North Fort Myers sits just east of Cape Coral and north of the Caloosahatchee, and we build and repair fences across it every month. It isn't a city, so a fence here follows unincorporated Lee County's code: a building permit for anything over 25 inches tall, 6 feet maximum in side and rear yards, and lower, open fences near the street.
Lee County's fence rules in plain terms
- Permit: fences and walls over 25 inches tall go through the county's building permit process.
- Side and rear yards: up to 6 feet.
- Near the street: between the road and the required street setback, 3 feet, or 4 feet if the fence is open mesh and doesn't block drivers' view.
- Waterfront: within 25 feet of a canal, river or other water body, the fence must be open mesh above 3½ feet. On a seawalled canal it may be built on the land side of the seawall.
- No screening add-ons: no slats, fabric or sheets attached to a fence for privacy, and one consistent material, design and color per property.
Those rules differ from Cape Coral's in ways that matter: the street-side allowance, the 25-foot waterfront distance and the 3½-foot open-mesh line. We draw North Fort Myers fences to the county code, not the city's.
The kind of fencing North Fort Myers needs
North Fort Myers is a mix: established single-family streets, newer subdivisions, larger lots out toward the east, and plenty of canal homes near the river. US 41 runs straight through it and over the bridge into Fort Myers. That variety shows up in the work. We put up long chain link runs to keep dogs in on big lots, vinyl privacy fences between close neighbors, and open aluminum behind homes on the water.
On larger lots, the cost per foot matters more than anything, which is where galvanized or black-coated chain link earns its place: about $12 to $28 a foot depending on height and finish. Where privacy is the goal, remember the county doesn't allow slats, so vinyl or wood is the route.
Storm repairs
Hurricane Ian hit Lee County hard in September 2022, and fences across North Fort Myers came down with it. We rebuild damaged runs properly rather than straightening bent posts, and we document the damage for insurance. If a pool barrier is involved, we set up a temporary barrier first.
Pricing
Typical installed prices run $12 to $28 a foot for chain link, $28 to $50 for wood, $30 to $55 for aluminum and $35 to $55 for vinyl privacy, with gates from $300. The county's permit fee is added at cost. The price guide breaks every option down.
About these prices: North Fort Myers figures here are 2026 estimates from published Southwest Florida rates; Lee County's permit fee is added on top. Your price is fixed in writing after we've walked the line.
Last updated October 9, 2026