Dade City, FL Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

Dade City Code of Ordinances § 78-1 makes it unlawful to erect or maintain any building, structure, fence, wall, or other encroachment on or above a public street, sidewalk, or other public property, unless the item is a marquee, awning, sign, or other facility the city has authorized. For work within a right-of-way or easement, § 78-151(a) requires a permit from the public works department before installing, placing, constructing, or replacing an improvement there, including jack-and-bore work, poles of any design, and aboveground improvements that create an obstruction; security lights and streetlights need the permit but are exempt from the permit fee.

Section 78-151(b) exempts driveways, work confined to utility easements, and small franchise-utility work meeting a list of conditions, such as disturbing no more than 100 square feet, going no deeper than 48 inches, and leaving the site restored to its prior condition. Section 78-152 sets the mechanics: the applicant must be the owner or responsible party, not a subcontractor, a permit runs 120 days from issuance and can be extended but never exceeds one year total, and the permittee must give the city at least two business days' notice before construction starts, plus a maintenance-of-traffic plan and three business days' notice for any road closing.

00 more for any project that requires an as-built survey under § 78-155. Section 78-154 requires a duplicate set of design plans, no larger than 8½ by 14 inches, showing materials, pipe or conduit sizes, cross-sections, and every other right-of-way user who might be affected, so utilities sharing the easement can weigh in before work begins.