The Project
Pembroke Pines, FL 33029 County: Broward County · HVHZ · Broward County Permitting Portal
Project: Residential Pool — 16 × 32 ft In-Ground
Service: Correction Notice Response
Timeline: Correction fixed in 6 hours
The Situation
The homeowner had submitted a pool permit application through a national online site plan service. The plan looked complete: pool location, setbacks, equipment pad, gate. The barrier was labeled “48 inches minimum” — which is the Florida statewide standard under F.S. 515.29.
Broward County rejected the plan.
The Problem
Broward County is an HVHZ county — High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. The only two HVHZ counties in the United States are Miami-Dade and Broward.
Unincorporated Broward County requires a 5-foot (60-inch) minimum pool barrier. Not 48 inches. The statewide F.S. 515.29 minimum of 48 inches does not apply in unincorporated Broward — the local standard is stricter.
The national service that prepared the original plan used the Florida statewide standard. They applied the same template they apply in Lee County, Hillsborough County, and every other Florida county. They didn’t know about the Broward exception.
The homeowner now had a correction notice, a 10-business-day response window, and a plan that couldn’t be fixed by the original service.
They contacted us on Day 4.
What We Did
We reviewed the correction notice. The comment was one line: “Pool barrier height does not meet Broward County minimum of 60 inches. Revise and resubmit.”
We redrew the pool site plan for Broward County specifically:
Pool barrier label changed from “48 inches minimum” to “60 inches minimum (Broward County — HVHZ)”. Gate swing direction confirmed outward from pool with arrow notation. Latch height labeled “54 inches minimum above grade.” Pool side of latch labeled correctly. HVHZ wind speed notation added to plan per Florida Building Code HVHZ provisions — the plan reviewer looks for this on HVHZ pool permit plans. Equipment pad confirmed shown with clearance.
Plan delivered in 6 hours.
The Result
Homeowner resubmitted on Day 5 of the 10-day window.
Corrected plan accepted. No further reviewer comments.
Pool construction proceeded on schedule.
The lesson: In unincorporated Broward County, pool barrier minimum is 5 feet — not 48 inches. If your site plan service doesn’t know this before they draw, you will find out when the building department tells you. We know it before we start.
Tags: Pool · Broward County · HVHZ · 5-Foot Pool Barrier · Correction · F.S. 515.29 · Pembroke Pines · Florida
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