Fence or deck costs in Jacksonville

In Jacksonville, the sidewalk may not be your property line, and the city's zoning office says so plainly. Its FAQ warns owners not to assume the sidewalk or curb is where the lot starts. The way to know is to have the land surveyed. Once you know the line, the zoning code lets you build a fence right on it, or anywhere else on the lot, depending on your zoning district.

Height comes in two zones. Inside the front yard setback, a fence tops out at four feet. Behind that point, toward the back of the lot, it can rise to eight feet. That leaves room for a tall privacy fence out back. Corner lots have to keep a visibility triangle open for traffic.

Want to go past those limits? You'd apply for an administrative deviation. It's heard at a public hearing before the Zoning Administrator, and notices go to owners within 350 feet of your lot.

Historic districts and landmarks add a step. City preservation staff require a Certificate of Appropriateness for exterior work there, and their FAQ names fencing as site work that needs one. A staff-level approval can take a week or two. Anything that has to go before the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission takes at least a month from application to signed approval.