Plan on one. The City of Hollywood publishes a fence submittal checklist and reviews fence applications through its Building Division. The surrounding cities each run their own permits. We check the requirement for your address before we order anything.
Do I need a permit to build or replace a fence?
For a new fence in Hollywood, yes, expect to file with the Building Division, with zoning review by the Division of Planning and Urban Design. A like-for-like replacement is generally handled as a new fence as well, so ask the city before assuming it is exempt. Dania Beach, Hallandale Beach, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Davie and the other towns we serve have separate offices and forms. Each of our town pages names the office.
How tall can my fence be? Is 6 feet allowed?
Yes, 6 feet is allowed in side and rear yards of residential zones in Hollywood. Section 155.12 of the city code sets 4 feet for a residential front yard and 6 feet for side and rear yards. A rear or interior side yard that adjoins non-residential property may go to 8 feet. On corners, the setback area is held to 2 feet unless the City Engineer allows up to 4 feet. Height is measured from the grade of your lot at a point one foot from the fence. Other cities use other numbers.
How close to the property line can I build? Do I need a survey?
Most fences here go on the owner's side, right at the line. A survey is the only reliable way to know where that is. Building departments in this area commonly ask for one with the fence drawn on it. Miramar, for example, requires a full boundary survey less than 7 years old. If the boundary is not marked on the ground, or the neighbor reads it differently, get a plot plan or a survey before a single hole is dug.
I live in a historic district. What can I build?
Ask the city before you choose a style. Hollywood has locally designated historic areas, including parts of Hollywood Lakes, and work in a historic district can need design approval in addition to the permit. The Division of Planning and Urban Design can tell you what applies on your block and which materials have been accepted there.
Can my condo association or HOA restrict my fence?
Yes, and in the planned communities west of Hollywood it usually does. An association can set the height, material and color and can require open fencing on lake lots. The city does not enforce those rules or wait for them, so having a city permit does not mean the association agrees. Get its approval letter first.
We are adding a pool. What fence does code require?
The baseline is Florida's Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act, chapter 515 of the Florida Statutes. Section 515.29 requires a barrier at least 4 feet high on the outside, free of gaps, openings and footholds a young child could use, and placed far enough from the water that a child who gets past it does not fall straight in. Gates must swing outward from the pool, shut and latch without help, and carry the latch release on the pool side out of a child's reach. Cities can be stricter. Cooper City's permit form says a fence under 5 feet does not meet its pool barrier rule. Confirm the figures with your building department.
The inspector failed my existing fence for the pool. Who brings it up to code?
That is work for a fence contractor. Failures are mostly about gates: wrong swing direction, no self-closing hinge, a latch a child can reach. The rest are gaps at the bottom, sections that are too short and things near the fence a child could climb. Forward the inspection notes to us and we will price each item.
My association only allows a 4-foot open fence, but I want privacy. What are my options?
Try to get privacy without breaking the rule. Planting is the common route: a row of clusia or areca palms behind a 4-foot aluminum fence fills in quickly in this climate, as long as the association's hedge rules allow it. A screen next to the patio may be judged under a different rule from a boundary fence, so ask the board. A written variance is the last step. Before settling on a line, check the survey for a drainage or utility easement. Lake and canal lots here usually have one, and a fence inside it may need an agreement with the drainage district.
Who calls 811 before digging, me or the contractor?
The person or company doing the digging. Under Florida Statutes section 556.105, the excavator must notify Sunshine 811 at least 2 full business days before starting. Weekends and state and national holidays are not business days. The information stays valid for 30 calendar days. On our installs we request the ticket. Within 24 inches of a marked line the law calls for extra care, such as hand digging. Sunshine 811 does not locate private lines like sprinklers, pool plumbing or low-voltage lighting, so show us where yours run.
My contractor wants to skip the permit and reuse the old holes. What is the risk?
You carry it, not the contractor. An unpermitted fence can bring a stop-work order, a code case against the property or an order to alter the fence. It can also surface as an open issue when the house is sold. There is a practical cost too: the old holes may be the reason the last fence leaned.
The city says my existing fence breaks the current rules. Can I just repair it?
Check with the zoning or building office before paying for anything. Some cities let an older fence be maintained as it stands and apply the present rules only when it is rebuilt. That is their decision to make, and they will tell you where the line between repair and replacement falls.
The fastest way to get a real number is a free on-site estimate. Call (754) 529-4274 or text us a photo of the fence line.