Can I build a fence?

Yes, with a permit, subject to Sec. 5.2.7. In residential districts, fences and walls are capped at 6 feet (8 feet along a side abutting a commercial or professional use). No fence or wall may sit in the front setback except where the lot abuts a commercial or professional use, and no fence may enclose the front facade of the house. Side and rear setbacks are generally none, except a 10-foot setback from an alley in the rear. Near a seawall or canal, a waterfront-view protection rule limits fences and hedges to 3 to 4 feet within 10 feet of the rear line and 7.5 feet of the side lines, unless the fence uses open-mesh construction above 3 feet. Non-residential and mixed-use districts generally allow 6 feet (8 feet abutting a residential use); Industrial, Agricultural, Institutional, and Preservation districts allow up to 8 feet; South Cape and MXB cap front-yard fences at 42 inches. Only listed materials are allowed (Sec. 5.2.7.B.13), and barbed wire, spikes, and electric fencing are prohibited outside limited agricultural and critical-infrastructure exceptions. An administrative deviation can be requested from the height, setback, or material rules.