Fort Lauderdale, FL Fence Regulations: Permit Requirements (2026)

Fences and walls in Fort Lauderdale are subject to both building-permit and zoning review. Under the Florida Building Code Section 105.1 and Florida Statutes Section 553.79, an owner, agent, or contractor must obtain a permit before erecting, enlarging, altering, repairing, or replacing a structure, and the City's Building Services Division (Development Services Department, 700 NW 19th Avenue) issues fence and wall permits with submittals made digitally through the LauderBuild portal. The City publishes Florida Building Code wood-fence requirement sheets and fence/gate permit materials as part of that process. Separately, every fence and wall must satisfy the zoning standards in ULDR Section 47-19.5, including the Table 1 height-and-setback matrix, the transparency calculation in Note B, the landscaping requirement in subsection C, and the finish and sight-triangle rules. Temporary construction fences are addressed in subsection J: a temporary construction fence may be permitted in conjunction with site construction under requirements set by the department, may not be placed before final site plan approval or issuance of the first building permit, and must be removed within two weeks after a certificate of occupancy or termination of site plan approval. Because the ULDR provides that where its provisions are more restrictive than other regulations the ULDR controls, applicants must meet whichever standard is stricter.