Fence Permits in Broward &
Palm Beach County
Most fence permits in South Florida take 2 to 12 weeks, and several things outside anyone’s control can affect that. We manage the entire process — survey, easement releases, and the city — and keep you updated the whole way.
In Broward and Palm Beach County, almost every fence requires a permit — including replacing an existing fence with the same material. The permit protects you: South Florida sits in a high-velocity hurricane zone, and the code exists to make sure your fence survives the wind. Getting that permit approved typically takes 2 to 12 weeks, and several factors — your survey, any easements on your property, HOA approval, and the city’s current backlog — determine where you land in that range. As a licensed contractor working these counties every day, we manage the entire process and keep you updated at every step.
Do I Need a Permit for My Fence?
Yes, in nearly every case. Both Broward and Palm Beach County, and the cities within them, require a permit to build a fence. A permit is also required to replace an existing fence — even if the new fence is the same material as the old one. The only common exceptions are minor repairs under a certain value, and a narrow new exemption created by the 2026 state law covered below. And if your fence will enclose a pool, the rules are stricter still — more on that next. If you’re not sure whether your project needs a permit, that’s the first thing we confirm for you, at no cost.
Not sure if your project needs a permit? Call us and we’ll tell you in five minutes. →
Planning a Pool? Your Fence Has Extra Rules
If your fence will serve as a barrier around a pool or spa, it’s held to a higher standard than a standard property fence — and a permit is always required, no exceptions. Florida’s pool safety code exists to prevent drownings, so the requirements are strict: the barrier must be at least 48 inches tall, and any gate must be self-closing and self-latching so it can’t be left open by accident. Even the narrow 2026 permit exemption doesn’t get you out of this — a pool barrier is a life-safety requirement, not a cosmetic one. We build pool-barrier fences to code so they pass inspection the first time and keep your family safe.
How Long Does a Fence Permit Take?
Plan for 2 to 12 weeks. We won’t give you a number more precise than that, because anyone who promises an exact date is guessing — the timeline depends on factors that are partly or entirely outside our control:
- The city and its current permit backlog (the busy spring and summer seasons run longer)
- Whether you have a clean, current, stamped survey ready (always required — see below)
- Whether your fence crosses an easement that requires releases from utility companies or other holders (this is often the longest single delay)
- HOA approval, if you live in a community that requires it
- Whether the property sits in a flood hazard area, which adds review requirements
- How complete and code-compliant the application is on first submission
The single biggest thing that keeps a permit on the shorter end of that range is submitting it complete and correct the first time, so it never gets kicked back to the start of the line. That’s what we do — and you can follow the permit’s progress in real time through your customer portal.
Why a Clean, Current, Stamped Survey Is Always Required
Before any fence permit can be submitted in Broward or Palm Beach County, you need a current property survey, signed and sealed by a licensed Florida surveyor. There are no exceptions. The building department uses it to confirm your property lines, setbacks, and any easements before they’ll approve a fence — and it’s also how we identify problems before they become rejections.
An old survey, an unsigned copy, or one that no longer reflects the current property won’t be accepted, and submitting a bad survey is one of the fastest ways to get a permit kicked back. If you don’t have a clean, current, stamped survey, we’ll help you get one — but plan for it, because it’s the foundation the entire permit rests on.
What Is an Easement, and Why It Can Add Weeks to Your Project
An easement is a portion of your property that someone else — usually a utility company, the city, or your HOA — has the legal right to access. Power lines, water and sewer mains, drainage, and cable often run through easements along the edges of residential lots, which is exactly where most people want to put a fence.
If your fence crosses an easement, we can’t simply build over it. We have to request a release — sometimes called a hold-harmless or encroachment agreement — from every party that holds rights to that easement before the fence can be installed. Each holder has its own process and its own timeline, and getting those releases back can take days or, more often, weeks. Once the request is submitted, that wait is almost entirely out of our hands. It is one of the most common reasons a fence project takes longer than a homeowner expects.
We identify easements from your survey up front and start the release process immediately — so we’re handling it from day one, not discovering it after a rejection. If your property has an easement that could affect the timeline, we’ll tell you early.
Why Else Permits Get Delayed (and How We Prevent It)
Beyond the survey and easement releases covered above, most permit delays come from an application missing something the reviewer needs. The usual culprits:
- Incomplete or unscaled site plan — the reviewer can’t see exactly where the fence goes. We prepare a dimensioned site plan that meets the department’s spec.
- Contractor credentials not provided — proof of license and insurance must be on file. Ours are current and submitted with every application.
- No HOA approval — if you’re in an HOA, the city often needs it before issuing. We help you coordinate it so it doesn’t stall the permit.
Every one of these is a delay a homeowner filing alone usually hits at least once. We clear them before the application ever reaches a reviewer’s desk.
The New 2026 Permit Law (HB 803)
Florida’s HB 803 takes effect July 1, 2026. It requires local governments to exempt single-family homeowners — or their contractor — from pulling a building permit for work valued under $7,500. Fences were specifically named by lawmakers as the kind of project this is meant to help.
But the exemption is narrower than the headlines suggest, and two limits matter a great deal in our area:
- It does not apply in flood hazard areas — and much of eastern Broward and Palm Beach falls inside them.
- It does not apply to structural work — and depending on your material and your city’s interpretation, your fence may still be treated as structural.
There’s also paperwork: even when a job qualifies, the owner or contractor must submit a written exemption request with documentation, and a larger project can’t be split into smaller ones to slip under the threshold. (And as covered above, pool-barrier fences are never exempt.)
The honest takeaway: the new law will help some fence projects and won’t touch others. Whether yours qualifies depends on your exact location and material — so don’t assume either way. We’ll tell you, for free, before you make a decision.
Not sure if your property is in a flood hazard area? Check your address on FEMA’s flood map →
Your Permit, Tracked in Real Time
Most fence companies go quiet the moment you sign, leaving you to call and ask whether your permit is moving. We built the opposite.
Every XL Fencing customer gets a private online portal — just a link, nothing to download — that shows exactly where your permit stands at each stage of the process:
- 1 Survey received
- 2 Easement releases requested (if your property needs them)
- 3 Permit application submitted to the city
- 4 Permit approved
It updates as each step happens, so you’re never guessing and never waiting on hold during the part of the project with the most uncertainty — getting the permit approved.
Once your permit is approved, our office coordinates your installation date with you directly. The portal tracks the permit process, not the installation schedule.
Permit Info for Your City
Permit requirements, fees, and processes vary by municipality. We’ve put together local guides for the cities we serve across Broward and Palm Beach.
Broward County
Palm Beach County
Fence Permit FAQs
Do I need a permit to install a fence in Broward or Palm Beach County?
Yes. Both counties and the cities within them require a permit for new fences and for replacing an existing fence — even when the new fence is the same material as the old one. Minor repairs under a set value may be exempt, and a narrow new state-law exemption may apply to some single-family jobs under $7,500.
Do I need a permit for a pool fence?
Yes, always. A fence that serves as a pool or spa barrier must meet Florida’s pool safety code — at least 48 inches tall with a self-closing, self-latching gate — and a permit is required. The 2026 under-$7,500 exemption does not apply to pool barriers, because they are a life-safety requirement.
How long does a fence permit take?
Plan for 2 to 12 weeks. The exact time depends on the city’s current backlog, whether you have a clean, current, stamped survey ready, whether your fence crosses an easement that needs releases, HOA approval, flood-zone review, and how complete the application is on first submission. Submitting a complete, correct application is the best way to keep it on the shorter end of that range.
Do I need a survey to get a fence permit?
Yes, always. A clean, current survey signed and sealed by a licensed Florida surveyor is required before a fence permit can be submitted in Broward or Palm Beach County. The building department uses it to verify property lines, setbacks, and easements. An outdated or unsigned survey will be rejected.
What is an easement, and can I build a fence over it?
An easement is part of your property that a utility company, the city, or your HOA has the legal right to access. If your fence crosses one, we must obtain a release from each easement holder before the fence can be installed, which can take days or weeks. We identify easements from your survey and start that process early so it doesn’t catch you by surprise.
Why do fence permits get rejected or delayed?
The most common reasons are a missing or outdated survey, unresolved easements, an incomplete or unscaled site plan, missing proof of contractor license and insurance, or no HOA approval. We resolve all of these before submitting.
Does the new 2026 law (HB 803) mean I don’t need a fence permit?
Sometimes. Starting July 1, 2026, single-family work under $7,500 may be exempt from a building permit — but not in flood hazard areas, not for work the county considers structural, and never for pool barriers. Whether your fence qualifies depends on your location and material, which we’ll confirm for you.
Do I need HOA approval for my fence?
If you live in an HOA, usually yes — and it’s separate from your city permit. The city often won’t issue the permit until the HOA has signed off. We help you coordinate both so they don’t hold each other up.
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