Fence Permit / Zoning Clearance (Unincorporated Pinellas County)
In unincorporated Pinellas County, the county's Building FAQs state a building permit is not required for a fence, but you must still comply with zoning regulations in the Land Development Code (Article X, Division 4, Secs. 138-3700 to 138-3706), and the county's Permitting Guide lists fencing among work that may need a Development Review zoning clearance. The Access Portal also has residential record types for Fence, Masonry Fence/Wall, Retaining Wall and Seawall. Height limits are 6 feet in side/rear setbacks and 3 to 4 feet in front setbacks (up to 5 feet total with semi-opaque decorative toppers), with an absolute prohibition on fences within 15 feet of intersecting right-of-way lines at corners.
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Who needs this
Property owners or contractors installing, replacing, or heightening a fence or wall in unincorporated Pinellas County. Standard chain link, wood, or vinyl fences generally need zoning compliance (and possibly a zoning clearance) rather than a building permit; masonry walls, retaining walls, seawalls, and 8-foot decorative perimeter fences involve permit records and, in some cases, engineer-sealed site plans.
Steps
- 1
Confirm jurisdiction
Fence rules vary by city. BDRS and the county Land Development Code apply only in unincorporated Pinellas County (BDRS also does building services for Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore, Indian Rocks Beach, Kenneth City, Oldsmar and Safety Harbor). Inside other municipalities, use that city's fence code and permits.
pinellas.gov/permitting-guide/ - 2
Check the fence and wall code (Article X, Division 4)
Review height limits by setback area, materials, measurement rules, and the corner visibility rule (no fence or wall within 15 feet of the intersection of right-of-way lines). The county publishes a handout of Secs. 138-3700 through 138-3706, and its fence information link points to the Land Development Code on Municode.
pinellas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Article_X_Division_4 - 3
Determine whether you need a zoning clearance or permit record
Per the county Building FAQs, a building permit is not required for a fence, but zoning regulations still apply. The Permitting Guide lists fences among Development Review applications and lists zoning clearances as an example of those applications. Special cases - 8-foot decorative perimeter fences on collector/arterial roads (engineer-sealed site plan review), corner/double-frontage lots (county traffic engineer no-objection statement), masonry walls, retaining walls, seawalls - go through the Access Portal record types. For zoning questions, contact a zoning representative at (727) 464-3401; Zoning Clearances / Residential Permits: (727) 464-3888 (option 3).
pinellas.gov/building-frequently-asked-questions/ - 4
Apply on the Pinellas County Access Portal if a record is required
Residential 'Fences & Walls' record types include Fence, Masonry Fence/Wall, Retaining Wall, and Seawall. For fences under six feet, call (727) 464-3888 (Option 3) or email [email protected] to confirm the appropriate process. Applications are submitted through the Access Portal; upload the required documents and pay fees online.
aca-prod.accela.com/pinellas/Default.aspx
Requirements
- Side and rear setback areas (residential): max 6 feet any style; 8 feet for a decorative fence or wall along secondary arterial and collector frontages (Sec. 138-3702(a)(1))
- Front setback area (residential): 3 feet any style, or 4 feet decorative; semi-opaque decorative toppers may raise total to a max of 5 feet (Sec. 138-3702(a)(2))
- 8-foot decorative perimeter fences on collector/arterial roads: at least 2 feet from right-of-way, landscaping (2 trees per 100 lineal feet plus hedge), and site plan review with plans signed and sealed by a Florida registered professional engineer certifying no sight-distance obstruction
- Corner, double-frontage, or multiple-frontage lots (fence in setback of non-addressed frontage): written no-objection statement from the county traffic engineer required
- Rural residential districts (R-A, R-E, R-R): split rail fences up to 6 feet allowed in front setback, minimum 50% transparency
- Visibility: no fence or wall within 15 feet of the intersection of right-of-way lines at a corner (Sec. 138-3706(a)); sidewalk sight-triangle rules per Sec. 138-3508
- Materials: wrought iron, brick, concrete block, plastic, vinyl, chain link, or commercially available prefabricated wood products; departures require county administrator approval (Sec. 138-3703); barbed wire/electrical strands restricted to nonresidential/agricultural/special-approval situations (Sec. 138-3704)
- Height measured from lowest adjacent grade to uppermost horizontal member; berms count toward height; fences on retaining walls include wall height unless separated by 3 feet (Sec. 138-3705)
Documents
- Site plan/survey showing fence location relative to setbacks and rights-of-way (current survey within five years is the county's general permitting standard)
- Engineer-signed-and-sealed plans for 8-foot decorative perimeter fences under Sec. 138-3702(a)(2)c.1
- County traffic engineer no-objection statement for corner/multi-frontage lot cases under Sec. 138-3702(a)(2)c.2
Fees
Previous fiscal-year fee amounts are shown below for a rough cost reference. They are not current quotes or guaranteed estimates, and actual fees may have changed. Confirm today's charge with the issuing building department or official payment portal.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Zoning/development review or fence-related permit fees | $75 standard DRS zoning clearance review (fences are a named example; chain link/vinyl/wood 6 ft or less needs no building permit). Complex reviews (new construction, additions) are $125Historical FY26 rate. Current permit fee not verified. | Historical FY26 rate. Current permit fee not verified. This earlier amount is shown for ballpark context, not as today's payable charge. FY26 Adopted User Fees Schedule, effective Oct 1 2025 (accessed 2026-09-01). FY27 is proposed, not yet effective. NOTE: the county's public Building/Transportation/Zoning Fees page still links the superseded FY25 schedule.Historical source |
Good to know
Fence rules vary by city - every Pinellas municipality has its own fence code and issues its own permits; this entry applies only to unincorporated Pinellas County. Gotchas: the county FAQ says no building permit for fences, yet a zoning clearance may still be required and the portal carries Fence and Masonry Fence/Wall record types - call (727) 464-3888 before building. The 15-foot corner intersection prohibition and sidewalk sight triangles catch many corner-lot projects. Fence-on-retaining-wall combos count the wall height. The county fence information link (pinellas.gov/services/fence-and-wall-information) redirects to Municode, whose page could not be fetched directly (403); the county's own PDF handout of the same division was used instead.