City of St. Petersburg
Development Services
Citizen’s Guide to
Fences, Walls, and Hedges
for Residential Properties
August 2003 Revision
Fence, wall, and hedge regulations for residential properties in St. Petersburg are all
the same. It doesn’t matter if you’re planning to install a fence or plant a hedge row,
the regulations for placement and allowable height are identical. To determine what
you can do on your property, just ask the following questions.
1.
WHAT TYPE OF LOT DO YOU HAVE?
Regulations for fences, walls, and hedges are determined by the type of lot you have and
where it is located. There are different regulations for lots which have waterfront yards,
lots which are on corners, and lots which front on major streets. The following chart
shows the various types of lots in St. Petersburg and the regulations that apply. If you
have questions regarding a peculiar lot or situation, please contact our staff for additional
assistance.
2.
WHAT IS MY REQUIRED FRONT YARD?
For the majority of single-family lots, the required front yard is 25 feet deep measured
from the front property line. The front property line is usually located at the edge of the
sidewalk. If you don’t have a sidewalk, you should consult a survey of your property to
identify the location of the front property line. For lots that are zoned RS-100 or RS-150,
or RS-E, the front yards are 25*, 30, and 35 feet, respectively.
* If your lot has neighboring houses with a setback between 30 and 40 feet from the front
property line, your required front yard is 5 feet less than the greater of your neighbor’s
setbacks. In no case is the front yard required to be greater than 35 feet.
3.
IS MY FRONT YARD REALLY MY FRONT YARD?
Many of our residents think that the front of their house faces their LEGAL front yard when,
in fact, it actually faces their LEGAL street side yard. According to St. Petersburg City
Code, the legal front yard for a corner lot is ALWAYS the narrower frontage of the lot.
Consequently, the front yard is not determined by the location of the front door, driveway,
or garage. It is always based upon the smaller property line dimension. It is very
important to know which yard is your legal front yard when planning a fence, wall, or
hedge.
4.
WHAT IS MY REQUIRED STREET SIDE YARD?
The street side yard is the side yard adjacent to the street. Required yards are based
upon your zoning district as follows:
RS-E
RS-150
RS-100
RS-75
Lots of 60
feet or more
in width
15 feet
25 feet
15 feet
15 feet
Lots of 60 feet
feet or less
in width
NA
12 feet
12 feet
12 feet
5.
IS THE VISIBILITY TRIANGLE OPEN?
Visibility triangles are areas which have height restrictions to allow for safe visibility when
operating a motor vehicle or bicycle, or for pedestrian movement. Within required
visibility triangles - fences, hedges, and walls cannot exceed 36 inches in height. The
following diagram shows the required visibility triangles.
6.
DOES MY NEIGHBORHOOD HAVE NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN REVIEW (NDR)
OR AM I LOCATED IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT?
If your neighborhood is within an NDR area or if your property is in one of the City’s
historic districts, then there may be design regulations associated with your fence. Fences
in NDR areas or historic districts should be wood, PVC, or some other decorative material
that is painted or stained. Walls should finished and not be built of simple masonry
blocks. Chain-link fencing in front yards is not permitted. If you have specific questions,
contact the City’s Urban Design and Historic Preservation Division at 893-7153.
Neighborhoods which have design review include:
North Shore
Crescent Lake
Grand Central
Roser Park
Snell Isle
Historic Kenwood
Uptown
Crescent Heights
Palmetto Park
Bartlett Park
7.
IF YOU HAVE A WATERFRONT LOT, HOW DEEP IS YOUR WATERFRONT YARD?
As shown on the fence and wall diagram, waterfront yards have specific regulations that
apply to fences, walls, and hedges. The depth of the required waterfront yard is based
upon the depth of the lot.
Depth of Lot
Less than 120 feet
120 feet to 130 feet
More than 130 feet
Depth of Waterfront Yard
15 feet
20 feet
25 feet
Measurement taken from
centerline of seawall or
waterside lot line for lots
without a seawall
8.
HOW DO I CALCULATE LOT DEPTH?
Depth of the lot for a rectangular lot is easy to determine. For irregularly-shaped lots,
use the following diagrams:
9.
HOW DO I CALCULATE LOT WIDTH?
Width of a lot for a rectangular or square lot is simple to determine. For irregularlyshaped lots, use the following diagrams:
10. DO I NEED A PERMIT TO CONSTRUCT A WALL?
Yes, a building permit is needed. To obtain the permit, a site plan and construction detail
must be submitted along with the permit fee. Permit applications are available on-line at the
City’s website (http://www.stpete.org/Applications.htm) or in person at the 1st floor of the
Municipal Services Center.
11.
DO I NEED A PERMIT TO INSTALL A FENCE?
No. No permit is necessary for installation of a fence on single family residential property,
however, the property owner is responsible for compliance with all applicable regulations.
If you follow these steps in the planning of your fence, wall, or hedge, you should be
right in line with what is permitted under the City’s current regulations. If you have
specific questions, our staff is available to assist in person, by telephone, or by e-mail.
City of St. Petersburg
Division of Development Review Services
Municipal Services Center
One 4th Street North
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
Telephone:
Fax:
E-mail:
(727) 893-7471
(727) 892-5557
[email protected]