FENCE RULES – SUNRISE (CITY), FLORIDA
OVERVIEW
Residential fences are permitted on private property within City of Sunrise, subject to local regulations.
Fence rules for the City of Sunrise appear primarily in the City of Sunrise Code of Ordinances, Chapter 16, Land Development Code, Article X, Walls, Fences, and Buffers, including Sec. 16-191, Fences and hedges in residential districts. The City also publishes single-family homeowner guidance and fence permit application requirements through the Community Development Department.
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 City of Sunrise Code of Ordinances, City of Sunrise Land Development Code, Community Development Department, Building Division, Planning Division, Community Enhancement and Code Compliance, and Fence Application Checklist / Fence Permit Application Requirements as of April 2026.
GOVERNANCE
The governing authority is the City of Sunrise. Residential fence rules are administered through the Community Development Department, with fence permit review handled by the Building Division and zoning-location questions handled by the Planning Division.
The controlling local code document is the City of Sunrise Land Development Code, which is Chapter 16 of the City Code. Fence-specific residential standards appear in Article X, Walls, Fences, and Buffers, especially Sec. 16-191, Fences and hedges in residential districts.
The City also publishes administrative homeowner and permit materials that state the current permit requirement and required fence submittals. Those materials operate alongside the Land Development Code for permit intake, survey information, fence details, and construction-detail review.
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: New and replacement fences require a city Building Permit.
• Permit Application Documents: The fence checklist requires a completed Broward County Uniform Building Permit Application and City of Sunrise Structural Addendum, including the fence type, height, total length, and estimated value.
• Survey or Site Plan: The permit materials require two sets of a boundary survey or site plan showing the fence location and dimensions. The survey information must identify fence location, fence design, gate locations, fence height, fence length, and whether a pool or spa is on the property.
• Fence Detail: The permit materials require two sets of a fence detail. Fences other than Florida Building Code prescriptive wood or chain-link fences require engineered drawings. For products other than chain link or wood, the application requirements call for product approval or signed and sealed engineered construction details.
• Owner-Builder Applications: For single-family homes, townhomes, and duplexes, the City checklist states that a permit can be issued to an owner-builder when the listed owner-builder requirements are satisfied.
• Notice of Commencement: The City checklist states that a recorded Notice of Commencement is required when construction, renovation, or alteration values exceed $2,500.
• Zoning Compliance: Building permit requirements are separate from zoning, setback, or plat requirements. Confirm any applicable zoning conditions, setbacks, and plat requirements with Planning Division before construction.
FENCE PLACEMENT RULES
• Front Yard Placement: A front yard fence may be up to 4 feet high and must be separated from the sidewalk by at least 3 feet.
• 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.
• Landscape Easements: No fence or wall may be constructed within a designated landscape easement or buffer shown on an approved site plan, unless the wall is specifically approved as part of the original site plan for the project.
• Berms: Fences and walls may not be constructed on any portion of a berm unless specifically approved as part of the site plan for the project.
• Side Yard Access: A fence may not be constructed so as to prohibit access between the front and rear yards of a dwelling.
• Utility or Canal Easements: A fence installed in a utility or canal easement must either provide access for maintenance and repair work on the easement or risk removal when such work is required.
• Corner Lots: Corner lots are subject to additional visibility limits where the front and side street rights-of-way intersect.
• 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 Fences: Front yard fences may be up to 4 feet high and must be separated from the sidewalk by at least 3 feet.
• Side Yard Fences: Side yard fences may be up to 4 feet high from the front lot line to the building line, and up to 6 feet high for the remaining side yard.
• Rear Yard Fences: Rear yard fences may be up to 6 feet high.
• Corner Lot Visibility Area: On a corner lot, no fence, wall, or hedge may exceed 30 inches above the surrounding grade within 25 feet of the intersection of the front and side street right-of-way lines extended.
• Pool Fences: Pool fences must be at least 4 feet high.
• Hedges: Hedges may be maintained up to 6 feet, except that hedges may not exceed 4 feet within the front yard setback. Sight distance restrictions control over the hedge-height criteria.
• Planned Developments: The City’s homeowner guidance states that additional regulations apply to parcels within planned developments.
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION LIMITS
• Permitted Fence Materials: The ordinance allows fences constructed of wood, except plywood; PVC; molded polyethylene composite; decorative metal; or similar materials.
• Chain-Link Fences: Chain-link fences are allowed on single-family detached dwellings only. Chain-link fences must be vinyl coated with green, black, or bronze vinyl coating.
• Prohibited Chain-Link Conditions: Bare metal or galvanized chain-link fences are prohibited. Slats for chain-link fences are prohibited.
• Prohibited Fence Materials and Designs: Barbed wire on a fence is prohibited. The City’s single-family homeowner guidance states that stockade fences and board-on-board fences are not permitted.
• Fence Appearance: The finished side of a fence must face the adjacent property or right-of-way. The exterior finish or color must be consistent with the department’s approved fence paint, stain, and color palette.
• Fence Maintenance and Anchoring: Fences must be constructed so they are not unsightly and must be firmly anchored and affixed to the land so as not to cause a hazard to surrounding property. Fences must be maintained so they do not become unsafe or unsightly.
• Wood Fence Details: The City permit requirements specify wood fence construction details, including pressure-treated posts embedded in a 2-foot-deep by 10-inch-diameter hole; post spacing of no more than 4 feet for a 6-foot fence, 5 feet for a 5-foot fence, and 6 feet for a 4-foot fence; and three horizontal 2-inch by 4-inch pressure-treated rails between each post for a 6-foot wood fence.
• Chain-Link Permit Details: The City permit requirements require chain-link fence submittals to show compliance with the applicable chain-link fence minimum requirements on each survey copy or by attaching and marking the applicable table.
PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS
Private covenants, homeowner association rules, deed restrictions, and planned development requirements operate independently from City fence regulations and may be more restrictive than the City’s published rules.
Where a landscape buffer or easement is included in a residential development, the Land Development Code assigns maintenance responsibility for the land and improvements to the homeowners association.
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 and replacement fences require a city Building Permit.
• Plan Review: Fence permit submittals are reviewed using the required application, structural addendum, survey or site plan, fence details, and any required product approval or engineered construction details.
• Inspection Review: Once a building permit is issued, the field inspection process begins and continues until project completion.
• Height and Location Review: Review may involve the 4-foot front yard limit, 3-foot sidewalk separation, side yard height limits, rear yard height limit, planned development conditions, and corner lot visibility restrictions.
• Visibility Review: Corner lots are subject to the 30-inch height limit within 25 feet of the intersection of the front and side street right-of-way lines extended.
• Material Review: Review may include prohibited plywood, bare metal or galvanized chain link, chain-link slats, barbed wire, stockade fences, and board-on-board fences.
• Easement Review: Review may include designated landscape easements, utility easements, canal easements, and required maintenance access.
• Code Compliance: Complaint-based code enforcement may involve work without permits, unsafe or unsightly fences, or other conditions regulated by the City Code or Florida Building Code.
USING THIS INFORMATION
This page provides general orientation on how residential fence rules are structured and applied within City of Sunrise, 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 Community Development Department and any applicable private agreements. If this page conflicts with official ordinances, published guidance, or direction from City of Sunrise staff, the official sources control. For legal advice or legal interpretation, consult a licensed attorney.