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

Florida has no shared fence-cost law, so each Sunrise owner pays for their own fence. Sunrise Code Sec. 16-191(d)(7) requires the finished side to face the neighbor or right-of-way.

Sunrise has no separate retaining-wall height article; walls are permitted and built to the Florida Building Code. A Building Division permit is required, with engineered plans for taller walls.

Sunrise requires a building permit for every new or replacement fence. Fences must be built to the Florida Building Code, and Broward's High Velocity Hurricane Zone adds wind-load standards.

Sunrise caps residential fences at 4 feet in the front yard (set back 3 feet from the sidewalk) and 6 feet in rear and side yards, under Land Development Code Sec. 16-191.

Sunrise allows wood (not plywood), PVC, composite, and decorative metal fences. Chain-link is single-family only and must be vinyl-coated green, black, or bronze. Barbed wire and slats are banned.

Under Florida's Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act, Sunrise pool barriers must be at least 4 feet high with no gaps a child can pass, plus a self-latching gate. A permit and inspection are required.

Sunrise pool barriers must be at least 4 feet high on single-family lots and 6 feet on other residential and nonresidential property, per LDC Sec. 16-111(a)(2). The barrier can be a screened patio, fence, or wall around the pool or the property.

Sunrise regulates hot tubs like pools: every hot tub needs a city building permit and an approved safety barrier under Sec. 16-111. The water's edge must sit 5 feet from side and rear lines, and it cannot go over a utility or drainage easement.

Sunrise requires a city building permit for every pool and hot tub, in-ground or above-ground. Under LDC Sec. 16-111(c) the pool permit cannot issue until a permit for the required safety barrier is secured at the same time.

Florida's Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act (Fla. Stat. Ch. 515) governs Sunrise pools: a 4-foot barrier plus at least one added safety feature such as an approved cover, exit door and window alarms, or self-latching gates. Sunrise LDC Sec. 16-111 enforces the barrier locally.

Sunrise requires a city building permit for above-ground pools just like in-ground pools, with no small-pool exemption. The same Sec. 16-111 barrier applies, and the water's edge must sit at least 5 feet from any side or rear property line.

Florida sets no ADU mandate, and Sunrise does not provide for separate accessory dwelling units in single-family districts. LDC Sec. 16-118 caps accessory structures at two stories or 24 feet, bars building one before the main house, and prohibits converting a garage into living space.

Sunrise prohibits converting an existing garage in a residential district into a habitable room, under LDC Sec. 16-118(a)(3). The only exception is a conversion proven to have existed and been completed before 1995.

A carport in Sunrise is an accessory structure under LDC Sec. 16-118: it needs a city building permit, must meet the zoning district's setbacks, cannot exceed two stories or 24 feet, and must satisfy Broward's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone wind loads.

Sunrise treats a foundation-built tiny home as a dwelling that must meet the Florida Building Code and the district's minimum floor area, while a tiny home on wheels is regulated as an RV or mobile home and cannot serve as a permanent residence in single-family districts.

Sunrise requires a city building permit for every new or replacement shed — there is no small-shed exemption. A storage shed may be up to 100 square feet and 9 feet high, set back at least 5 feet from side and rear property lines, and never over an easement.

Sunrise prohibits open burning citywide under City Code Sec. 6-59. Burning yard waste, trash, or debris is not allowed. Narrow exceptions cover outdoor cooking, fire-department-approved ceremonial fires, and enclosed land-clearing chambers.

Sunrise broadly bans open burning under City Code Sec. 6-59. The only residential exception is outdoor noncommercial cooking of food, so wood fire pits used just for warmth aren't permitted; ceremonial fires need fire-department approval.

Sunrise, which runs its own utilities, enforces Broward County's year-round irrigation rule. Odd-numbered addresses water Wednesday and Saturday; even addresses Thursday and Sunday, only before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. Friday is a no-watering 'dry day.'

Sunrise requires a permit before removing any tree, even in your own yard. Single-family lots must keep a minimum of trees (four per lot, three in RS-7); required trees need 1-for-1 replacement. A certified-dangerous tree qualifies for permit-free removal under Fla. Stat. §163.045.

Sunrise bans 'tree abuse': no hatracking, topping, or over-pruning a tree under 30 feet, and cuts must follow ANSI A-300 and Z-133 standards. Commercial tree trimmers need a business tax receipt and certificate of competency.