FENCE RULES – CITRUS (COUNTY), FLORIDA
OVERVIEW
Residential fences are permitted on private property within Citrus County, subject to local regulations.
This page applies to properties in the unincorporated areas of Citrus County; incorporated municipalities regulate fences under their own ordinances.
Citrus County regulates residential fences primarily through the Citrus County Land Development Code, including Chapter Three, Section 3150, Fences, Hedges, and Walls, with visibility standards in Chapter Seven, Section 7180, Clear Visibility Triangle, and drainage, easement, and right-of-way controls in Chapter Six, Stormwater Management and Chapter Seven, Transportation System Standards.
This page focuses on typical single-family residential fencing. If the jurisdiction’s adopted materials do not state a specific limit or requirement, this page notes that the code does not specify one.
Compiled From Citrus County Land Development Code Chapters Three, Six, Seven, and Eleven; Citrus County Code of Ordinances Chapters 18 and 19; and Citrus County Growth Management, Building Division, Code Compliance, and Land Development Division materials as of April 2026.
GOVERNANCE
• Governing Authority: Citrus County regulates residential fence placement, height, materials, visibility, drainage, easements, rights-of-way, and related land development conditions in the unincorporated county.
• Primary Fence Code: The main residential fence standards appear in Citrus County Land Development Code Chapter Three, Section 3150, Fences, Hedges, and Walls.
• Building Administration: The Building Division administers building permitting and inspections and applies the Florida Building Code and Citrus County Land Development Code where applicable.
• Land Development Administration: The Land Development Division administers land development applications, forms, plats, variances, and related LDC review processes.
• Code Compliance: The Code Compliance Division enforces County ordinances and Land Development Code requirements through citizen reports and other enforcement channels.
• No Consolidated Fence Code: Citrus County does not publish a separate consolidated residential fence code. Fence-related rules appear across LDC provisions for fences, visibility triangles, drainage easements, rights-of-way, plats, and code compliance.
PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS
• Fence Permit: Citrus County materials do not publish a separate fence-specific permit requirement for standard residential fences that comply with the 6-foot residential height limit.
• Zoning and Site Limits: Residential fences remain subject to the LDC standards for height, materials, easements, visibility triangles, rights-of-way, drainage, and any applicable plat or private restrictions.
• Zoning Compliance: Building permit requirements are separate from zoning, setback, or plat requirements. Confirm any applicable zoning conditions, setbacks, and plat requirements with Land Development Division before construction.
• Published Residential Forms: Citrus County’s published residential permitting materials do not identify a separate fence-specific permit form in the residential forms list reviewed for this page.
• Municipal Properties: Citrus County directs applicants to the applicable municipal building department when the property is within the City of Crystal River or the City of Inverness.
FENCE PLACEMENT RULES
• Property Lines: The ordinance does not state a setback requirement for standard residential fences from property lines; however, fences must be located entirely on the owner’s property and must not encroach into rights-of-way or easements.
• Required Easements: Fences and walls may be located along property lines only outside required easements. County drainage easements may not contain permanent structures or improvements, including fences and walls.
• Rights-of-Way: Fences must not encroach into existing public rights-of-way unless the use is authorized by the Director of the Department of Public Works.
• Drainage: Fence construction, grading, fill, or related site work must not change surface drainage patterns to the detriment of neighboring properties or public rights-of-way.
• Visibility Areas: Fence placement on corner lots must preserve the clear visibility triangle described in the visibility section below.
• Utility Safety: Florida law requires notice through Sunshine 811 before excavation or demolition. For fence projects that involve digging, including fence post holes, notice generally must be given at least 2 full business days before excavation begins on land.
FENCE HEIGHT AND VISIBILITY RULES
• Residential Height: No fence or wall in a residential district may exceed 6 feet in height.
• Visibility Triangle Height: Fences, walls, hedges, other structures, and vegetation may not exceed 30 inches in height above the average road grade within the visibility triangle.
• Street-Intersection Triangle: For residential and nonresidential street intersections, the clear visibility triangle is formed by measuring 25 feet along each property line abutting the right-of-way from the point where the two property lines intersect, or where their projections intersect, and connecting those two endpoints with a straight line.
• Vision Zone: Within the clear visibility triangle, nothing may be erected, placed, planted, or allowed to grow in a manner that materially impedes vision between 3 feet and 8 feet above grade.
• Residential Driveways: The published driveway-entrance clear-visibility-triangle standard in Section 7180 applies to nonresidential development only. The code does not specify a separate driveway visibility-triangle dimension for standard single-family residential fences.
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS
• Prohibited Residential Materials: Fences in residential districts may not be constructed of barbed wire or electrical fencing unless an agricultural use is authorized.
• Permitted Residential Materials: Fences must consist of one or more of the following materials: wood posts, picket, field fence, basket weave, lattice, split rail, woven saplings, cast or wrought iron, chain link, or pvc/plastic, except where an agricultural use is authorized.
• Wall Materials: The residential fence section does not specify separate material standards for standard single-family residential walls.
• Opacity and Finished Side: The code does not specify an opacity requirement or finished-side orientation requirement for standard single-family residential fences.
PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS
• Private Covenants: Private deed restrictions, subdivision covenants, and HOA rules operate independently of Citrus County fence regulations and may be more restrictive.
• Plat Restrictions: Recorded plats or covenants may include building lines, buffer strips, walls, easements, open-space restrictions, or similar limitations that affect fence placement.
• County Review Limits: County approval or the absence of a county permit requirement does not remove private restrictions.
REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT CONTEXT
Fence issues are typically reviewed during permit or approval review when required, and through complaint-based code enforcement. Examples include:
• Residential Height: Fences or walls in residential districts over 6 feet conflict with the published LDC height standard.
• Visibility: Fences, walls, hedges, structures, or vegetation over 30 inches within the visibility triangle, or objects that materially impede the 3-foot to 8-foot vision zone, may be reviewed as sight-obstruction issues.
• Easements and Rights-of-Way: Fences located in County drainage easements or existing public rights-of-way may be reviewed as encroachments or drainage conflicts.
• Drainage: Fence-related grading, fill, obstructions, or construction activity that changes drainage to the detriment of neighboring properties or public rights-of-way may be reviewed under stormwater standards.
• Complaint-Based Code Compliance: The Code Compliance Division responds to citizen reports of possible County ordinance or Land Development Code violations.
USING THIS INFORMATION
This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within Citrus County, based on publicly available materials reviewed as of April 2026.
In addition to local fence rules, certain Florida laws apply statewide. See Statewide Fence Laws in Florida.
It is not legal advice and does not replace official ordinances, permits, surveys, or professional guidance. Rules and interpretations may change, and application may vary based on zoning district, site conditions, easements, rights-of-way, and private restrictions such as HOA covenants. Before purchasing materials or beginning construction, confirm current requirements and any site-specific limitations with Land Development Division and any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, published guidance, or direction from Citrus County staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.