Fence Regulations in St. Petersburg, FL (2026)
5 verified fence regulations for St. Petersburg, Florida, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
St. Petersburg caps a residential side, street-side, or rear yard privacy fence or wall at six feet, ten feet for a hedge in that same yard, while front yards are held to four feet (six for a landscaped decorative fence) under the fence height chart in Code § 16.40.040.3. Every fence, wall, and hedge in the city must comply with these height, location, and design standards.
St. Petersburg Backyard Fence Height Limits
Some RestrictionsSt. Petersburg City Code § 16.40.040.3
1. RESIDENTIAL USES (Including mixed-uses with a residential component; excludes requirements for waterfront yards - see below) ... Side Yards, Street Side Yards, and Rear Yards Maximum Height - 6 feet for a fence or wall of any style - 10 feet for a hedge ... Front Yards - All other streets Maximum Height - 4 feet for a fence or wall of any style - 5 feet for a hedge - 6 feet for a decorative ...
Fence Permit Requirements
St. Petersburg charges a building permit fee for masonry fences and walls under City Code § 12-6, $150.00 up to 300 linear feet, $250.00 beyond that, payable before the permit is issued. A fence taller than the § 16.40.040.3 height charts allow needs a separate $500.00 variance under § 12-5.
St. Petersburg Fence Permit and Variance Rules
Some RestrictionsSt. Petersburg City Code §§ 12-5, 12-6
The following fees shall be paid before a permit or certificate of occupancy is issued, an appeal is filed, an inspection is conducted or a service is rendered: ... Masonry walls or fences up to 300 LF 150.00 Masonry walls or fences over 300 LF 250.00 ... Any request for a variance from the Community Planning and Preservation Commission or Development Review Commission for a condition which exi...
Neighbor Fence Rules
When a fence, wall or hedge sits on a St. Petersburg property line, Section 16.40.040.5.F.2 makes the owner or occupant of that property responsible for maintaining both sides, but it creates no right to enter the neighbor's land and no duty to maintain the fence if that access is refused.
St. Petersburg Shared Fence Maintenance Responsibility
Some RestrictionsSt. Petersburg City Code § 16.40.040.5.F.2
The owner or occupant of a property where a fence, wall or hedge is located is responsible for maintenance of both sides. Nothing in this section shall be construed to grant any right of entry to an adjoining property which is under separate ownership for the purpose of maintaining a fence, wall or hedge. Nothing in this section shall be construed as creating an obligation to maintain a fence, ...
Retaining Walls
St. Petersburg caps most retaining walls at 18 inches above grade under the zoning encroachment table, and requires a separate POD construction permit for any seawall, bulkhead, retaining wall or rock revetment before work begins, per City Code § 7-38.
St. Petersburg Retaining Wall Height and Permit
Some RestrictionsSt. Petersburg City Code § 7-38
Before the construction or alteration of any seawall, bulkhead, retaining wall, or rock revetments, or before the placement of rip-rap or any part thereof, a permit therefor shall be obtained from the POD. ... The permit shall be issued upon a finding that the proposed activity will not violate any law, ordinance, rule or regulation and will not endanger the public health and safety. All seawal...
Material Restrictions
St. Petersburg's Fence, Wall and Hedge Regulations flatly prohibit barbed wire on any residential use, any mixed-use with a residential component, any residentially-zoned property, DC or CCT-2 zoned land, and any property within ten feet of a residential use or zoning. Low-voltage electric fencing is allowed citywide except inside five residential districts, and only when a taller nonelectric perimeter fence fully encloses it.
St. Petersburg Barbed Wire and Electric Fence Rules
Significant RestrictionsSt. Petersburg City Code § 16.40.040.5.C.3
Barbed wire is prohibited at 1) any residential use; 2) any mixed-use having a residential component; 3) any residentially-zoned property (regardless of its developed use); 4) any property zoned DC or CCT-2; and 5) on any property within ten feet of any property zoned or developed with a residential use. Barbed wire shall be oriented toward the interior of the property and included in the overa...
Looking for Pinellas County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement St. Petersburg city rules.
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