Port Orange, FL Landscaping Rules: Rainwater Harvesting (2026)

Port Orange's Land Development Code addresses rain barrels in two places. Chapter 2, Section 2 defines a 'rain barrel' as a barrel used to collect and store rainwater runoff, typically from rooftops via rain gutters, usually outfitted with a mesh screen, spigot, overflow portals and possibly a pump. 5 feet into the yard, compared with the five-, seven-and-a-half-, or ten-foot setbacks required for comparable accessories such as barbecue pits, gazebos or outdoor play equipment. Three footnotes attach to the rain barrel entry. 5-foot allowance cannot be used in a front yard.

Footnote (7) bars placement in a required rear yard on an atypical lot if the structure stands taller than four feet. Footnote (8) normally requires screening from rights-of-way and neighboring properties using architectural features, opaque fencing, walls or dense landscaping, but it carves out an exception for rain barrels: no screening is required at all if the barrel is decorative in nature or is colored, or painted, light or dark brown, dark green, or black, or a color consistent with the primary structure. In practice this lets a resident install a rain barrel tight against a side wall well inside the standard setback line without a variance, provided the color or decorative treatment keeps it visually unobtrusive from the street and neighboring lots.