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

Under Palm Coast Land Development Code Section 4.01.02.A.2, the maximum height of any fence or wall in interior side or rear yards behind the nearest front building facade is 6 feet, measured from finished grade to the top of the fence. Decorative columns and occasional architectural embellishments may extend up to 12 inches above the maximum. Fences are not permitted in front of the front building facade except in the AGR, EST-1, and EST-2 Districts, where front-yard / street-side-yard fences are capped at 4 feet.

Effective June 10, 2021, the City of Palm Coast does NOT require a building permit for the installation of a fence; however, a signed acknowledgement of the City Land Development Code regulations is required prior to installation. The signed acknowledgement is logged in the city's permit database as a record of the property owner's commitment to comply with Section 4.01.02 of the Land Development Code. The Building Services Division at City Hall (160 Lake Avenue, (386) 986-3780) issues acknowledgements and may inspect for compliance.

Palm Coast does not maintain a municipal good-neighbor cost-sharing ordinance. Section 4.01.02.A.1.a of the Land Development Code requires fences to be installed with the finished side facing the exterior of the property. Section 4.01.02.A.1.g states that gates 'shall not open or swing onto neighboring properties.' Fences and walls may be placed within an easement as long as they do not interfere with utilities, but the property owner bears the cost of removal and replacement if the utility needs access. HOA and Architectural Review rules may impose additional shared-line standards.

Palm Coast Land Development Code Section 4.01.02 regulates walls together with fences. Walls must be constructed of approved materials (brick, jumbo brick, stone, split-faced block or finished masonry, wrought iron or aluminum in combination with masonry columns, or pre-cast concrete with simulated wood/stone/brick pattern) and have columns spaced at 20 ft max (walls up to 100 lf), 30 ft max (101-200 lf), or 40 ft max (over 200 lf). Engineered structural retaining walls also must comply with the 8th Edition (2023) Florida Building Code, Chapter 18 (Soils and Foundations), and require a separate building permit when over 4 feet from the bottom of the footing or when supporting a surcharge.

Palm Coast Land Development Code 14.02 defines a Fence as 'an artificially constructed vertical barrier constructed of wood, vinyl, or metal erected to enclose, restrict access to, screen, or separate areas.' Section 4.01.02.A.3 allows wood, vinyl, and decorative aluminum fences in most yards, with treated lumber permitted unfinished. Chain-link and non-decorative aluminum are allowed in side and rear yards but prohibited in yards fronting along arterial and collector roadways. Chain-link, aluminum, or similar metal fences must be black or bronze (white aluminum permitted when matching a screen enclosure), with no slats, fabric, or screening attached. Approved wall materials include brick, jumbo brick, stone, finished masonry, wrought iron/aluminum with masonry columns, and pre-cast concrete.

Pool barriers in Palm Coast must comply with Florida Statute 515 (Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act) and FBC Residential 8th Edition (2023) Section R4501.17. The barrier must be at least 48 inches high on the side facing away from the pool, may have no opening that allows a 4-inch-diameter sphere to pass, and the bottom clearance may not exceed 2 inches above grade. Gates must be self-closing, self-latching, open outward away from the pool, and have a latch release at least 54 inches above the bottom of the gate. Palm Coast also specifically requires above-ground pool gates to swing outward and the latch to sit 54 inches from the gate bottom.

Pool barriers in Palm Coast must comply with Florida Statute 515.29 and FBC Residential 8th Edition (2023) Section R4501.17. Required minimums: 48-inch barrier height on the outside face, less-than-4-inch sphere openings, max 2-inch ground clearance, horizontal members at least 45 inches apart (or vertical pickets less than 1-3/4 inches apart if closer), self-closing and self-latching gates that open outward away from the pool, and latch release at least 54 inches above gate bottom. Palm Coast's above-ground pool guidance specifically requires the gate to swing outward and the latch at 54 inches.

Palm Coast requires a building permit for any swimming pool, hot tub, or spa containing water more than 24 inches deep - this includes inground, aboveground, and onground pools, hot tubs, and nonportable spas. The permit is issued by Building Services at City Hall, 160 Lake Avenue, Palm Coast FL 32164, (386) 986-3780. Plans must comply with the 8th Edition (2023) Florida Building Code Residential Chapter 45 (Sections R4501.17 through R4501.17.3), the 2020 National Electric Code (NEC Article 680), Florida Statute Chapter 515, and the Palm Coast Land Development Code. Permits are typically reviewed in approximately five business days.

Florida Statute 515.27 (the Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act) lets Palm Coast pool owners satisfy pool safety through any ONE of five options: (1) a barrier meeting FS 515.29; (2) an approved ASTM F1346 safety pool cover; (3) exit alarms on every door and window opening from the home to the pool (minimum 85 dBA at 10 feet); (4) self-closing, self-latching devices on those doors with the release at least 54 inches above the floor; or (5) a swimming pool alarm meeting ASTM F2208. NEC Article 680 bonding/GFCI and ANSI/APSP-16 anti-entrapment drain covers (Virginia Graeme Baker Act) are also required. Failure is a second-degree misdemeanor.

Palm Coast treats hot tubs and nonportable spas as 'swimming pools' once the water depth exceeds 24 inches - a building permit from Building Services (160 Lake Avenue, (386) 986-3780) is required. Applicable codes are the 8th Edition (2023) FBC Residential Chapter 45 (Sections R4501.17 through R4501.17.3), 2020 NEC Article 680, FS Chapter 515, and the Palm Coast LDC. FBC R4501.17 (mirroring FS 515.27(1)(b)) permits a hot tub or spa to be equipped with an approved ASTM F1346 safety pool cover in lieu of a 48-inch barrier; the cover must be in place and latched when the spa is not in use.

Florida does not have a statewide ADU preemption — Palm Coast's Land Development Code controls. The Palm Coast LDC does not list 'accessory dwelling unit' as a permitted use in single-family residential zones (SFR-1 through SFR-5); only one principal single-family dwelling per lot is allowed. Detached guest quarters without kitchens are generally treated as accessory structures, not separate dwelling units. Most Palm Coast lots are also subject to recorded ITT/HOA covenants that further restrict secondary units.

Converting a garage to habitable space in Palm Coast requires a Florida Building Permit and zoning review. Because the SFR-1 through SFR-5 districts allow only one dwelling unit per lot, a garage conversion that adds a kitchen and separate entrance would create an unpermitted second dwelling unit. Off-street parking required for the principal dwelling must still be met. ITT/HOA covenants on most Palm Coast lots impose additional restrictions on garage modifications.

Tiny homes on a permanent foundation in Palm Coast must meet the Florida Building Code (including FBC Appendix Q for dwellings 400 sq ft or less) and the zone's lot and setback standards. Palm Coast's single-family districts (SFR-1 through SFR-5) allow only one principal dwelling per lot, and the smallest district's minimum lot size precludes ultra-small parcels. Tiny homes on wheels (RV class) cannot be used as a residence in residential zones, and the Manufactured Home Development (MHD) District is the only district that allows manufactured/HUD-code dwellings outright.

Palm Coast does not require a building permit for sheds 120 square feet or less (effective July 8, 2021), but a signed acknowledgement of LDC regulations is required. Sheds over 120 sq ft require a building permit. A shed up to 100 sq ft may sit 5 feet from the interior side or rear property line; sheds over 100 sq ft must be 10 feet from the rear and meet the zone's side setbacks. Sheds cannot sit in front of the principal building line or within easements.

Palm Coast LDC Section 4.01 prohibits carports in all residential zoning districts except the Manufactured Home Development (MHD) district. Detached freestanding carports cannot be installed at single-family or multifamily homes in SFR-1 through SFR-5, MFR-1, or MFR-2. An attached garage roof extension over a driveway may be permitted as part of the principal structure with a building permit. Building Department: (386) 986-3780.

Outdoor burning in Palm Coast is governed by Section 25-52 of Chapter 25 of the City Code, the Florida Fire Prevention Code (8th Edition, NFPA 1, 2021), and Florida Administrative Code Chapter 5I-2 (Florida Forest Service - Open Burning). The Florida Forest Service has exclusive statutory authority under FS Chapter 590 to issue authorizations for pile burning; Palm Coast cannot issue pile burning permits. In September 2024 the Palm Coast Fire Department brought forward an ordinance amending Section 25-52 to remove the city fire marshal's authority to issue pile burning permits and surrender that authority to the Florida Forest Service. Yard-waste and household-trash burning is prohibited under FAC 5I-2.004. Outdoor fireplaces, kilns, ovens, outdoor cooking fires, and warming fires at work sites (when temperature below 45 degrees F) are still permitted without permits. When Flagler County declares a burn ban under Chapter 12 of the Flagler County Code, all open burning including fire pits and containers is prohibited countywide.

Palm Coast regulates backyard fire pits through Chapter 25 (Fire Prevention and Protection) of the Code of Ordinances and the Florida Fire Prevention Code (FFPC), 8th Edition (2023), which adopts NFPA 1, 2021 and NFPA 101, 2021 with Florida-specific amendments and became effective December 31, 2023. The Palm Coast Fire Department, headquartered at 160 Lake Avenue and reached at (386) 986-2300, administers and enforces these rules. Under NFPA 1 recreational-fire provisions, fire pits must be three feet or less in diameter and two feet or less in height, kept at least 25 feet from any structure or combustible material, burn only seasoned natural firewood, and be attended by an adult with extinguishment means until fully out. Cooking fires in a grill or barbecue are exempt. When Flagler County declares a countywide burn ban (most recently April 23 to May 14, 2025), open burning including the use of fire pits and containers is prohibited and outdoor cookers and grills are only allowed if continuously attended by an adult.

Removing a tree of 6-inch caliper or greater (or 4-inch caliper if surveyed for credit) in Palm Coast requires a permit under Land Development Code Chapter 11. Applications go to Building Services at 160 Lake Avenue (386-986-3780). Florida Statute 163.045 preempts the City permit on a single-family residential lot when the owner has ISA-certified arborist documentation that the tree is dangerous. SFR/DPX/EST-zoned owners may also remove specimen or historic trees within the buildable area without mitigation when shifting the footprint cannot save the tree.

Palm Coast Code of Ordinances Sections 24-181 through 24-185 (Water Conservation, adopted by Ordinance 2009-15) enforce a year-round landscape irrigation schedule that aligns with St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) Chapter 40C-2, F.A.C. Irrigation is prohibited between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM; residential odd addresses water Wednesday and Saturday during Daylight Saving Time (Saturday only in EST); even addresses water Thursday and Sunday during DST (Sunday only in EST). Limit: 3/4 inch per zone per irrigation day, max one hour per zone.

Palm Coast Land Development Code Chapter 11 (Tree Protection, Landscaping, Buffering & Irrigation) requires a permit before a tree of 6-inch caliper or greater (or 4-inch caliper if surveyed for credit) is damaged or destroyed by pruning. Florida Statute 163.045 preempts the City permit on single-family residential lots when the owner has ISA-certified arborist documentation that the tree poses a danger. The City's published Tree Pruning Regulations require ANSI A300-compliant practices.