WallDockDeck
Delray Beach · Palm Beach County

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

5 ftfrom any property line for uncovered patios; pools 10 ft

Delray Beach treats an uncovered patio or walkway under 3 ft tall as a site improvement that must stay 5 ft from every property line, including the rear. A pool at grade can go into the rear setback but no closer than 10 ft to a property line, and the pool fence can be skipped on the side that fronts the Intracoastal, a canal or the ocean.

Source: City of Delray Beach Land Development Regulations Sec. 4.3.4 (Table 4.3.4(A)) and Sec. 4.6.15 (LDR Supp. 35; Ord. 13-24, 10-25); Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Ed. (2023) R312.1.1-R312.1.3 (ICC Digital Codes) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

Patios and walkwaysTable 4.3.4(A), site improvements less than 3 ft in height: uncovered patio and walkways need a 5 ft minimum setback from the front, street-side, interior-side and rear property lines. LDR Sec. 4.3.4.
BalconiesRailings taller than 42 inches (and columns, privacy walls, louvres, screens) are not allowed in the required setback. Table 4.3.4(A).
Boat slips10 ft from the interior side line, 0 ft rear, and no more than 20% of total lot area. Table 4.3.4(A).
PoolsPools at grade may extend into rear, interior or street side setbacks but no closer than 10 ft to any property line, and never into the front setback. LDR Sec. 4.6.15(G).
Pool barrier on the waterThe safety barrier must be at least 48 inches tall, but where the premises are fenced and one side fronts the Intracoastal Waterway, a finger canal or the ocean, no fence is required along that water side. Sec. 4.6.15.
Common open areaPools may come to 5 ft from the rear or interior side line when adjacent to at least 50 ft of common open area (canals, lakes, golf courses, parks qualify under Sec. 4.3.4(H)(5)). Sec. 4.6.15(G). Steps or platforms leading to buildings, under 3 ft tall, need 6 ft rear clearance. Table 4.3.4(A).
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 Palm Beach County, and where each city departs from it.

Palm Beach CountySeawall requirements county-wide

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

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