FENCE RULES – NASSAU (COUNTY), FLORIDA
OVERVIEW
Residential fences are permitted on private property within Nassau County, subject to local regulations.
This page applies to properties in the unincorporated areas of Nassau County; incorporated municipalities regulate fences under their own ordinances.
Nassau County does not publish a single consolidated fence chapter for standard single-family residential fences. Fence-related rules appear across Chapter 7, Buildings and Building Regulations, and Appendix A, Land Development Code, including building permit exemptions, required-yard allowances, easement limitations, and traffic-visibility 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 Nassau County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 7, Buildings and Building Regulations, Appendix A, Land Development Code, Nassau County Building Department, Nassau County Planning Department, Nassau County Zoning Department, Nassau County Development Services, and Nassau County Code Enforcement as of April 2026.
GOVERNANCE
Nassau County is governed by the Board of County Commissioners. Residential fence regulation is administered through the county’s building, zoning, planning, development, and code enforcement framework.
The Nassau County Building Department administers building permits, plan review, inspections, and enforcement of the Florida Building Code and applicable local building requirements in unincorporated Nassau County.
The Nassau County Planning Department and Nassau County Zoning Department administer and interpret zoning and Land Development Code requirements, including setbacks, zoning conditions, and site-specific development standards.
The Nassau County Code Enforcement process applies to violations of county codes and ordinances in the unincorporated county. The county does not publish a consolidated residential fence code; fence rules are drawn from the building code amendments and Land Development Code provisions that apply to fences, walls, yards, easements, and visibility.
PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS
Effective July 1, 2026, Florida’s HB 803, enacted as Chapter 2026-63, changes the building-permit framework for certain single-family residential work. The law requires local governments that issue building permits to exempt an owner of a single-family dwelling, or the owner’s contractor, from the requirement to obtain a building permit for work valued at less than $7,500 on the owner’s property. This building-permit exemption does not apply to work on property located partly or entirely in a Florida Building Code flood hazard area, and it does not apply to electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work. To qualify for the exemption, the owner or owner’s contractor must submit a written exemption request to the local enforcement agency with a contract or other documentation showing the nature and value of the work.
This exemption applies to the building-permit requirement. It does not by itself remove local zoning, fence, site, setback, survey, easement, right-of-way, drainage, visibility, floodplain, historic/design, Certificate of Appropriateness, pool-barrier, HOA/private-restriction, or other non-building-code requirements that may apply to a fence project. Because this legislation is new, local governments may update how fence, building, zoning, and site-review procedures are routed. The reviewed-by date on this page reflects the permit and approval orientation found in the official materials at that time. Before relying on the building-permit exemption or beginning work, property owners should ask the receiving building or permitting department how to file the exemption request and should also confirm with planning, zoning, or other applicable local staff whether any separate fence, zoning, site, historic/design, floodplain, easement, visibility, or other approval is required.
• Building Permit: A Building Permit is not required for residential fences/privacy walls, including columns, posts, piers, entry gates, and similar components, that are not over 7 feet high above adjacent finished grade. A Building Permit is required for residential fences/privacy walls over 7 feet high.
• Pool Fences: Replacement pool fences require a Building Permit.
• Electrical Work: An Electrical Permit is required for any electrical work associated with a fence, gate, or related component.
• Floodplain and Code Compliance: Permit exemptions do not authorize work that violates the Florida Building Code, the local floodplain management ordinance, or other Nassau County ordinances.
• Zoning Compliance: Building permit requirements are separate from zoning, setback, or plat requirements. Confirm any applicable zoning conditions, setbacks, and plat requirements with Nassau County Zoning Department before construction.
FENCE PLACEMENT RULES
• Required Yards: The Land Development Code states that minimum yards may include fences, walls, landscaping, and other customary yard accessories, subject to easements and applicable height and traffic visibility requirements.
• Property Lines and Setbacks: 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.
• Easements: Fences and walls remain subject to recorded easements. The code does not publish a separate standard residential fence setback from easements.
• Rights-of-Way: The code does not publish a standard residential fence rule allowing fence placement in a public right-of-way.
• 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
• General Height: The code does not specify a general maximum height for standard residential fences.
• Building Permit Height Trigger: A Building Permit is required for residential fences/privacy walls over 7 feet high above adjacent finished grade.
• Traffic Visibility: The Land Development Code states that fences and walls in minimum yards are subject to applicable traffic visibility requirements.
• Driveway Sight Triangle: Where a driveway intersects a right-of-way, the code requires a sight triangle measured 15 feet along the access way and 15 feet along the right-of-way, with cross visibility unobstructed between 3 feet and 8 feet above ground.
• Street Intersections: At the intersection of two streets, the code applies FDOT sight-triangle standards to landscaping and requires landscaping within that area to be below 3 feet or above 8 feet. Fence placement near street intersections remains subject to applicable traffic visibility requirements.
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS
• Timber to Tides Front Yard Fences: In the Timber to Tides Design Overlay, front yard fences for single-family detached, single-family attached, and two-family dwellings must be constructed of wood, wrought iron, or similar decorative materials. Chain-link fencing is prohibited.
• Material Standard: The code does not publish a separate an allowed or prohibited-material list for standard single-family residential fences aside from specific overlay areas.
• Permit-Exempt Fences: Nassau County’s building permit exemption for residential fences/privacy walls not over 7 feet applies to fences made of any materials.
• Excluded Contexts: Screening, buffer, refuse-area, parking-area, industrial, commercial, mixed-use, or overlay fencing standards are not treated as standard single-family residential fence material limits unless they expressly apply to a typical single-family residential fence.
PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS
• Private Covenants: Homeowners’ association rules, subdivision covenants, deed restrictions, and private easements operate independently from Nassau County’s public regulations and may be more restrictive.
• County Review: Nassau County’s building permit exemption or code silence does not remove private approval requirements contained in recorded covenants, deed restrictions, easements, or HOA documents.
REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT CONTEXT
Fence issues are typically reviewed during permit or approval review when required, and through complaint-based code enforcement. Examples include:
• Building Permit Review: Residential fences/privacy walls over 7 feet, replacement pool fences, and fence-related electrical work are reviewed through the applicable permit process.
• Zoning and Site Conditions: Fences in yards may be reviewed for consistency with easements, applicable height requirements, and traffic visibility requirements.
• Visibility Issues: Driveway and right-of-way sight-triangle obstructions may be reviewed when fence placement affects required cross visibility.
• Floodplain or Special Site Conditions: Fence work remains subject to applicable Florida Building Code and local floodplain management requirements where those conditions apply.
• Code Enforcement: Nassau County Code Enforcement publishes that its workload is complaint generated and that it does not handle complaints for properties or situations inside municipal or city limits.
• Complaint Information: The Code Enforcement page states that anonymous complaints are not investigated and that a person reporting a potential violation must provide a name and address.
USING THIS INFORMATION
This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within Nassau 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 Nassau County Building Department, Nassau County Zoning Department, and any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, published guidance, or direction from Nassau County staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.