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

Hernando County does NOT have a municipal good-neighbor or cost-sharing fence ordinance. Spring Hill is a platted suburb with mostly quarter-acre lots, so boundary-fence disputes are common and are handled as private civil matters under Florida law - the County does not adjudicate property-line disputes. Florida has no general residential cost-sharing statute (FS Chapter 588 covers agricultural/livestock fencing only). A fence built on a neighbor's land is an encroachment resolved in Hernando County Court. Sunshine 811 (1-800-432-4770) must be called before digging fence posts, per Florida Statute Chapter 556.

Hernando County Code Section 10-55 allows fences in Spring Hill to be constructed of any 'acceptable and durable materials customarily used or marketed for fencing.' In practice this means wood (pressure-treated, cedar), vinyl/PVC, chain link, aluminum, wrought iron, and decorative masonry. Materials must be new or in new condition; posts must be resistant to decay, corrosion, or termite infestation. Front-yard fences (and rear-yard fences adjacent to waterfront, golf courses, or common areas) must be at least 25% open - chain link, split-rail, picket, or similar - so solid wood, solid vinyl, and solid masonry are restricted to side/rear yards away from those features.

Effective July 31, 2024, Hernando County Ordinance 2024-07 amended Code Section 10-54 to remove the building-permit requirement for residential walls and fences UNDER 7 feet in height. Fences and walls 7 feet or taller still require a permit. The Hernando County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to rescind the lower-height permit requirement, with the policy goal that local rules should not exceed the Florida Building Code. Spring Hill residents pull any required permit from the Hernando County Building Division at 789 Providence Blvd., Brooksville, FL 34601, (352) 754-4050.

Spring Hill is an unincorporated CDP in Hernando County and is governed by Hernando County Code of Ordinances Chapter 10, Article III (Fence Code). Section 10-55 caps fences and walls in front yards within any residential district at 4 feet, and in side and rear yards at 8 feet. Fences in rear yards adjacent to waterfront areas, golf courses, common areas, or similar open spaces are limited to 4 feet AND must be at least 25% open (chain link, split-rail, picket, or similar). On corner lots, the secondary yard must maintain a 9-foot setback for fences over 4 feet in height that exceed 75% opacity.

Hernando County Code Section 10-55 treats walls and fences together, so the same height limits (4 ft front, 8 ft side/rear, 4 ft adjacent to waterfront/golf course/common area) apply. Decorative landscape walls are governed by Chapter 10 Article III. Structural retaining walls supporting earth pressure are also regulated under the 8th Edition (2023) Florida Building Code, Chapter 18 (Soils and Foundations), and a Hernando County building permit is required when the wall exceeds 4 feet measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, OR for any height that supports a surcharge (slope, driveway, structure). Spring Hill is generally flat, but some lots near the Weeki Wachee headwaters and along Spring Hill Drive have grade changes that trigger engineering.

Pool barriers in Spring Hill (unincorporated Hernando County) must comply with Florida Statute Chapter 515 (Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act) and the 8th Edition (2023) Florida Building Code Residential Section R4501.17. Required minimums: 48-inch barrier height on the side facing away from the pool, no openings that allow passage of a 4-inch-diameter sphere, maximum 2-inch ground clearance, self-closing and self-latching gates that open outward away from the pool, and latch release at least 54 inches above the bottom of the gate. The barrier is reviewed as part of the pool permit by the Hernando County Building Division at 789 Providence Blvd., Brooksville.

Hernando County treats hot tubs and nonportable spas as 'swimming pools' once the water depth exceeds 24 inches - a building permit from the Hernando County Building Division (789 Providence Blvd., Brooksville, FL 34601, (352) 754-4050) 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 Hernando County Code. FBC R4501.17 (mirroring FS 515.27(1)(b)) permits a hot tub or spa to be equipped with an approved ASTM F1346 safety cover in lieu of a 48-inch barrier; the cover must be in place and latched when the spa is not in use.

Spring Hill residents must obtain a building permit from the Hernando County Building Division (789 Providence Blvd., Brooksville, FL 34601, (352) 754-4050) for any swimming pool, hot tub, or nonportable spa containing water more than 24 inches deep - this includes inground, aboveground, and onground pools. Plans must comply with the 8th Edition (2023) Florida Building Code Residential Chapter 45 (Sections R4501.17 through R4501.17.3), the 2020 National Electrical Code Article 680, Florida Statute Chapter 515 (Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act), and the Hernando County Code. Applications may be submitted in person or via the County's Tyler/EnerGov self-service portal.

Florida Statute 515.27 (the Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act) lets Spring Hill 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.

Pool barriers in Spring Hill (unincorporated Hernando County) must comply with Florida Statute 515.29 and the 8th Edition (2023) Florida Building Code Residential 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 horizontal members are closer), self-closing and self-latching gates that open outward away from the pool, and latch release at least 54 inches above the gate bottom. Chain-link mesh openings may not exceed 1-1/4 inches. The barrier is reviewed as part of the pool permit by the Hernando County Building Division.

Converting a Spring Hill garage to habitable living space requires a building permit and electrical permit from the Hernando County Building Division under the Florida Building Code 7th Edition (change of occupancy from U to R-3). If the conversion adds a kitchen and separate entrance, it becomes an Accessory Dwelling Unit subject to Hernando County's strict ADU rules (attached only, 50% size cap, owner-occupied, no separate sale). The conversion may not reduce off-street parking below the minimum required for the dwelling.

Hernando County permits an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) only as an attached addition to an owner-occupied single-family home — detached backyard cottages, guest houses, and tiny homes on the same lot are NOT permitted. The ADU is capped at 50% of the primary dwelling's gross habitable floor area, may have its own kitchen, bathroom, sleeping area, and laundry, and may not be sold separately. Maximum of 2 dwelling units per lot (primary + ADU). Florida has no statewide ADU mandate.

Under Hernando County Ordinance 26-38 (2024), sheds with impervious roof coverings of 120 sq ft or less no longer require a zoning permit. The maximum allowable shed wall height is 8 ft (raised from 5 ft). Sheds must sit at least 5 ft from side and rear lot lines in residential districts (Hernando County Code Appendix A). Sheds may not function as dwelling or living space. Sheds with electrical, plumbing, or concrete work require separate building permits regardless of size. Florida Building Code applies for any shed over 600 sq ft.

Hernando County Code Appendix A permits detached carports as accessory structures in residential districts with a minimum 5 ft setback from side and rear property lines. Attached carports must meet the principal building's yard setbacks for the district (typically 25 ft front, 10 ft side, 20 ft rear in R-1B). Carports require a building permit from the Hernando County Building Division for structural review under the Florida Building Code 7th Edition with engineered wind-uplift anchorage for Hernando County's 130-140 mph wind zone.

A tiny home in Spring Hill on a permanent foundation is treated as either a single-family dwelling (must meet the underlying Hernando County residential district's minimum lot size, setbacks, and 600-900 sq ft minimum living area) or as an attached ADU under Hernando County's strict ADU rules (50% of primary, attached only, owner-occupied). Tiny homes on wheels (THOWs) registered as RVs or park-model trailers are NOT permitted as residences. HUD-Code manufactured homes are permitted only in the R-1MH Manufactured Home district.

Outdoor burning in Spring Hill is governed by Chapter 12 of the Hernando County Code (Fire Prevention and Protection), 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; non-permitted pile burning is prohibited. Hernando County, through Ordinance No. 2025-02 adopted March 12, 2025, amended Chapter 12 to align with current NFPA standards and the Florida Building Code and gave the Hernando County Fire Chief authority to recommend a burn ban to the County Administrator for fast administrative action when wildland fire risk is high. Under Chapter 12, Article VI, when a burn ban is in effect (most recently April 14, 2026 and April 27, 2025), all outdoor burning not specifically permitted by the Florida Forest Service is prohibited; only contained gas or charcoal grills under attended cooking are excepted. Yard-waste and household-trash burning is prohibited at all times under FAC 5I-2.004.

Spring Hill is an unincorporated community within Hernando County, so fire pit rules are set by Hernando County under Chapter 12 of the Hernando County Code (Fire Prevention and Protection) 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. Hernando County Fire Rescue (HCFR), headquartered at 15470 Flight Path Drive, Brooksville, FL 34604 and reached at (352) 540-4353, administers and enforces these rules countywide; Spring Hill is served by HCFR Stations 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. 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. When Hernando County declares a countywide burn ban under Chapter 12, Article VI, open burning including the use of fire pits is prohibited and only contained gas or charcoal grills under attended cooking are allowed.

On a single-family residential lot in unincorporated Spring Hill / Hernando County, Florida Statute 163.045 prevents the County from requiring a notice, application, approval, permit, fee, or mitigation to prune, trim, or remove a tree if the owner has on-site documentation from an ISA-certified arborist or Florida-licensed landscape architect that the tree poses an unacceptable risk under ISA Best Management Practices — Tree Risk Assessment, Second Edition (2017). Routine ornamental pruning on private residential property is otherwise unregulated by the County, but ANSI A300 standards are recommended.

Spring Hill is in unincorporated Hernando County, served by Hernando County Utilities and the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD). Hernando County's local ordinance (Code of Ordinances Chapter 28, Article XI) is more restrictive than SWFWMD's two-day year-round standard: irrigation is limited to ONE day per week year-round, with watering allowed only between 12:01 AM-4:00 AM OR 8:00 PM-11:59 PM on the assigned day. SWFWMD is currently in Modified Phase III Extreme Water Shortage through July 1, 2026, which aligns with — and does not relax — the County rule.

Hernando County Code Chapter 10 (Community Appearance), Article II (Landscaping) governs tree removal in unincorporated Spring Hill. A Land Clearing Permit is required before clearing under § 10-22, and Specimen trees (18-inch DBH or greater) and Majestic trees (36-inch DBH or greater) must be preserved unless the County Administrator finds one of the listed mitigating conditions (immediate safety hazard, infestation, property damage). Florida Statute 163.045 preempts the County permit on a single-family residential lot when the owner has on-site ISA-certified arborist documentation that the tree is dangerous.