WallDockDeck
Deerfield Beach · Broward County

What are the deck setback and railing rules in Deerfield Beach?

0 ftat-grade decking may extend to the waterfront property line

Deerfield Beach lets at-grade decking, pavers and poured patios run to a waterfront property line in every district. Raised accessory structures are different: they must stay 15 ft from a waterfront lot line, 5 ft from side and rear lines, and no taller than 15 ft.

Source: City of Deerfield Beach Land Development Code Sec. 98-73 (LDC Supp. 87); Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Ed. (2023) R312.1.1-R312.1.3 (ICC Digital Codes) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

Decking at or below gradeIn RS-5, RM-7, RM-10 and RSO: no closer than 2 ft to side or rear lines and 5 ft to a street side line, never in the front setback; in all other districts 10 ft front/street side and 5 ft side/rear. In every district 'Decking may extend to a waterfront property line.' LDC Sec. 98-73(3).
Accessory structures in R-districtsAllowed in a required rear yard but not over 15 ft tall, not within 5 ft of a side or rear lot line, and not within 15 ft of the street side (corner) lot line and waterfront lot line. Sec. 98-73(1)a.
Landscaped areaNo accessory structure, pool, deck, driveway or other paved surface may reduce the minimum landscaped area required by Sec. 98-61. Sec. 98-73.
EquipmentA/C units and pool pumps may sit in a rear, side or waterfront yard if at least 3 ft from the adjacent lot line and screened. Sec. 98-73(1)b.
Other districtsOutside R-districts, accessory structures meet the front and waterfront yard of the principal structure and stay 10 ft from side and rear lines; above-ground pools count as accessory structures. Sec. 98-73(2), (4).
Where it livesLand Development Code Chapter 98, Article IV supplemental regulations, Sec. 98-73 'Minimum yard regulations for accessory structures'; the landscaped-area minimum it protects is in Sec. 98-61.
EasementsNo accessory structure in a public utility easement unless approved by the utility and the City, and none in a required front yard. Sec. 98-73(1)a.
Equipment detailThe yard allowance covers air conditioning units, pool circulation pumps and similar equipment, which must be screened from public view. Sec. 98-73(1)b.
CitywideThe landscaped-area protection in Sec. 98-73 applies to properties in all zoning districts.
Guards (state rule)Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), Sec. R312.1.1-R312.1.3: a guard is required on open sides of a walking surface located more than 30 inches above the floor or grade below at any point within 24 inches of the open edge; it must be at least 36 inches high; openings must not let a 4-inch sphere pass. No local guard amendment was found in this city's code.

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The county rule behind this

What applies across Broward County, and where each city departs from it.

Broward CountySeawall requirements county-wide

The same question, nearby

The rule changes at the city line, not the county line.

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Twelve signs a seawall is failing

What to look for, where to look for it, and what it means when you find it. Walk your wall in twenty minutes.

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