St. Johns County, FL Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)

12 of the Land Development Code lets residential properties build fences, walls and hedges along required yards, measured from whichever side's natural or established grade is lower, as long as the fence does not block the view of approaching traffic. On side and rear property lines, the base height is six feet where the grade change within 20 feet of the boundary is two feet or less. Where the grade changes by more than two feet within that 20-foot band, a fence built at the lower elevation can go up to eight feet, while one built at the higher elevation is still held to six feet, measured from the natural or platted grade at that point.

A separate cumulative rule applies when a fence sits within five feet of a retaining wall: combined fence-plus-wall height is capped at eight feet from the base of the wall. Front yards are far more restrictive: no fence, wall or hedge over four feet is allowed within 25 feet of the front property line, a rule that yields only for roadway drainage and utility conflicts, for corner or through lots where the second front yard can carry a six-foot fence outside the intersection's sight triangle, for sound walls up to eight feet along arterials and major collectors exposed to street noise above 65 decibels, and for posts, columns, gates and lights, which can exceed the fence's maximum height by up to two feet.