Fence or deck costs in Cape Coral

Cape Coral's canals shape its fences. On a single-family lot that backs onto a waterway, any fence within the rear 20 feet has to be open mesh above three feet. That rule sits in Section 5.2.7 of the city's Land Development Code. So a solid privacy fence can't run all the way back to the water.

The front of the lot is simple: no part of a fence may sit in front of the forward-most part of the house. Fences top out at six feet, or eight where a home abuts commercial property. A property must be improved before it can be permitted for a fence. For houses, the city's approved list runs from decay-resistant or pressure-treated wood and stuccoed block to aluminum, wrought iron, vinyl and chain link without slats.

The paperwork has a local twist. Every new-fence application that isn't a pool barrier includes a Burrowing Owl Gopher Tortoise Affidavit. Depending on the lot, the city may also want an Eagle Management Affidavit, manufacturer specs, or open-mesh calculations.

If age or a storm takes your fence down, Cape Coral has a separate repair-and-replace permit for putting it back where it stood. You can even switch materials. The catch is that the original fence must have been permitted, so an old fence that never was can't use that shortcut.