Serving the City of North Miami — an incorporated municipality in Miami-Dade County, FL.
The first thing to know about a North Miami fence is that North Miami is not North Miami Beach — they are two separate cities, with two separate building departments and two different codes, and quoting one off the other’s rules is the fastest way to a rejected permit. The second is that North Miami runs its own Building Department at 12340 NE 8th Avenue and its own Land Development Regulations, with a signature rule most contractors miss: a fence in the front-yard setback has to be see-through, not a solid panel. Allday Fence — a licensed specialty fence contractor whose scope also covers concrete walls and columns — builds to that City code, front yard to canal seawall, with 18 years of experience filing in exactly this office.
Why a fence is its own project in North Miami
Plenty of contractors quote a North Miami job off Miami-Dade County rules — or, worse, off North Miami Beach’s rules because the names look alike. Both are the wrong rulebook. North Miami is a fully incorporated City with its own Building Department and its own zoning code, layered on top of the Florida Building Code. The City publishes its own official fence documents — a Fence Intake Checklist and a set of construction-standard detail sheets — and they set a height table, a front-yard transparency requirement, a chain-link restriction, a gate-swing rule, and a mandatory foundation inspection that a County or North Miami Beach quote simply misses.
North Miami’s housing stock drives the work, and it splits into two worlds. Inland — the older grid of Sunkist Grove, Griffing, and the neighborhoods off Biscayne Boulevard and NE 125th Street — is 1940s–60s cottage and ranch housing on standard lots, where the everyday jobs are open see-through front fences and 6-foot privacy on the side and rear. On the water, the gated enclaves of Keystone Point (the Keystone Islands) and Sans Souci / Sans Souci Estates are canal-front and bay-front single-family homes with docks, private homeowner associations, and 24-hour guard gates — where the fence has to clear both the City code and an architectural committee. Two very different fence problems, one City code, and one permit counter that expects the package assembled its way.
We measure first. Then we build. Every North Miami install starts with a MyHausFax™ property compliance report so we know the parcel’s permit history, any open files, its zoning district, and any recorded easements before a single post hole is marked — and so we can confirm the address is actually inside City of North Miami limits, not an unincorporated pocket or a neighboring city.
Fence permit rules in the City of North Miami
The rules below are the general framework for a residential fence, wall, or gate inside City limits. Allday Fence confirms the current City code against your exact address and zoning district before we quote, and we pull the permit. The items below come straight from the City’s own official fence documents, which we read directly. A few items live only in the City’s Land Development Regulations — the general fence/wall/hedge section number and the corner sight-triangle dimensions — so we state those generally and confirm them against the live section for your exact parcel rather than print a number we haven’t verified.
A permit is required. North Miami’s own Fence Intake Checklist states it plainly: “No fence or wall shall be constructed in the City of North Miami without obtaining a Building Permit.” There is no “no-permit” tier for a real fence — a new fence and a straight replacement are both permitted, and if the survey shows an existing fence, the plans have to state that it will be removed.
Height — front, side, rear, and by district. In a single-family residential district, a fence may run up to five (5) feet in the front yard, with one (1) additional foot of articulation allowed for the architectural enhancement of gates and fence features along the front-yard fence, and up to six (6) feet in the rear-yard setback and along the back and side property lines. Multi-family and non-residential districts cap at six (6) feet; industrial districts at eight (8) feet. Note this is a genuinely different table from North Miami Beach next door (which holds the front yard to four feet) — another reason not to cross the two cities’ rules.
The front-yard see-through rule — North Miami’s signature restriction. This is the one that reshapes almost every residential job: all fencing in the front-yard setback must be transparent and not opaque — solid walls and other solid surfaces (wood, aluminum, etc.) are prohibited in the front-yard setback. A homeowner who wants a solid privacy fence has to keep it behind the front-yard setback; out front, the fence has to be an open, see-through style (open picket or ornamental aluminum). The maximum 5-foot residential fence is allowed within the first 25-foot front-yard setback on that see-through basis. We design the front run open and the privacy run solid, so neither one gets kicked back at review.
Chain-link. North Miami allows chain-link, but not in the front-yard setback — chain-link is only allowed in the back yard. In commercial districts, chain-link must be installed knuckled-side up and plastic-coated, with straps kept consistent with the color of the principal structure and maintained (not weathered, cracked, or faded), to a maximum 6 feet, under the City’s Chain-Link Fence Construction Standards and City code §§5-901–5-904.
Gates and swing direction. A distinctive North Miami construction rule: swing gates must open up into the property — never out over the sidewalk or the public right-of-way. Decorative gates are where the extra foot of front-yard articulation is allowed. We set every gate to swing inward and confirm the throat and hardware clear the driveway.
Foundation inspection — on every fence. North Miami requires a foundation inspection on all fences. That means the posts and footings get inspected before the fence is completed, so the job has to be sequenced and scheduled around it — we build it in from day one rather than get surprised by it at the counter.
Engineering — and why a concrete wall is not just a taller fence. Site-specific engineering is required for any fence over six (6) feet, and CBS (concrete-block), block, and masonry walls require drawings signed and sealed by a Florida-licensed architect or engineer submitted with the application. A concrete or masonry wall — and the concrete columns or pillars that carry it — is a heavier, permanent structure than a panel fence: it generally needs a structural footing, engineered reinforcement, and wind-load / product-approval detailing beyond what a standard fence requires, and the taller the wall the more that engineering governs. We keep the specific footing depth and wind-pressure figures on your sealed drawings rather than quote a number here. Allday Fence is licensed for this work — as a specialty fence contractor whose scope also covers concrete walls and columns, we carry the structural engineering and the City permit on the wall and its columns, not only on the fence. We assemble the sealed package wherever the height or the material calls for it.
Prohibited materials. No fence may be erected, installed, or maintained with barbed wire, spikes and/or spears, broken glass, electrical elements, exposed sharp objects, or other hazardous materials.
Utility easements. If the property has a utility easement, it must be indicated on the survey or plans, and if a fence is proposed in the easement there must be gates on each end (or in the rear/side) to allow access to the easement — approval from the easement owners may be necessary. On North Miami’s canal and older-grid lots this comes up often; we design the access gates in rather than discover the easement at inspection.
Corner visibility (the sight triangle). Like every Miami-Dade jurisdiction, North Miami keeps the sightline clear where two streets meet and at driveway edges, so a fence, wall, or tall hedge can’t be pushed into the corner where it would blind a turning driver. The exact triangle dimensions and the height allowed inside it are set by the City’s Land Development Regulations, which we read for your exact parcel before we quote rather than print a dimension we haven’t confirmed. On a corner lot the street-side run has to step down and stay out of that triangle regardless of the general height allowance, and — because the front-yard see-through rule already applies — a corner lot’s street sides are open-style anyway.
Materials and product approval (HVHZ — all of Miami-Dade). Every parcel in North Miami sits inside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ), the strictest wind-code jurisdiction in the country, and the City’s chain-link detail states plainly that all fences shall comply with the Florida Building Code (latest edition). A manufactured aluminum, steel, or PVC/vinyl fence system carries a current Florida Product Approval or a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA), with posts and footings set to wind-load; a masonry wall carries engineer calculations and a sealed detail instead. We do not publish a specific wind-pressure or footing-depth number — we confirm the City’s exact product-approval/NOA submittal requirements against the current Florida Building Code HVHZ provisions and the product’s own NOA for your install. Skipping product approval is the single most common reason a handyman fence fails plan review down here.
Survey. A North Miami fence permit is filed against a current, signed-and-sealed survey (the City requires two copies) with the fence location marked, and a Survey Affidavit is required for any survey older than one year. The submittal also includes a cost affidavit, proof of ownership (recorded warranty deed), the contractor’s State license, a County Business Tax Receipt, liability insurance valid for at least six months, and workers’ comp or an exemption. We pull the property record on the address first, so the folio, easements, and any open permits surface before they can hold up your fence.
Notice of Commencement. Florida law requires a recorded Notice of Commencement before the first inspection on jobs over the statutory threshold (commonly cited as around $2,500 — we confirm the current FS 713 threshold for your job). On any North Miami NOC and lien document the contractor entity is Allday Fence — we prepare and record it correctly as part of the job.
Fees and timeline. North Miami charges permit fees on the City fee schedule (the City has noted its permit fees are being amended, so the current schedule governs), with an up-front plans-review fee, and it does not publish a guaranteed fence turnaround. We confirm current cost and timing with the Building Department at (305) 895-9820 as part of your quote rather than quote a number that isn’t real.
Framing line: Heights, the front-yard see-through rule, setbacks, and corner geometry vary by parcel and zoning district — we confirm the current City of North Miami code for your exact address before we quote, and we pull the permit.
The Building Department and how a North Miami permit actually moves
North Miami permits are handled by the City’s Building Department at 12340 NE 8th Avenue, North Miami, FL 33161, (305) 895-9820 (fax 305-895-9822), open Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.. The City runs an online E-Services portal (eportal.northmiamifl.gov) alongside its counter, so the application, fence detail, survey, and supporting affidavits can be submitted electronically. A North Miami fence is routed to multiple disciplines: Zoning, Building, Structural (when applicable), and Electrical (when applicable) — so height, setback, and the front-yard/chain-link rules are checked by Zoning while the footing, engineering, and product approval are checked by Building/Structural. On the built fence the job runs the foundation inspection (required on every fence) and then the final. Commercial properties also need Miami-Dade Fire approval. We carry the submittal through review, clear any corrections, and stand the inspections so the permit closes against the property record.
The HOA and design-overlay layer in North Miami
North Miami is a patchwork of eras and governance. In the older inland neighborhoods — the 1940s–60s grid of Sunkist Grove, Griffing, and the blocks off Biscayne Boulevard — most lots are un-associated, so the City permit is the only sign-off. But the gated waterfront communities carry their own architectural covenants, and those are a second, separate approval — frequently stricter than the City. Keystone Point runs its own homeowners association (roughly 880 canal-front homes behind 24-hour guard gates), and Sans Souci / Sans Souci Estates carries its own community standards; both can be tougher than the City code on color, material, and how a fence sits on a waterfront lot. A City permit does not satisfy your association, and an association letter does not satisfy the City; you need both, on two different clocks. We design one fence that clears the architectural committee and the City code, and submit to each so neither side stalls the other. We confirm whether your specific parcel carries an HOA before we design.
Pool-barrier fences on North Miami’s canals
Because so much of the City’s waterfront housing is on the canals of Keystone Point and Sans Souci, a large share of the fences we build there double as pool barriers. Florida’s Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act (FS Chapter 515) and Florida Building Code Section 424 generally require a pool barrier that is non-climbable, tight enough that a small child cannot pass, and gated with a self-closing, self-latching gate that opens away from the pool. North Miami folds pool safety barriers into the same Land Development Regulations that govern fences and walls, and we confirm the current figures and pool-barrier provisions for your parcel. On a canal lot the perimeter fence and the pool barrier are frequently the same run, which pushes the child-safety spacing and the self-latching gate hardware to the front of the design — and any drainage or utility easement along the seawall has to stay accessible with a gate. We build and permit these so both the fence inspection and the pool-barrier inspection pass on the first visit — see pool-code barrier fencing.
Neighborhoods and landmarks we fence in North Miami
Keystone Point / the Keystone Islands (the guard-gated waterfront enclave of canal-front homes off Biscayne Bay Drive, docks on nearly every lot) · Sans Souci and Sans Souci Estates (historic bayfront/canal neighborhood between Miami Shores and the Keystone Islands, bounded by NE 123rd Street and Biscayne Boulevard) · Sunkist Grove (the older inland “Westside” grid of 1940s cottages and ranch homes near the parks and I-95) · Griffing and the Kerwood Manor area in the northwest · and the civic core around NE 125th Street and Biscayne Boulevard, home to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA North Miami), North Miami City Hall, and the Enchanted Forest Elaine Gordon Park, with FIU’s Biscayne Bay Campus at the City’s northeastern edge. ZIP codes commonly 33161, 33168, 33179, 33181 (confirm ZIP boundaries against the City line by address).
A jurisdiction note that matters here: a “North Miami” mailing address does not guarantee a parcel is inside City limits, and it is a different city from North Miami Beach. North Miami is bordered by the City of North Miami Beach to the north/northeast, Miami Shores and Biscayne Park to the south, El Portal and the City of Miami to the southwest, and unincorporated Miami-Dade pockets — each a different permit counter. On any borderline lot we confirm the jurisdiction by folio and address before we quote. Two incorporated neighbors we also serve, each with its own building department:
- North Miami Beach fence contractor — the separate City directly north, with its own building department and its own fence code (including a 4-ft front-yard cap and a 3-ft waterfront-wall rule that do NOT apply in North Miami).
- Miami Shores fence contractor — the Village directly south, with its own building department and design review.
How a North Miami fence project runs with Allday
- Property record + jurisdiction confirmed. We run the property-record check, confirm the parcel is inside the City of North Miami (not an unincorporated pocket, not North Miami Beach), and pull the permit history and zoning district before we quote.
- Design to City code. A see-through fence in the front-yard setback, solid privacy behind it at 6 ft, chain-link kept to the back yard, swing gates opening inward, a corner run that clears the sight triangle, product approval on the material, and easement-access gates where a utility easement runs — plus your association’s architectural board where one applies.
- Full package filed. Application, fence detail, current signed-and-sealed survey (2 copies, with a Survey Affidavit if it’s over a year old), cost affidavit, proof of ownership, licensing/insurance, and sealed engineer/architect drawings for a concrete/CBS or masonry wall and its columns, or any fence over 6 ft — filed through E-Services or at the counter.
- Multi-discipline review. We carry the submittal through Zoning, Building, Structural, and Electrical review and respond to corrections.
- Install + inspections. Built to the approved plans; the required foundation inspection on the posts/footings, then the final walked with the inspector.
- Permit closed. Closed against the property record — nothing left open to surface at a sale, a refinance, or a four-point inspection. If a fence is already up without a permit, our sister company Permit Solutions Services runs the after-the-fact / legalization path.
What Allday Fence installs in North Miami
Open see-through aluminum and picket front-yard fences built to the City’s transparency rule, 6-foot aluminum and wood privacy for side and rear yards, PVC/vinyl carrying a current product approval, chain-link kept to the back yard where allowed, and — because Allday is a licensed specialty fence contractor whose scope also covers concrete — engineered CBS, block, and masonry boundary walls and the concrete columns and entry pillars that carry them, each built with the structural footing, sealed engineering, and permit the City requires for a wall. As a North Miami concrete wall contractor we handle the heavier masonry the same way we handle a fence — engineered, permitted, and inspected. We also build low waterfront rails and pool-code barrier fencing for the Keystone Point and Sans Souci canal lots, and handle fence repair and storm restoration across the City. Every install — fence, wall, or column — is a permit-tied install: pulled through the City of North Miami, built to a current product approval, foundation-inspected, and finaled. See the full range in residential fencing and commercial fencing.
Also serving nearby in Miami-Dade County
North Miami sits among several markets we work, each with its own permitting track:
- North Miami Beach fence contractor — the separate City directly north, its own building department and fence code (not to be confused with North Miami — different front-yard and waterfront rules).
- Miami Shores fence contractor — the Village directly south, its own building department and design review.
Allday Fence is a licensed specialty fence contractor — fences, concrete walls, and columns — serving Miami-Dade County only, with 18 years of experience. Permits filed, finaled, and closed against the property record on every install, so there’s nothing open on your property record when you refinance or sell. We file, final, and close every North Miami fence, wall, and column permit as Allday Fence, the contractor of record.
Reviewed by Victor L. Moreno, Chief Compliance Officer, before publish. This page is general guidance, not a code determination for any specific parcel — Allday Fence confirms the current City of North Miami code for your exact address before quoting.