FENCE RULES – HIGHLANDS (COUNTY), FLORIDA
OVERVIEW
Residential fences are permitted on private property within Highlands County, subject to local regulations.
This page applies to properties in the unincorporated areas of Highlands County; incorporated municipalities regulate fences under their own ordinances.
Highlands County does not publish a single standalone residential fence ordinance. Standard residential fence rules appear primarily in the Highlands County Land Development Regulations, especially Section 12.05.306, with related review context in the county’s building permit guidance, transportation visibility rules, and historic preservation provisions.
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 the Highlands County Code of Ordinances, Highlands County Land Development Regulations, Building permit guidance, Planning & Zoning materials, and the Highlands County Technical Standards Manual as of April 2026.
GOVERNANCE
The governing authority is the Highlands County Board of County Commissioners. For residential fence regulation in the unincorporated county, the principal controlling document is the Highlands County Code of Ordinances, specifically the Land Development Regulations.
Highlands County regulates residential fences through more than one provision rather than through a single consolidated fence chapter. The main residential fence standards appear in Section 12.05.306, Fences, walls and hedges. Related provisions appear in Section 12.09.103 for clear visibility triangles, in the county’s historic preservation regulations when designated historic property or a historic district is involved, and in county permit guidance administered through Building.
Within Development Services, Building handles permit administration, while Planning & Zoning implements, administers, and enforces the zoning, environmental-clearance, and historic-preservation portions of the Land Development Regulations.
PERMIT AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS
• Building Permit: Highlands County’s Building materials state that exterior work such as building new fences requires a permit.
• Zoning Compliance: Building permit requirements are separate from zoning, setback, or plat requirements. Confirm any applicable zoning conditions, setbacks, and plat requirements with Planning & Zoning before construction.
• Historic Review: If the property is a designated historic property, or if the fence work is within a designated historic district, the historic preservation regulations require a certificate of appropriateness before material exterior changes or new construction. The historic-review provisions expressly include walls, fences, steps, pavements, and other appurtenant features within that review framework.
FENCE PLACEMENT RULES
• Required Yards: In residential districts, fences may be permitted in any required yard or along the edge of any yard.
• Property Lines and Encroachments: 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.
• Front Yard Interior Placement: Where a fence is placed farther into a required front yard, beyond the sides or front edge of the required front yard, it may exceed the front-yard edge height limits, but it must comply with the front-yard setback requirement of the zoning district in which the fence is located.
• 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
• Front Yard Edge Height Limit: Along the sides or front edge of any required front yard in a residential district, a fence may not exceed 4 feet in height.
• Chain Link Exception: Along the sides or front edge of any required front yard, a chain link fence may be up to 5 feet in height.
• Decorative Fence Exception: Along the sides or front edge of any required front yard, a decorative fence may be up to 5 feet in height if the air space is equal to or greater than the width of the vertical pickets.
• General Residential Height Limit: In residential areas, a fence may not exceed 6 feet in height unless it complies with the accessory-structure setback requirements or falls within a specific county allowance stated below.
• Residential to Nonresidential Edge: Where a fence is placed along the lot line dividing residentially and nonresidentially zoned property, the fence may not exceed 8 feet in height.
• Mobile Home Park or Campground Perimeter: Where a fence is placed along the perimeter of a mobile home park or campground, the fence may not exceed 8 feet in height.
• Visibility at Intersections and Driveways: Highlands County establishes clear visibility triangles at street intersections and driveways under Section 12.09.103. The published text states that plantings within those triangles must comply with the referenced FDOT standard where appropriate. The code does not specify a fence-specific numeric sight-triangle measurement in the residential fence section.
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS
• Defined Term: In the Highlands County Land Development Regulations, the term fence includes fences, walls, and hedges.
• General Residential Materials: The code does not specify a general list of prohibited materials for standard residential fences.
• Recognized Front Yard Fence Types: For fences along the sides or front edge of a required front yard, the code expressly recognizes chain link fencing and decorative fencing within the stated height limits.
PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS
Private restrictions such as HOA covenants, deed restrictions, easement agreements, and subdivision restrictions operate independently of county rules and may be more restrictive than Highlands County requirements.
REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT CONTEXT
Fence issues are typically reviewed during permit or approval review when required, and through complaint-based code enforcement. Examples include:
• Permit Review: New fence construction is reviewed through Building because the county’s published permit guidance states that new fences require permits.
• Zoning Review: Fence location and height are reviewed against Section 12.05.306 and the applicable zoning district standards.
• Visibility Review: Fences and related site features may be reviewed where street-intersection or driveway visibility is affected under Section 12.09.103.
• Historic Review: Work affecting fences within a designated historic district, or affecting a designated historic property, is reviewed through the county’s historic preservation process.
• Encroachment Review: Fence placement that conflicts with county rights-of-way or public easements may be addressed through county review and enforcement.
• Code Enforcement: The county’s code-enforcement framework expressly includes the fence section and the clear-visibility-triangle provisions within its enforceable code schedule.
USING THIS INFORMATION
This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within Highlands 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 Planning & Zoning and Building and any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, published guidance, or direction from Highlands County staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.