Pine Island is a short drive west of Cape Coral, across the Pine Island Causeway and Matlacha Pass, and we build and repair fences across the island: in Matlacha, St. James City at the south end and Bokeelia at the north. It's unincorporated Lee County, so the county's fence code applies, and almost every lot here is close enough to the water for its waterfront rules to matter.
Waterfront rules on the island
Under Lee County's code, a fence within 25 feet of a waterway or natural body of water must be open mesh above 3½ feet. On natural shorelines, a fence can't come closer than 5 feet to the mean high-water line; on a seawalled canal it may be built on the land side of the seawall. Side and rear fences elsewhere can reach 6 feet, and anything over 25 inches needs a county building permit.
Those numbers differ from Cape Coral's 3-foot solid limit and 75% openness rule, so a fence design that passes in the Cape isn't automatically right here. We draw island fences to the county code.
Salt, wind and one road in
Pine Island sits between Pine Island Sound, Matlacha Pass and Charlotte Harbor, with salt in the air every day. Plain steel rusts fast, so we build with aluminum, vinyl and pressure-treated wood fastened with stainless or coated hardware, and we choose powder-coated gate hinges and latches that won't seize.
The only road on and off the island is the causeway through Matlacha, the stretch locals call "the fishingest bridge in the world". Hurricane Ian washed out the causeway approaches in 2022, and Matlacha's fishing village was badly damaged. We plan island jobs so materials and crew arrive together, which keeps trips over the bridge to a minimum and the schedule tight.
What island homeowners usually build
Open aluminum behind canal homes in St. James City, to keep both the view and the county's openness rule. Vinyl privacy along the road side of a lot. Chain link around larger properties up toward Bokeelia, where the point is keeping dogs in rather than privacy. Pool barriers built to Florida's rules, with self-closing gates that swing away from the water.
Cost on the island
Expect roughly the same per-foot ranges as Cape Coral: $30 to $55 for aluminum, $35 to $55 for vinyl privacy and $12 to $28 for chain link, with gates priced on their own. Very remote or hard-to-reach lots can add a little for travel and access. The price guide has the full list.
About these prices: These island prices are 2026 estimates based on Southwest Florida installer rates, and remote lots can add travel time. The figure that matters is the written one we give you after measuring.
Last updated October 9, 2026