Nassau County, FL Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

In unincorporated Nassau County, the Building Department administers permitting under the 8th Edition (2023) Florida Building Code, adopted by the county under Nassau County Code § 7-6. 2 lists the work exempted from a building permit, and item 2 of the "Building" exemptions specifically addresses fences: residential fences and privacy walls, including their columns, posts, piers and entry gates, do not need a permit no matter what material they are built from, as long as they stand no higher than 7 feet above the adjacent finished grade.

That exemption has one carve-out that trips up a lot of homeowners: replacing a pool safety fence always requires a building permit, even if the new fence is under 7 feet, because a pool barrier is treated as life-safety equipment rather than an ordinary yard fence. Adding electrical components to any fence, such as gate operators, low-voltage lighting or an access-control keypad, also requires a separate electrical permit even when the fence structure itself is exempt. 1 makes clear that any work performed without the permit it needs is subject to an increased permit fee under the county's adopted fee schedule.

Zoning height, setback and materials standards under the Land Development Code (Appendix A) still apply on top of this exemption; the 7-foot threshold in § 7-6 only removes the building-permit paperwork, it does not override a zoning district's own fence standards.