How Fort Myers Handles Fence Regulations: A Practical Guide
Fort Myers maintains 133 local ordinances across all categories, and 4 of those deal specifically with fence regulations. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Fort Myers falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.
Retaining Walls
Retaining walls that place fill inside a Fort Myers regulated floodway must meet the no-rise floodway encroachment analysis in Sec. 110-93 before the city's floodplain administrator will issue a permit.
Key details: Governing section: LDC § 110-122 (retaining walls, floodways). Standard: No increase in base flood elevation (§ 110-93). Scope: Only within mapped regulated floodways. Enforcement: Floodplain administrator; stop-work orders (§ 110-76). Outside floodways: Governed by state Florida Building Code.
Building without the required floodway permit, or continuing work after a stop-work order, is a violation under § 110-75; the floodplain administrator can issue notices of violation or stop-work orders under § 110-76, with continued defiance penalized under § 110-77.
Height Limits
Fort Myers caps fences at six feet in residential zoning districts and ten feet in commercial and industrial districts, and requires 70 percent open construction through the corner sight-visibility triangle near street intersections.
Key details: Residential max height: 6 feet. Commercial/industrial max height: 10 feet. Corner visibility triangle: 70% open, 2-9 ft. Permit: Required before installation. Barbed/electric wire: Banned outside industrial districts.
A fence permit application must be submitted to the city before installation; building an over-height fence or one that blocks the corner-visibility triangle is a Land Development Code violation subject to city enforcement and correction.
Fence Permit Requirements
Fort Myers requires an application for a fence permit before installing a fence or wall, capping height at six feet in residential districts and ten feet in commercial and industrial zones under the city's Land Development Code.
Key details: Permit required: Application to city before installing. Residential height cap: 6 feet maximum. Commercial/industrial height cap: 10 feet maximum. Barbed/razor wire: Banned, except industrial under 6 ft. Front-yard fencing: One uniform material, style, color.
Fences that don't meet these standards are code violations under LDC § 98.1.7, enforceable before the city's code enforcement board or prosecuted under Code of Ordinances § 1-14.
Material Restrictions
Fort Myers bans barbed and electric wire outside industrial districts, prohibits razor wire citywide except at correctional facilities, and limits chain link color to green, brown or black vinyl-coated or plastic material.
Key details: Barbed/electric wire: banned except industrial, under 6 ft. Razor wire: banned citywide, correctional facilities exempt. Chain link slats/fabric: banned except dumpster gates. Chain link color (most uses): green, brown or black only. Installation: city fence permit required.
Fences are permitted by the city before construction; installing a noncompliant material (bare barbed wire outside industrial areas, any razor wire, chain link slats, or wrong-color chain link on covered uses) is a code violation subject to enforcement and correction.
The Bottom Line
Fort Myers's fence regulations rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Fort Myers is broadly strict or permissive.
These rules come from Fort Myers's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.