Fence questions, answered straight

Yes. Miami-Dade County requires a building permit for any new fence and for replacing a substantial portion of an existing one. The permit requires a site plan showing setbacks and easements, and the job ends with a county final inspection. We prepare the drawings, file the permit and meet the inspector as part of our work.

In unincorporated Miami-Dade, residential fences are generally limited to 6 feet in rear and side yards and 4 feet in front yards, and corner lots must keep the intersection visibility triangle clear. Municipalities such as Pinecrest and South Miami apply their own, often stricter, limits, and HOA covenants can be stricter still.

Fence permits have recently been running one to three weeks from submittal to approval. HOA architectural review, when required, adds one to two review cycles before that. We order material during permit review so installation can start the week the permit is issued.

A residential pool barrier must be at least 48 inches tall, have no openings that pass a 4-inch sphere, have no exterior climbable horizontal members, leave no more than a 2-inch gap at the bottom over a hard surface, and use a self-closing, self-latching gate that opens away from the pool with the latch at least 54 inches above grade. Where a wall of the house forms part of the barrier, exit alarms are required on doors and windows opening to the pool.

You can build on or just inside your own property line, but not over it, and not inside a recorded easement. On zero-lot-line homes in communities like The Crossings and West Kendall, a maintenance easement — commonly 5 feet — controls where the fence and gate can go. We work from the recorded plat and survey, not from the grass line.

Most Kendall-area HOAs cap fences at 5 or 6 feet on interior lot lines and require open aluminum picket at 4 or 5 feet on lake, canal, greenbelt and common-area frontage. Many also specify a single approved color for the whole community. Association rules are enforceable in addition to county code, and the stricter of the two applies.

Yes, at no extra charge. We assemble a scaled site plan, an elevation drawing with height and cap detail, the manufacturer's specification sheet with the exact color designation, and photos of existing conditions. Complete packages are typically approved in one review cycle.

Yes, if it violates recorded covenants — wrong height, wrong material, wrong color, or built inside a common-area easement. That is why we verify covenants and easements in writing before ordering material rather than after installation.

Aluminum lasts longest because it cannot rust and its powder-coat finish is warrantied for life. Heavy-wall vinyl typically lasts 30-plus years, galvanized chain link 20–30 years, cedar 20–30 years, and pressure-treated pine 15–20 years with regular staining.

Yes. Kendall Fence Installation holds FL Specialty Contractor License #FC-13822941 and carries $2,000,000 in general liability plus full workers' compensation coverage. Certificates of insurance are issued on request and are provided to HOAs and property managers before mobilization.

A standard residential fence in Kendall takes two to four days on site: layout and posts set in concrete on day one, then rails, panels and gates once the footings have cured. Long runs, driveway gates and commercial projects are scheduled in phases.

Every installation carries our 10-year workmanship warranty in writing, plus the manufacturer's material warranty — lifetime limited on vinyl panels and aluminum finishes. Repair work carries a one-year labor warranty.

We return quotes within one business day of the on-site measure, and most installations begin 7 to 10 days after permit approval. Pool barrier corrections and safety-related repairs get priority scheduling, usually within one week.

Yes. Old fence material and concrete are hauled away the same day they come down, the fence line is raked, and we run a magnet sweep for fasteners before we leave. Nothing is stored on the swale overnight.