Sanford, FL Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

Schedule F, Section 6.0(A) of Sanford's Land Development Regulations makes it prohibited and unlawful to erect any fence or wall within the applicable zoning district without first obtaining a building permit from Planning and Development Services. The regulation sets a hard height ceiling by location: front yards are capped at 4 feet, while rear and side yards allow up to 6 feet, and any fence or wall taller than 6 feet needs separate approval from the Building Official. A residential fence can reach 8 feet only if the top 2 feet are open lattice or other non-opaque material matching the rest of the fence.

Corner lots get their own rule: a 6-foot fence is allowed in the street-side yard only if it sits at least 4 feet inside the property line, with landscaping filling the gap. Material choices are restricted too: corrugated or sheet metal is banned outright, walls need a decorative masonry, brick, stucco or paint finish, and any chain-link or wire fence must be vinyl-coated with no exposed points on top. Wire fencing cannot sit on the front building line except by special development order in agricultural districts or to temporarily secure an unsafe structure.

Near street intersections, fences, walls and hedges cannot exceed 2 feet 6 inches within the clear visibility triangle. Every permit application must include a land survey or plot plan showing lot dimensions, the fence's location, gates, length, height and materials. A lawful nonconforming fence can stay in place but cannot be enlarged, and if more than 30% of it is destroyed it cannot be rebuilt.