Tallahassee, FL Fence Regulations: Fence Requirements (2026)

There is no County requirement to fence a typical residential lot in unincorporated Leon County. Fencing becomes mandatory in defined circumstances. Under Sec. 10-7.522(b)(8), 'a buffer fence as defined in section 10-1.101... shall be required, in addition to minimum landscaping standards, when non-residential uses are adjacent to existing single-family or manufactured/mobile home uses,' and when required it must meet the buffer fence standards of Sec. 10-7.522(c). Those standards call for a solid, opaque fence presumptively a minimum of eight feet tall, finished on the side facing the less-intensive use, with vegetation on that side and ongoing maintenance; the buffer fence may be exempted in limited situations (for example, within an approved planned unit development meeting the buffer intent). For swimming pools, Sec. 10-6.802(c) provides that 'swimming pools shall be permitted only in side and rear yards,' and that setbacks are measured from the edge of the water; pool enclosures with an impervious attached roof must meet yard requirements, while pervious-roof screen enclosures need not meet a setback. Separately, every residential pool must have a safety barrier at least four feet high under Florida Statutes Ch. 515 (Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act, s. 515.29), which the County enforces through the Florida Building Code. The DSEM single-family handout also notes that buffers 'such as shrubs, trees or fences' may be required when building next to a different land use, and that the County issues permits to its own Land Development Regulations even where private deed restrictions differ.