Outdoor kitchens in Lighthouse Point

The Town of Lighthouse Point was incorporated on June 13, 1956, when 107 of about 600 residents voted for it, and it received its state charter as a city in June 1957. In 1970 the Coral Key and Pompano Waterway Estates areas joined the city. Lighthouse Point is named for the Hillsboro Lighthouse, which stands on the north side of the Hillsboro Inlet across the Intracoastal Waterway. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the light was first lit on March 7, 1907, and has been fully automated since 1974. Lighthouse Point lies in northeastern Broward County between Deerfield Beach and Pompano Beach, bounded by the Intracoastal Waterway on the east and Federal Highway on the west, and about 80 percent of its residences are single-family homes. Deepwater canals give more than half of the single-family lots access to the Intracoastal, the Hillsboro Inlet and the Atlantic, and almost all of the waterfront is bulkheaded.

Building permits and inspections in Lighthouse Point are handled by the City's own Building Department, which uses the countywide Broward County Uniform Building Permit Application, in the version in effect since March 9, 2026. Electrical, plumbing, tank and similar work needs separate permits, and contractors must be registered with the City before they can apply. Lighthouse Point's Community Appearance Board reviews the design of projects such as additions, landscaping, exterior paint colors and signs, but single-family homes and duplexes are exempt from its review. The board meets monthly and can also be asked for an informal preliminary review.

On waterfront lots in Lighthouse Point's RS-3 single-family district, buildings and structures must stay 25 feet from the front lot line, 8 feet from the side lot lines and 25 feet from the rear lot line, or 30 feet in Lighthouse Point Subdivision Sections 1 to 3. Lots on the Intracoastal Waterway measure the rear setback from a separate Easterly Building Construction Line. In Lighthouse Point, required setbacks must stay open from the ground to the sky, with listed exceptions such as permanent structures no more than 3 feet high and 100 square feet in area that are at least 8 feet from the rear and side lot lines, and unenclosed patios at least 4 feet from the side lot line. Awnings, canopies and other roof-like structures supported from the ground are prohibited in the setbacks. How your kitchen is classified, we clarify with the City during planning.

On Lighthouse Point waterfront lots, a terrace or patio in the rear setback must sit at least 6 inches below the ground floor of the house and, at the seawall, no more than 3 feet above the seawall, rising by up to 6 inches per foot of distance from it. Terraces may not extend beyond the seawall, and no wall, step or other structure may be built on a seawall or dock, except a see-through fence along the side property line. Seawalls in Lighthouse Point must have a cap elevation of at least 4.0 feet NAVD 88, and any new or substantially rehabilitated seawall must be designed to take a cap of 5.0 feet NAVD 88. Lower existing seawalls must be brought up to standard when half or more of the wall is repaired or the property is redeveloped.

The City of Lighthouse Point describes itself as a flood-prone area, and its floodplain code adopts the Broward County flood insurance study together with all later map revisions. New FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps for Broward County took effect on July 31, 2024, replacing the maps of August 18, 2014, and their base flood elevations apply to all new construction and substantial improvements. Lighthouse Point lies in Broward County, which the Florida Building Code places in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone with a design wind speed of 170 mph for Risk Category II structures and Exposure Category C as the default. In this zone, aluminum structures must be designed to resist uplift, the building official may require a Florida-registered engineer, and the City already asks for product approvals with highlighted anchorage for aluminum fences and prefabricated sheds. Lighthouse Point is in a mandatory evacuation area for hurricanes of Category 3 and above. When a tropical storm or hurricane watch or warning is issued, the City requires all construction materials and debris on job sites to be secured so they cannot become a wind hazard. How the kitchen is anchored on your lot, we plan with licensed partners.

On residential property in Lighthouse Point, LP gas may be used for stoves, ovens, barbecues and similar appliances, with no more than 750 gallons stored per property, and any tank over 100 gallons must be underground and at least 5 feet from the neighboring property line. Above-ground gas containers must be completely shielded from view from the street and any adjacent canal, and properly anchored. In Lighthouse Point, tree removal and relocation fall under the Broward County Tree Preservation and Abuse Ordinance, which the County enforces in the city and which requires a license for removing or relocating trees, except nuisance trees. The City's landscape code also prohibits planting Category 1 invasive exotic plants and requires them to be cleared before development begins.