Melbourne, FL Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

" Sec. 48 requires a building permit for the construction of any fence or wall, and Sec. 49 requires the plans submitted with that permit to show the height, location and type of the structure along with specifications and support data. Height limits turn on use. Sec. 43 caps walls used with single- and two-family homes at six feet, dropping to four feet in a required front yard or on the street side of a corner lot's front building line. Sec. 44 caps walls for subdivisions, multifamily, commercial, industrial and institutional property at ten feet, rising to twelve feet for perimeter walls enclosing common recreation facilities such as ball fields and tennis courts.

Sec. 44(c) requires any wall adjacent to a right-of-way to be approved by the city engineer, who can demand additional setback or a lower height for safety. Engineering and drainage rules apply on top of the height limits: Sec. 46 requires all walls to comply with the Florida Building Code, and Sec. 45(e) bars a wall from causing stormwater to collect or pond along a property line, requiring weep holes of sufficient size and design where that would otherwise occur. Where a retaining wall involves placing fill inside a regulated floodway, Sec.

213 additionally applies the floodway-encroachment limits of Sec. 196. Owners must keep the wall structurally sound and continuous in alignment under Sec. 50, and the board of adjustment hears variance requests under Sec. 51.