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

Pembroke Pines caps residential fences, walls, and hedges at six feet along any lot line, rising to eight feet where the line borders nonresidential property, with height measured from grade. Near intersections the limit drops to two feet within 25 feet of crossing street lines, and a fence can never block a driver's line of sight, per City Code § 155.655(C)(1).

Pembroke Pines puts fence upkeep on whichever owner's property the fence sits on, not a shared neighbor obligation. City Code § 155.655 also requires the finished, good-looking side of a new fence to face the abutting property, adjacent property, or the street whenever feasible, with the owner keeping the structure safe and presentable year-round.

Pembroke Pines enforces Florida's Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act (F.S. 515). Pools must have at least one safety feature and anti-entrapment drain covers. Building permits required for new pools.

Pembroke Pines requires permits for all swimming pool construction under Sections 150.50–150.52. A pool permit cannot be issued without a simultaneous barrier permit. Plans must show compliance with the safety barrier requirements. The Building Department at 954-435-6502 processes pool permits. FL Statute 515 provides state-level safety requirements.

Pembroke Pines lets a homeowner turn an attached garage into a legal accessory dwelling unit, but the Land Development Code demands specific work: if the garage door faced the street it must come out, the opening enclosed to match the house's finishes and color, and the whole unit must meet size, parking, and permitting standards under Code of Ordinances § 155.621(A)(7).

Pembroke Pines lets a single-family lot add one accessory dwelling unit under Code of Ordinances § 155.621(A)(7), sized between 300 and 1,000 square feet and always smaller than the main house. An ADU needs its own kitchen, bath and living space, one dedicated paved parking spot, and can't be added to a lot served by septic.

Pembroke Pines allows one shed per residential lot under Code of Ordinances § 155.620(C)(1), and Table 155.620 caps a standard shed at 200 square feet with 5-foot side and rear setbacks, a 15-foot street-side setback on corner lots, and a height no taller than the primary house or 24 feet, whichever is less.

Pembroke Pines regulates outdoor fireplaces and fire pits through § 93.01(B)-(C): they cannot be used to burn rubbish, trash, mulch, or landscaping debris, and every residential outdoor fireplace, permanent barbecue, or grill opening must carry an approved spark arrester, screen, or door. The code does not set a minimum setback distance from property lines or structures.

Pembroke Pines Code § 93.01(A) bars igniting or burning any substance or material on public or private property citywide unless state law or regulation separately permits it. The only carve-out in the same subsection lets one- and two-family homeowners burn wood or tinder in a stove, oven, barbecue pit, grill, or fireplace for cooking or fuel.

Pembroke Pines makes property owners responsible for trimming trees in the swale and front yard so they clear the sidewalk and street. The Public Works Department can order the work done and bill the owner, then lien the property, if it isn't handled within ten days.

Pembroke Pines Code of Ordinances § 50.35(D)(4) bars sprinkler irrigation between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. citywide and limits existing landscaping to two watering days a week: Thursday/Sunday for even addresses, Wednesday/Saturday for odd addresses.

Pembroke Pines requires a city permit before any property owner cuts down or relocates a tree, per Code of Ordinances § 155.674. Single-family homeowners pay a $10 application fee; nonresidential and multi-family sites pay $50 for the first ten trees, with larger removals routed through a full landscape permit.