Before You Build in Davie, FL: Permit & Rule Checklist (2026)

In the Town of Davie, residential fences and walls may not exceed 6 feet along a plot line, or 8 feet where the line abuts non-residentially zoned property, under Land Development Code Sec. 12-33(O)(1). Near street-corner intersections an opaque fence is capped at 2 feet. Rural Lifestyle (AG, A-1, R-1) lots follow stricter limits in Sec. 12-287.

Davie requires a building (structural) permit for fences. The Building Division's Fence Checklist calls for a building permit application, a signed/notarized addendum, and a signed/sealed survey, with review by Planning & Zoning, Structural and Engineering. PVC, metal or aluminum fences need signed/sealed engineered plans; wood and chain-link fences may follow the Florida Building Code.

Davie's Land Development Code regulates fence height, materials and placement but sets no town finished-side ('good side out') rule or shared-cost rule for boundary fences. The Fence Zoning Requirements note that a fence drawn on a property line is assumed to sit entirely within the applicant's lot. Boundary and cost disputes follow Florida law and HOA rules.

Davie has no separate retaining-wall height ordinance for standard zoning districts; structural retaining walls are permitted and engineered under the Florida Building Code with a Town building permit. In the Rural Lifestyle area (AG, A-1, R-1), Sec. 12-287(B) limits walls to 3 feet, prohibits them in scenic-corridor buffers, and states no wall may be placed atop a berm.

Davie permits standard fence materials with proper engineering: PVC, metal and aluminum fences need plans signed and sealed by a Florida-licensed architect or engineer, while wood and chain-link fences may be built per the Florida Building Code. Pre-cast concrete post-and-panel needs a Special Inspector. Rural Lifestyle (AG, A-1, R-1) lots are limited to specific approved styles under Sec. 12-287.

Davie does not set its own pool-fence height. Because the Town adopted the Florida Building Code (Code Sec. 5-1), residential pool barriers follow the state standard in FBC-R Chapter 45 (R4501.17) and the Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act (Fla. Stat. Ch. 515): a barrier at least 48 inches high with no gaps or footholds.

The Town of Davie Building Division requires a building permit before constructing or installing any residential swimming pool, spa, or hot tub. Davie has adopted the Florida Building Code (Code Sec. 5-1), as amended by the Broward County Administrative Chapter, so pool construction, barriers, and inspections follow state-set FBC standards rather than a separate Davie pool code.

Davie's own pool-safety ordinance, Code Sec. 5-66, declares that swimming pools containing stagnant water are 'unsanitary and dangerous to human life' and are deemed unsafe. Beyond that, residential pool safety features (barriers, alarms, covers) are set by the state Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act, Fla. Stat. Ch. 515, which Davie references.

An above-ground swimming pool in Davie still requires a Building Division permit and must comply with the Florida Building Code adopted in Code Sec. 5-1. The barrier requirement comes from FBC-R Chapter 45 / Fla. Stat. Ch. 515 - Davie does not set a separate above-ground pool ordinance.

A spa or hot tub in Davie requires a Building Division permit under the Florida Building Code (Code Sec. 5-1). Safety follows the state Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act (Fla. Stat. Ch. 515): a spa or hot tub equipped with an approved safety cover can satisfy the barrier requirement. Davie sets no separate spa ordinance.

Davie does not use the term 'ADU.' The closest equivalent is a 'guest cottage,' a permitted use only in the rural and estate single-family districts (RR, AG, A-1, R-1). It is the only accessory structure allowed to be designed for overnight habitation, and only where it meets all Land Development Code standards.

Davie's Land Development Code does not publish a dedicated 'garage conversion' section, but the rules controlling one are clear: a converted garage cannot create a separate living unit because, outside the permitted guest-cottage districts, no accessory structure may be designed for overnight habitation, and any conversion is a Florida Building Code permit project.

Davie's Land Development Code treats a storage shed as an 'unoccupied storage shed.' Sec. 12-88(C) caps each shed at 150 square feet of horizontal area (measured to the drip line), requires it to sit behind the rear building line, and sets minimum 5-foot side and rear yard setbacks. Sheds may not be designed for overnight habitation.

Davie's Land Development Code has no separate dimensional 'carport' section; a carport is regulated as an accessory structure and as covered vehicle storage. It must stay subordinate to the home, one story, and a carport (with a garage) is an approved place to screen certain commercial vehicles and personal trailers from public view.

Davie has no separate 'tiny home' ordinance. A tiny home on a foundation is treated as a single-family detached dwelling and must meet the Florida Building Code and the district's standards; a tiny home on wheels is a mobile/manufactured home, allowed only in the town's mobile-home (MH) districts, not in conventional single-family neighborhoods.

Davie has no dedicated fire-pit ordinance, but recreational fires are governed by Broward County's open-burning rules (Code Chapter 27, Article IX). Fires used solely for recreation, ceremony, or outdoor cooking are allowed if they create no excessive smoke or nuisance and you obtain approval from the appropriate fire authority.

Open burning of yard trash and household waste on occupied residential property is prohibited in Davie under Broward County Code section 27-286. Only recreational, ceremonial, or noncommercial cooking fires are allowed, and only with approval from the appropriate fire authority and no excessive smoke or nuisance.

Davie residents may prune their own trees only if work follows the ANSI A300-2001 tree-care standard and trees are not abused. Prohibited practices such as topping, hat-racking and flush cutting are barred under Sec. 12-145. Hired tree services must hold a valid Broward County Tree Trimmer's License and be insured.

In most situations Davie requires a tree removal/relocation permit before taking down a tree. The application is inexpensive ($35 for up to two trees on a single-family lot, including inspection). Removing a tree generally requires planting one or more replacement trees. Invasive/exotic species listed in Sec. 12-152 are exempt.

Davie follows the regional two-day-per-week year-round landscape irrigation restrictions set by the South Florida Water Management District and Broward County. Odd addresses water Wednesday and Saturday; even addresses Thursday and Sunday. No irrigation is allowed between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The rule sits in Town Code Chapter 25-32.