Do I need a permit for fence installation or replacement in Coconut Creek?

Florida and local notes for Coconut Creek

Florida has no statewide list of building work exempt from a permit. Section 105.2 of the Florida Building Code, Building, exempts only certain gas, mechanical and plumbing work, so whether a fence needs a permit is decided by your local building department rather than by a state threshold. Even where no building permit is needed, zoning height, setback, corner-visibility, and HOA rules still apply. Cities set their own fence ordinances that can differ from the county. Fences in an easement may require an acknowledgement and can be removed if a utility needs access. Fences are reviewed for HVHZ wind loads here, so height, material and post embedment matter more than in most of the state. Your city issues the permit, not the county. Broward's 31 municipal building departments each run their own permitting and inspections, while the county Board of Rules and Appeals sets code interpretation and the countywide amendments they all work from. The Broward County Amendments to the Florida Building Code, published by the Board of Rules and Appeals under the county charter, apply on top of the state code everywhere in the county. Individual cities can add their own amendments as well, so confirm both. Under Coconut Creek Code 13-379, residential fences are limited to 6 feet in height, are not allowed in a required front yard, and on a corner or street side must be set back 5 feet from the right-of-way line or access easement. Where a sidewalk is present along a street-side fence, shrubs or hedges at least 24 inches tall with an 18 inch spread must be planted outside the fence, and the decorative side must face out (Code 13-379(1)). A fence or wall in an easement requires written approval from the City Engineer or the agency holding rights in the easement (Code 13-373(g)). Barbed wire is not permitted on fences in residential districts (Code 13-379).