Do you need a permit for a fence in Wake County or Raleigh?
Short answer: for a typical residential fence, the City of Raleigh usually does not require a standalone building permit, but your fence still has to follow the rules, and “no permit” is not the same as “no rules.” Here's what actually governs a fence in Raleigh and in unincorporated Wake County.
Permit and zoning rules are different things
Two separate questions get mixed up here. A building permit is a review of how something is built. Zoning rules govern where it goes and how tall it is. Raleigh generally does not make you pull a building permit for a standard wood, vinyl or metal fence, but the fence must still comply with the city's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO): height, placement, and visibility at intersections. Break those and the fence is a violation even though you never needed a permit to build it.
Height limits
Typical residential limits look like this: about 4 feet in a front yard and about 6 feet along the sides and rear. Taller fences, fences on corner lots, and fences combined with a retaining wall are the ones most likely to be regulated or to need review. Treat those numbers as typical. The exact figure depends on your zoning district and whether you're inside city limits, so confirm it for your specific lot.
Corner lots and sight-distance triangles
Near a street corner or a driveway, a solid fence can block a driver's view. Municipalities enforce a sight-distance (visibility) triangle at intersections where fences, walls and tall plantings are limited in height. If your fence is anywhere near a corner, this is the rule most likely to trip you up, so ask about it specifically.
Property lines, easements and utilities
A fence goes on your land, not on the line you assume is yours. If you're unsure, a survey settles it and prevents a neighbor dispute later. Don't build across a recorded easement, and call 811 before you dig post holes so buried utilities get marked first. That call is free and required in North Carolina.
Your HOA is a separate yes
If you live in an HOA, its approval is independent of any city or county permit. The association can dictate style, height, material and setback, and can require you to submit plans to an architectural review committee, even for a fence the government wouldn't regulate. Clear the HOA first; it's the approval people forget.
Where to apply / confirm
Inside the City of Raleigh: check requirements and apply through the City's permit portal. In unincorporated Wake County (outside any town), permitting and inspections run through the county. If you're in Cary, Apex, Wake Forest, Morrisville or another town, that town's inspections office is the authority, not the county.
Hiring it out? A good fence installer will know the local height limits and pull anything that's needed. Compare vetted, license-checked businesses on MyTriangleServices.