Fence, wall or pool barrier citation

Why this gets cited

• A fence or wall put up without the permit the city requires.
• Leaning, broken or missing sections, rotted posts, or a damaged gate.
• A fence taller than the local limit, or built over a property line, in an easement, or in the sight triangle at a corner.
• A pool barrier with gaps, a gate that does not self-close and self-latch, or a section taken down.
• A material or style the city's code does not allow where the fence faces the street.

How we resolve it

1. 1We read the notice alongside your city's fence rules: height, setbacks, materials, and which side faces the street.
2. 2We check the survey where the fence is near a property line or an easement.
3. 3We pull the permit for the new fence or the repair, or an after-the-fact permit for one already built.
4. 4We repair or rebuild sections, rehang gates, and bring the fence to the height and position the city allows.
5. 5For pool barriers, we close gaps, make gates self-closing and self-latching, and bring the barrier in line with the pool safety rules; then the code office is asked to re-inspect it.

The Florida angle

Chapter 515 of the Florida Statutes, the Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act, sets requirements for barriers around residential pools, and many local codes add their own. Fence permits, height limits and setbacks are set locally, so they vary from city to city. Storm season is hard on fences too, and a section left leaning after a storm can bring a notice of its own.

Free tools for this

• Pool barrier checkerDoes my pool barrier meet Florida's rules?Answer yes, no or not sure about the barrier height, gaps, the gate, the house doors to the pool and the other safety options in Florida's Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act, and see which items look met, not met or need checking, with the next step for each.Open →
• Florida Building Code lookupWhich part of the Florida Building Code covers my job?Pick the job — re-roof, roof repair, windows, shutters, fence, shed, pool, AC, water heater, electrical, remodel, garage conversion, addition and more — and see which book of the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), governs it, the chapters and sections to look at in plain English, free links to the official text, the extra Broward and Miami-Dade sections, and whether it usually needs a permit.Open →
• Notice decoderWhat does my notice mean?Tick the words you can see on your letter — notice of violation, compliance date, hearing, order imposing fine, lien — and get each one in plain English, where you likely are on the usual Florida timeline, and a next-steps checklist.Open →
• Deadline checkerHow many days do I have?Enter the date on your notice and the days to correct, or the compliance date, and get the days left, a dated plan to get it corrected in time, a printable copy and a calendar file.Open →
• Proof-of-compliance photo guideWhat photos prove it's fixed?Pick the violation on your notice and get a shot list for before, during and after the work — the wide shot with the house number, the inspector's angles, close-ups, the permit card and the final inspection — plus a printable photo card to hold in the first frame.Open →
• Contractor license guideWhich licensed contractor fixes this?Tick the work your notice calls for — roof, structure, electrical, plumbing, AC, pool, fence or lot clean-up — and see the Florida license that usually does it, the DBPR codes to look for, who pulls each permit, and how to check a license.Open →

Questions people ask

Does a fence need a permit in Florida?

In most Florida cities, yes. Height, setbacks, materials and the permit rules are local, and we check your city's before building or repairing.

What does a pool barrier need?

Florida's Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act sets requirements for barriers around residential pools, and local codes add their own. Gates that self-close and self-latch, no gaps a child can get through, and nothing that makes the barrier easy to climb are the usual points an inspector checks.

The fence was there when I bought the house. Why is it cited now?

A fence can be cited when it falls into disrepair, or when a permit search shows it was never permitted. The city usually works with the current owner, whoever built it.

Can part of a fence be repaired without a permit?

Some cities allow small repairs without one and some do not. We check your city's rules before the work starts.

General information, not legal advice. Your notice and your city's code office have the final word.

Find your city

Find your county's code office — the office named on your notice is the one to ask about deadlines, hearings, fines and liens.