Lee County, FL Hurricane Preparedness: Hurricane Shutters (2026)
Key Facts
- Shutter setback encroachment
- 1 foot into required setback allowed
- Governing map
- Wind-Borne Debris Region & Basic Wind Speed Map, Appendix M
- Design wind speed source
- FBC Figures 1609A, 1609B, 1609C
- Building code adoption
- Florida Building Code adopted at § 6-111
- First-violation fine
- $25 to $1,000 per day (§ 2-427)
Summary
Lee County lets hurricane shutters encroach one foot into a required setback, so an attached accordion or roll-down shutter never needs a variance to install. Every shutter and every impact-rated opening still has to meet the design wind speed for its location under the County's own Wind-Borne Debris Region and Basic Wind Speed Map, adopted at Section 6-112.
Sec. 34-2191. - Measurement; permitted encroachments. Setbacks are measured from the property line to the nearest point of a building or structure. Encroachments into a required setback are permitted as provided below... (3)Shutters. A shutter which is attached to a building may be permitted to encroach one foot into the setbacks. ... Sec. 6-112. - Lee County Wind-Borne Debris Region and Basic Wind Speed Map. To the County Wind-borne Debris Region and Basic Wind Speed Map, as depicted in Appendix M, establishes the geographical boundaries of the wind speed zones and the wind-borne debris region in the County. The wind speed lines and wind-borne debris region coincide with Figures 1609A (Ultimate Design Wind Speeds - Risk Category II Buildings), 1609B (Ultimate Design Wind Speeds - Risk Category III & IV Buildings), and 1609C (Ultimate Design Wind Speeds - Risk Category I Buildings), of the Florida Building Code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 7 | Land Development Code: Supplement 3 Update 3).
Full Breakdown
Section 34-2191(3) treats shutters as a permitted setback encroachment: a shutter attached to a building may encroach one foot into a side, rear or street setback, the same limited allowance given to wing walls, overhangs and equipment platforms elsewhere in that section. That means a homeowner installing exterior shutters up against a property line does not need a separate setback variance from the Board of Zoning Adjustment. The wind loads those shutters and any impact-resistant windows must be engineered to resist come from Section 6-112, which establishes the Lee County Wind-Borne Debris Region and Basic Wind Speed Map, depicted in Appendix M to the Land Development Code.
That map sets the geographical boundaries of the wind speed zones and the wind-borne debris region countywide, and its wind speed lines coincide with Florida Building Code Figures 1609A, 1609B and 1609C, the Ultimate Design Wind Speed maps for Risk Category I, II, III and IV buildings. Because Lee County sits partly or wholly within the wind-borne debris region depending on location, the Florida Building Code (adopted countywide at Section 6-111) requires opening protection, shutters or impact glazing, on new construction and substantial improvements in that region.
A permit for shutter installation is reviewed against both the encroachment allowance and the applicable wind speed line for the parcel's location on the Appendix M map.
Violations & Fines
Installing shutters or opening protection without a permit, or exceeding the one-foot encroachment allowance in Section 34-2191(3), is enforced as a zoning code violation before the County's Hearing Examiner under Section 2-427: fines of $25 to $1,000 per day for a first violation, $50 to $5,000 per day for a repeat violation, and up to $15,000 for an irreparable violation, plus the County's repair and prosecution costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I install hurricane shutters right up to my property line?
How does Lee County decide what wind speed my shutters must resist?
Do I need a permit just to add shutters to an existing house?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lee County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Lee County to another location·View the Florida hurricane preparedness overview
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