All fences in the City of Sarasota require a building permit issued by the Building and Zoning Division. The fence permit checklist (B10.0902) requires a site plan showing setbacks, height, materials, and engineering details for fences subject to wind-load requirements under the Florida Building Code.
Sarasota Building and Zoning Sec. VII-1101 and the Florida Building Code govern fence permitting. Required submittals: completed permit application, site plan showing property lines and proposed fence location, fence height and material specs, engineered wind-load calculations for masonry walls or fences over 6 feet, and notarized owner authorization. The Florida Building Code requires wind design for ultimate wind speeds (ASCE 7) - Sarasota is in the 150+ mph design wind zone. Pool-enclosure fences must meet the F.S. §515.29 safety-act spec. Permit fee is set by the City's annual fee schedule (typically in the $100-$250 range for a residential fence).
Building a fence without a permit triggers Code Compliance action - stop-work order, after-the-fact permit fees (typically doubled), civil penalties up to $500 under Sec. 1-11. The City can require removal of a non-compliant fence at owner expense.
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