Before You Build in Port St. Lucie, FL: Permit & Rule Checklist (2026)

Port St. Lucie requires a Residential Fence Permit from the Building Department before installing a fence. The applicant must certify compliance with City Codes 158.216, 158.203, and 158.204 and sign an affidavit accepting responsibility for compliance.

Port St. Lucie caps residential fences at 6 feet measured from ground level. Decorative fencing used as landscape material in the front-yard area is limited to 4 feet, and pool barrier fences must be 4 to 6 feet tall.

Pool fences in Port St. Lucie must comply with FL §515 Residential Pool Safety Act. Minimum 48-inch height, self-closing self-latching gates, at least one additional safety feature required.

Florida has no shared-cost fence law. Each owner is responsible for fences on their property. Florida also has no spite-fence statute; fences built maliciously to annoy neighbors are a common-law nuisance.

Before passing final inspection, a residential pool in Port St. Lucie must include at least one approved safety feature under Florida Statute 515.27: an isolating barrier, a safety cover, exit alarms, self-closing doors, or a certified pool alarm.

An above-ground pool's own structure may serve as its barrier if it meets all state barrier requirements, but any ladder or steps must be secured, locked, or removable, or be surrounded by a compliant barrier.

Port St. Lucie requires a fence or suitable enclosure around every pool, and if a fence is used it must be a minimum of four (4) feet and a maximum of six (6) feet in height (City Code Sec. 158.216(G)). The barrier is also governed by the state Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act (Fla. Stat. Ch. 515).

A City of Port St. Lucie Building Department permit is required before constructing or installing any in-ground or above-ground swimming pool, spa, or hot tub, with construction done in accordance with the Florida Building Code (5th Edition). The owner must also acknowledge the Residential Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Safety Act Notice of Requirements.

Port St. Lucie's single-family zoning code (Ch. 158) does not list accessory dwelling units among the accessory uses permitted in RE and RS-1 through RS-3 districts, so a separate second living unit is not allowed by right; Florida only authorizes (it does not require) cities to permit ADUs under Florida Statute 163.31771.

Converting a garage to living space in Port St. Lucie requires a building permit under Florida Statute 553.79 and must preserve the off-street parking required by Code Section 158.221, which counts a converted garage as 'no garage' and requires two exterior parking spaces.

Port St. Lucie limits unattached storage buildings to 500 square feet cumulative and requires them to be set back at least 10 feet from the rear property line; a city building permit is required before erecting a shed, consistent with Florida Statute 553.79.

Port St. Lucie Code Section 158.217(C)(2) caps a carport at 200 square feet on lots under 18,500 square feet (400 square feet on larger lots) and limits its height to the principal building's roof line or 22 feet, whichever is more restrictive.

A tiny home used as a primary residence in Port St. Lucie must meet the single-family district's minimum living area - 1,200 square feet in RS-2 - which effectively bars a sub-400-square-foot tiny house as a stand-alone single-family dwelling, and any such home requires a building permit under Florida Statute 553.79.

Open burning of yard trash and land-clearing debris in Port St. Lucie is governed by Florida Forest Service rule 5I-2, F.A.C., and enforced by the St. Lucie County Fire District. Tree-cutting and yard debris may only be burned on residential premises of not more than two family units under strict attendance, setback, and authorization conditions; otherwise an FFS burn authorization or air-curtain incinerator is required.

Portable fire pits, chimineas, and outdoor fireplaces are allowed at Port St. Lucie homes under the Florida Forest Service recreational-burning rule and the Florida Fire Prevention Code (NFPA 1) adopted by the St. Lucie County Fire District. Only clean vegetative debris or untreated wood may be burned, the fire must be attended at all times, and recreational fires must be kept well clear of structures.

Port St. Lucie's Tree Protection and Preservation Ordinance protects mature trees with a diameter at breast height (D.B.H.) of 12 inches or greater and native palms with at least 10 feet of clear trunk on public or private property. A Tree Removal Permit from Planning and Zoning is required before removing a protected tree, though platted single-family lots are exempt.

Port St. Lucie does not set its own lawn-watering calendar; landscape irrigation is governed by the South Florida Water Management District's mandatory year-round rule (Chapter 40E-24, Florida Administrative Code). Because the city is in St. Lucie County, properties may irrigate three days a week and never between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Removing a protected tree (12-inch D.B.H. or a native palm with a 10-foot clear trunk) in Port St. Lucie requires a Tree Removal Permit from Planning and Zoning, and mitigation must replace one inch of D.B.H. for each inch removed. Removing one without a permit triggers 3-to-1 replacement and double fees.