No backyard fences? (Knoxville, Clarksville: renting, HOA, condos)

[thisismyname10]

Like many posts here.. we are looking to relocate to the Knoxville area within the year. We have dogs so looking for a home that would fit our needs and strangely enough, it seems that almost NONE of them have fenced in yards? Coming from Louisiana and Texas, almost every yard is fenced here. Is that not the norm for the rest of the US?
I was thinking maybe it was due to rocky ground/soil? Hilly ground? City ordinances?

I’d love it if someone could shed some light on my pretty random question

[tla921]

It’s funny you ask that. We relocated to the DFW area from the Nashville area and were surprised to see that all yards have fences. I guess it’s a regional thing? Idk

[DaveC20853]

HOAs may have rules on fences while other people may chose to not have fences. I see lots of FB posts about lost pets that were "let out" and didn't return, apparently no fenced yard. I am not aware of any city/county prohibition on fences.

[JOinGA]

Originally Posted by thisismyname10

Like many posts here.. we are looking to relocate to the Knoxville area within the year. We have dogs so looking for a home that would fit our needs and strangely enough, it seems that almost NONE of them have fenced in yards? Coming from Louisiana and Texas, almost every yard is fenced here. Is that not the norm for the rest of the US?
I was thinking maybe it was due to rocky ground/soil? Hilly ground? City ordinances?

I’d love it if someone could shed some light on my pretty random question

I just had my fence replaced last week in West Knoxville. The HOA governs what kind of fence we can put up, but there are plenty of fences around. I also have dogs and back up to a busy street. When the original fence was down, it struck me how exposed and unsafe I would feel without that privacy fence. I would just suggest that if you move into a subdivision you get the covenants ahead of time to be clear on fence restrictions and allowable styles. I knew the existing fence was rotted when I bought my house, so I knew what I was getting into. My HOA requires shadowbox with 6-inch gothic posts....expensive. They also allow aluminum, but that wouldn't be what I would want for my lot on the busy street.

[Barking Spider]

A lot of subdivisions do have fences, some of them quite old (subdivisions). My neighborhood (approx 1993) did not have fences, and there is a requirement of what kind you can have. Since we had dogs, we installed a fence right after we moved in. Another neighbor installed a fence when they moved in.

Subdivision developers typically don't install fences, likely because of the cost. S/D regulations usually dictate the type of fence that is allowed.

Where I grew up in So CA, every house had a fence. But that was then, and that was there.

[onetoughkitty]

Newer subdivisions have fences. Older ones not so much. Same thing with sidewalks. I think it's just how it works around here.

Other than an HOA, usually there's nothing stopping people from putting up a fence. YMMV.

[JOinGA]

Communities with yard maintenance included in the monthly fees tend to prohibit fences. These are mainly condos, but I have seen it for some detached single-family houses. Overall, you will not have any problem finding a yard that is fenced or can accommodate a fence.

[Barking Spider]

Originally Posted by onetoughkitty

Newer subdivisions have fences. Older ones not so much. Same thing with sidewalks. I think it's just how it works around here.

Other than an HOA, usually there's nothing stopping people from putting up a fence. YMMV.

I have to disagree on that one. I inspected LOTS of new construction, and outside of maybe perimeter fencing, most of the homes do not provide fencing. Ball Homes and Smithbuilt in particular do not. My daughter bought a Smithbuilt home, and fencing was not included. The did dictate how a fence would look if the new homeowner decided they wanted a fence (on their dime). Smithbuilt even discouraged home owners from using someone other than their "preferred" fence contractor.
Older sub divisions are full of fences.

I went to different homes every day inspecting them, hundreds per year. There are a lot of homes with fences.

[verynicebecky]

I moved to Clarksville, TN last year. I was stationed here (Ft. Campbell) in 1983-1984. What struck me as odd back then is that no one had garages.

The house I am renting does not have a back fence.

[KathiOH1]

Most developments don't have anything against fences ... in some cases the property is big enough that a fence would cost too much. In other cases, people just don't want them.

Most new construction doesn't provide a fence and has rules on what you can select and whether there is a setback.