Building or Remodeling in Coral Springs: Permits, Tile Roof Rules, Paint Colors and Fences

Coral Springs was planned from the start, and it still shows. Drive through almost any neighborhood and the roofs are tile, the colors are soft and the fences are hidden behind hedges. That consistency comes from city rules that cover things most South Florida cities leave alone, and they apply to remodels as much as to new homes.

This guide covers what is specific to building and remodeling in Coral Springs, so you can plan for the rules before you choose materials.

Permits and inspections run through eTRAKiT

• Online first. The city's eTRAKiT portal handles permit applications, fee payments, inspection scheduling and permit record searches. Digitally signed and sealed documents have to be uploaded there; paper packets submitted at the One-Stop Shop at City Hall, 9500 West Sample Road, can't be digitally signed and sealed.
• Inspections are online only. Since February 1, 2025, the city no longer schedules inspections by phone. Virtual inspections are available for some work.
• Cancel early. To cancel an inspection, call by 8 a.m. that morning. Inspections canceled later may be charged a reinspection fee.
• Private providers. Qualified, state-licensed private providers can perform some plan reviews and inspections, subject to the building official's authority. Our post on permit timelines explains how that works under Florida law.

Coral Springs is in Broward County, so it is in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. Windows, doors and roofing need approvals for that zone, usually a Miami-Dade NOA. Our post on what the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone means for your project covers it.

Roofs: tile is the rule

This is the Coral Springs rule that surprises people most. The city's roof guidelines say single-family roofs shall be cement or clay tile. If you are replacing a roof or adding on, plan for it:

• Shingles. Ten subdivisions are approved for asphalt shingles, among them Better Homes, Beachwood Heights and Greenwood. Elsewhere, replacing tile with shingles requires an engineer's letter stating the structure can't support a tile roof.
• Metal. Metal roofs are not permitted but will be considered case by case.
• Flat roofs. Allowed only when the flat area is 25 percent or less of the total roof, usually over a porch, Florida room or rear utility room.
• Colors. Tile colors and styles on the city's pre-approved lists are approved for single-family homes. Dark colors, dark antiquing and contrasting blends are generally not allowed, and new colors have to be reviewed before you apply for the roofing permit.
• Painting or coating a roof requires city approval.
• Duplexes and semi-attached homes. Both halves have to match in profile, material and color.

Paint colors come from an approved palette

Single-family homes don't need a paint application, but the base color still has to come from the city's approved palette, and painting outside it can lead to a citation from Code Compliance. The city won't approve blue or any color with a blue undertone, red, orange, purple, black, certain greens, or colors that are too dark, deep or bright. Accent walls covering 10 to 25 percent of the house follow the same standards as the base color. Front doors, garage doors and trim, under 10 percent of the house, can be any color that coordinates with the base.

The city strongly encourages a free paint application to confirm your colors before you paint, and your HOA may need to approve the colors as well. Commercial and multifamily properties do need a paint application.

Fences

• Height. Six feet maximum. In the front yard, four feet maximum, and only decorative fences.
• Chain link. Not allowed in the front. Where it is allowed, it has to be vinyl-coated black, green or bronze, and slats woven through the links are not allowed.
• PVC and wood. Limited to semi-private fences, and not allowed on waterside property. Opaque fences are prohibited along a rear property line facing a waterway.
• Landscaping. A fence facing a street or waterway needs shrubs at least 18 inches tall at planting, no more than 18 inches apart, and the fence has to be set back 2.5 feet on those sides to make room for them.
• Close it out. The fence permit and the landscaping permit both have to be closed out, or they can expire.

HOAs on top of the city

Many Coral Springs neighborhoods have homeowners' associations with their own architectural review, and the city's rules don't replace them. For exterior work, plan on two approvals: the HOA's and the city's. Our post on HOA approval and building permits explains what Florida law now requires of associations.

Flood zones

The city notes that FEMA's updated flood models changed flood zones in Coral Springs, so don't rely on what the zone was when you bought. The city will provide the Flood Insurance Rate Map information for your property; ask Engineering or use the city's flood information request form. If the house is in a flood zone, large renovations and additions can trigger the 50 percent rule.

Older buildings

• Building safety inspections. Coral Springs follows Broward County's program: structural and electrical safety inspections for buildings at 25 years old and every ten years after, with the city's own submittal form. One- to four-family homes of three or fewer habitable stories, fee simple townhouses and buildings under 3,500 square feet are exempt. See our post on the Broward 25-year building safety inspection.
• Older homes. Houses from the city's early decades often need electrical panels, plumbing and roofs brought up to date during a remodel, and a roof replacement here means meeting the tile rules above.

The bottom line

In Coral Springs, check the city's appearance rules before you pick materials: tile for the roof, a palette color for the walls and a fence that meets the height and landscaping rules, then get the HOA's approval too. Permits and inspections all run online through eTRAKiT. We handle kitchen and bathroom remodels, whole-home renovations, additions and impact windows and doors in Coral Springs and across Broward. Tell us about your project.