low spots and utility markings, and confirm whether the city or the county issues your permit.
Prep. If brush, an old fence or a stump is in the way, our crew clears it. We can grade the line the same week.
Posts. Holes dug to depth, posts plumbed and set in concrete, and time allowed to cure before any framing goes on.
Framing and pickets. Three rails for a six-foot fence, screwed pickets, and each board scribed to follow the ground so there are no dog-sized gaps.
Walkthrough and cleanup. We check every gate and every run with you, then haul off the scrap and old material.

Caring for a wood fence in Brunswick's climate

Treated pine is the right wood for this climate, but it still needs a hand against the humidity. Give a new fence four to six weeks to dry, then apply a penetrating stain or water repellent. Recoat every couple of years, and wash the shaded north side each spring to keep mildew from taking hold. Keep sprinklers from soaking the bottom rail, and trim vines and shrubs back so air can move around the boards. Do that, and a fence we build in Brunswick today should still be standing straight fifteen years from now.

Ready to talk about your yard? We offer free on-site estimates anywhere in Brunswick and flexible financing for larger projects. Call us or send a message and we will come take a look.

Wood fencing on the islands and beyond

Building on an island lot is a different job. Read about wood fencing on St. Simons Island, wood fencing on Jekyll Island, and everything we do as a fence company in Brunswick, or go back to the main wood fencing service page.

Other Brunswick fencing options

If wood is not the right fit for your lot, see our vinyl fencing in Brunswick, aluminum fencing in Brunswick, fence repairs in Brunswick, and wood fencing service overview.

Questions and answers

Common questions about wood fencing in Brunswick

Straight answers to what Brunswick homeowners ask us before we set the first post.

In most cases, yes. If your home is inside the city limits, the application goes through the City of Brunswick. If you are in Sterling, Dock Junction, Blythe Island or anywhere else in unincorporated Glynn County, it goes through the county instead. The two offices have different height and setback rules, so we confirm which one covers your parcel before we quote.
Usually not. Both the city and the county generally hold front-yard fences to around four feet, with six-foot privacy fences reserved for side and rear yards. Corner lots have extra sight-line rules at the intersection. We lay this out during the estimate so there are no surprises after the permit review.
We ask homeowners to find their property pins or have a survey done before we build. In the older parts of Brunswick the pins are often buried or missing, and a fence built a foot over the line is an expensive thing to move. A survey costs far less than rebuilding.

The water table is high across most of the city, so the bottom of a post sits in damp ground for months at a time. We set posts in concrete with the top of the footing crowned so water runs away from the wood, and we use ground-contact rated treated pine, which is treated to a higher level than standard boards.
A solid privacy fence catches wind like a sail, so we build for it. Six-by-six posts, closer post spacing on long open runs, and screwed rather than nailed pickets have held up through the storms of recent years. Shadowbox designs let some wind through and are a good choice for exposed lots near the marsh.
Wait four to six weeks after installation so the pressure-treated wood can dry out, then apply a penetrating oil stain or water repellent. In Brunswick's humidity a recoat every two to three years keeps the boards from graying and checking, and a quick wash each spring keeps mildew off the shaded side.