WallDockDeck
Hollywood · Broward County

What are the deck setback and railing rules in Hollywood?

0 ftrear and side deck setback where the lot is adjacent to water

Hollywood caps decks and screen enclosures at 30 inches above grade and sets decks 13 ft from the rear line, but when the yard is adjacent to water the deck setback drops to zero and the screen enclosure to 10 ft. Open, uncovered decks are left out of the 30% rear-yard limit for accessory buildings.

Source: City of Hollywood Zoning and Land Development Regulations Sec. 4.23 (American Legal Publishing, current edition); Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Ed. (2023) R312.1.1-R312.1.3 (ICC Digital Codes) · Verified 2026-10

The detail

Decks and screen enclosuresMaximum elevation 30 inches above grade; side 3 ft (0 ft adjacent to water); street side 12 ft; rear 13 ft, and if adjacent to water the deck setback is 0 and the screen enclosure setback 10 ft; front yard at grade only, max 10% of the main use or 500 sq ft. ZLDR Sec. 4.23.B.5.
Rear-yard coverageAccessory buildings may not occupy more than 30% of the rear yard; screened areas count, but an open uncovered pool or deck (pervious or impervious) does not. Sec. 4.23.
Marine structuresSeaward side setbacks for boat slips, decks, wharves, piles and davits at least 7.5 ft; land-side decks may extend to the deck of the marine structure. Sec. 4.23.
PoolsPool setbacks are measured to the water's edge. Sec. 4.23.
Arbors and townhomesArbors must be at least 50% open to the sky and follow deck setbacks; townhome deck setbacks are half of the listed figures, measured from the line between units. Sec. 4.23.B.5.
Where it livesArticle 4 'Schedule of District, Use and Setback Regulations', Sec. 4.23 'Supplemental Setback Regulations for Allowable Encroachments in Front, Side and Rear Yards' of the Zoning and Land Development Regulations, hosted by American Legal Publishing.
Lights and fences near waterLight poles max 10 ft tall and 7.5 ft from property lines, with no setback where the line abuts a waterway; fences within 7.5 ft of a lot line must be screened from waterways by landscaping; ornamental lamps on walls next to a waterway may exceed the wall height by 2 ft. Sec. 4.23.
Cul-de-sacsFront setbacks are measured from the straight part of the right-of-way, and the Director may reduce setbacks from the circular part of a cul-de-sac by up to 40%. Sec. 4.23.
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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