Fence laws in Boca Raton, Florida

Who owns the fence between two properties in Boca Raton?

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Boca Raton answers this, but the answer changes depending on the width of the yard, what it abuts, and whether a neighbor objects in writing.

A Boca Raton hedge may pass the fence limits in four situations, and one of them shifts the burden of complaining onto the neighbor. Where the side or rear yard is less than twenty five feet, the owners may agree between themselves to a different height, and if the hedge is already over the limit the code presumes that agreement exists unless somebody furnishes the city with written evidence to the contrary. Where the yard is twenty five feet or more, or abuts public or non-residential land, no agreement is needed. A front yard hedge is tied to the lowest side yard hedge on either property, and drops to four feet where a fence or wall stands in either side yard. Every fence, wall and gate turns its finished side to the street.

Where a hedge within a required rear yard or required side yard that is less than 25 feet actually exceeds the maximum height limitation established by these regulations, it will be presumed that such a mutual agreement exists unless evidence is furnished to the city, in writing, to the contrary.

28-1356(a)(3) and (5)City of Boca Raton · Read 20 September 2026

The answer turns on the width of the yard, what it abuts, and whether a neighbor objects in writing.

a rear or side yard of twenty five feet or more

A hedge may exceed the limit. 25 ft

a rear or side yard under twenty five feet

Only by agreement between the owners, which is presumed unless somebody objects in writing.

a front yard where a fence or wall stands in either side yard

Four feet. 4 ft

How tall can a fence be in Boca Raton?

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Boca Raton answers this, but the answer changes depending on the zoning district, the yard, and whether the plot is a corner or double frontage plot.

Six feet in a Boca Raton residential or business district, seven in commercial and industrial, and six in the miscellaneous districts. A required front yard drops to four feet, and the two ways back up to six both cost a setback and a hedge: a corner plot may carry six feet in the side street yard if the fence stays five feet off that plot line with shrubs at three feet on center planted between it and the line, and a double frontage plot may do the same along the front line opposite the addressed one. Where the fence is chain link the planting has to obscure it completely. A wall, though not a fence, may reach six feet in a front yard on A-1-A, U.S. 1, Old Dixie Highway and part of Camino Real, with the city manager finding no traffic hazard.

In residential districts, and on residential plots in a VC district, fences, walls and gates within a required front yard shall be limited to 4 feet in height

28-1356(a)(1) and (2)City of Boca Raton · Read 20 September 2026

The answer turns on the zoning district, the yard, and whether the plot is a corner or double frontage plot.

a residential or business district

Six feet. 6 ft

a required residential front yard

Four feet. 4 ft

the side street yard of a corner plot, five feet back with a shrub buffer

Six feet. 5 ft

a commercial or industrial district

Seven feet. 7 ft

Do I need a permit for a fence in Boca Raton?

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Boca Raton answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.

A Boca Raton building permit for a fence in a public street, alley, canal, railroad right of way or public easement takes the prior written approval of the city manager, and of the agency or utility the easement belongs to. The code then says exactly what that approval is worth: a bare license that grants no interest in land, revocable in the city’s sole discretion for any reason on thirty days written notice, or immediately with the fence subject to immediate removal where the city decides it conflicts with public use or creates a hazard. An undeveloped alley or utility easement beside a residential lot may be fenced with the same written approval, up to half the width of the easement, at the height allowed in the nearest required yard, and with a permit.

An approval by the city manager or designee for the construction or erection of a fence, wall or other structure in a right-of-way or easement constitutes a bare license. grants no interest in real property, and the city may revoke such written approval, in its sole discretion, for any reason whatsoever, and such revocation shall be effective 30 days after the city gives written notice of the revocation

28-1356(d) and (e)City of Boca Raton · Read 20 September 2026

30 daysnotice before an approval in a right of way is revoked

Pool fence requirements in Boca Raton

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Florida answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.

Florida requires a pool barrier at least four feet high, measured on the outside. The same section bars gaps or footholds that let a small child get under, through or over it. The barrier has to ring the pool itself and has to be separate from a yard fence, unless that yard fence runs along the pool and meets the same rules. Gates swing away from the pool and latch on their own.

This one is Florida law, not Boca Raton law. All Florida findings

The barrier must be at least 4 feet high on the outside.

Fla. Stat. 515.29(1)(a)The Florida Legislature · Read 13 September 2026

4 ftresidential swimming pool barrier, measured on the outside

Spite fence laws in Boca Raton

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Boca Raton law has no rule about this. The chapters that were read are listed below. Cities and counties decide it instead.

Florida has no spite fence law. The fence chapter sets no height that sets anything off and no rule about why a fence went up. Chapter 823, the public nuisance chapter, runs from bonfires to abandoned boats and never reaches a fence built to annoy a neighbor. A claim in Florida rests on common law nuisance instead, which is judge made rather than written by the legislature.

This one is Florida law, not Boca Raton law. All Florida findings

Documents read before writing that:

• Fla. Stat. ch. 588The Florida Senate
• Fla. Stat. ch. 823The Florida Senate

How fence height is measured in Boca Raton

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Boca Raton answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.

Boca Raton does not measure a fence at its base or from the owner’s own ground. It takes the lowest grade found within three feet of either side and reads the height from there, so a mound pushed up against the posts adds nothing, and where the two lots sit at different levels the lower one governs. Barbed wire outriggers are the one thing left out of the arithmetic.

The height of fences, walls, and gates within a required yard shall be determined by measurement from the ground level at the lowest grade within 3 feet of either side of the fence, wall or gate.

28-1356(a)(6)City of Boca Raton · Read 20 September 2026

3 ftdistance either side of the fence searched for the lowest grade

Fence rules for corner lots in Boca Raton

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Boca Raton answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.

Boca Raton sets no sight triangle and no dimension for one. What it gives instead is a power: the city manager may order any fence, wall, gate, hedge or other growth removed or cut down on finding it is a hazardous obstruction to a driver’s vision, or an obstruction to pedestrians or cyclists. The decision has to take account of the traffic pattern, the posted speed limit, the width of the pavement, the distance from the pavement to the object, the size of the object, the adjacent land uses and the city’s own plans. A fence built before 1 February 1978 is otherwise exempt from the section, but not from this.

the city manager or designee shall be authorized to order the removal or reduction in height of any fence, wall, gate, hedge or other structure or growth upon a determination that it constitutes a hazardous obstruction to the vision of vehicle operators or is an obstruction to pedestrians or bicyclists upon the streets, roads, sidewalks, bikepaths, driveways and alleys of the city

28-1356(g)City of Boca Raton · Read 20 September 2026

Retaining wall rules in Boca Raton

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Florida answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.

Florida statute names a wall that holds back earth in one place, and it is about how many permits a town can charge for. When one wall runs across more than one lot, the local government has to issue a single permit for the whole job and cannot demand one for each lot the wall crosses. The rule is written for houses, duplexes and townhouses. It sets no height and it does not say how the wall has to be built.

This one is Florida law, not Boca Raton law. All Florida findings

If a retaining wall spans more than one lot or parcel, a local government that issues building permits must issue a permit for a retaining wall for the project as a whole and may not require a building permit for each lot or parcel upon which a retaining wall is installed on the property of a single-family or two-family residential dwelling or a townhouse.

Fla. Stat. 553.79(1)(i)The Florida Legislature · Read 13 September 2026

Fence materials allowed in Boca Raton

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Boca Raton answers this, but the answer changes depending on the district, and whether a residential owner has agreed.

Boca Raton allows a security fence to carry single or double three strand barbed wire outriggers set at roughly forty five degrees, and states that the height they add does not count against the fence. They are confined to three places: inside a business, commercial or industrial district, around electrical substations and similar hazardous facilities, and on a zoning boundary where such a district directly abuts residential land with nothing between them, and there only if the residential owner applies for the permit or agrees in writing. Separately, the exposed nib ends of any chain link or metal fence within six feet of a sidewalk or bicycle path have to be turned in toward the support rails.

Security fences or walls with single or double 3-strand barbed wire outriggers or extension arms installed at approximately a 45-degree angle at the top of the fence or wall may only be installed in the following areas, and the additional height resulting from the installation of the outriggers or extensions shall not be considered in measuring the height of a fence or wall:

28-1356(c) and (f)City of Boca Raton · Read 20 September 2026

The answer turns on the district, and whether a residential owner has agreed.

inside a business, commercial or industrial district

Outriggers allowed.

on a boundary where such a district directly abuts residential land

Only where the residential owner applies for the permit or agrees in writing.

any chain link or metal fence within six feet of a sidewalk or bike path

Exposed nib ends turned in toward the rails. 6 ft

Livestock and boundary fence law in Boca Raton

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Florida answers this in its own law. The words that do it are quoted below.

Florida sets a legal fence at three feet high, made of barbed or other soft wire, with at least three strands pulled tight on posts, trees or other supports no more than twenty feet apart. With battens the supports may stand up to sixty feet apart for a plain fence and one hundred fifty feet for an electric one built with high tensile wire. Any other material that meets about the same specs counts, and gates are built to the same standard.

This one is Florida law, not Boca Raton law. All Florida findings

Any fence or enclosure at least 3 feet in height made of barbed or other soft wire consisting of not less than three strands of wire stretched securely on posts, trees, or other supports, standing not more than 20 feet apart

Fla. Stat. 588.011Florida Legislature · Read 13 September 2026

3 ftheight of a legal fence