Bolthole Index

Broward County, Florida

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Coconut Creek, Florida

Coconut Creek, Florida requires a building permit for construction, additions, alterations and changes of use inside city limits, issued by the city under the Florida Building Code12. The city also sets its own zoning, and any use not listed as permitted is prohibited3. Septic permits and well permits are not decided by the city; ask the Florida Department of Health in Broward County45.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for construction, addition, alteration, movement, repair or change of use1
Who issues building permits
The City of Coconut Creek (department of sustainable development)26
Zoning
City zoning code (Chapter 13, Article III); unlisted uses are prohibited3
Septic
Permitted by the Florida Department of Health in Broward County4
Camping on private property
Only with the property owner's permission and consent7
Typical single-family lot (RS-5)
5,500 sq ft minimum lot, 25 ft front setback, 25 ft height limit8910
Wells
Wells 12 inches or smaller need a Department of Health in Broward County permit5

Who to call

Building permits

City of Coconut Creek building permits (ePermits, building division)

Building permit applications, permit status and inspection scheduling inside Coconut Creek city limits

[email protected]

Online permits →

Septic permits

Florida Department of Health in Broward County, Environmental Public Health Program

Septic (OSTDS) and water-well permits for Broward County addresses, city or not

954-467-4700

2421A SW 6th Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 16, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Coconut Creek means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Coconut Creek, Florida?

Yes. The Coconut Creek city code states that a building permit is required for construction, addition, alteration, movement, repair or change to a new or different use of any building, structure or land1. Applications are accepted only from the property owner or a licensed, bonded contractor representing the owner, and a permit expires if construction does not start within 180 days of issuance1.

Permits issue only in conformance with the city's land development chapter and the Florida Building Code2. A principal building also needs an approved plat before a permit can issue, with stated exceptions11. Site plan review applies to everything except one detached single-family dwelling on one lot1.

Who issues building permits in Coconut Creek, and how do you reach them?

Inside Coconut Creek, the city's department of sustainable development reviews building permit applications, not the Broward County permit counter12. The city accepts applications, permit status checks and inspection requests through its ePermits portal6. Building permit questions go to [email protected]6. We could not confirm a direct phone line for the building division, so use the contact page on the city's website.

Applications must include a survey by a Florida registered land surveyor and two sets of construction plans12. We could not confirm the city's building permit fee schedule.

Does Coconut Creek have zoning, and what does it mean for lots, setbacks and RVs?

Coconut Creek adopts and enforces its own zoning in Chapter 13, Article III of the city code, and any use not specified as permitted or special land use is prohibited3. Rules differ by district, so look up the zoning of the specific parcel first.

In the RS-5 single-family district, the minimum lot is 5,500 square feet, 55 feet wide and 100 feet deep8. Setbacks are 25 feet in front, 5 feet per side (15 feet between structures) and 10 feet in the rear9. Maximum height is 25 feet10. Building coverage is capped at 40 percent of the lot and paved area at 20 percent13. A three-bedroom home in RS-5 must be at least 1,600 square feet14.

Development in every district except A-1 and RS-1 requires available public water and wastewater15. Camping on private property is allowed only with the owner's permission and consent7. We could not confirm rules for living in an RV, tiny homes or accessory dwelling units inside the city; ask the city's department of sustainable development.

How do septic permits work in Coconut Creek?

The city's code sections we reviewed do not address septic systems, and we could not confirm whether any Coconut Creek lot may use one. Where a septic system is allowed, Broward County is among the Florida counties whose septic permits come from the local county health department4. A person may not construct, repair, modify, abandon or operate an onsite sewage system without a permit approved by the Department of Health16.

The application needs a form, site plan, building floor plan and fee, and a site evaluation is required17. NRCS rates essentially none of Broward County's soils as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system18. Call the Florida Department of Health in Broward County at 954-467-470019.

Building a home in Coconut Creek: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district and whether it is platted; a principal building needs an approved plat, with exceptions11.
  2. Confirm public water and wastewater availability if the parcel is outside A-1 and RS-115.
  3. Order a survey from a Florida registered land surveyor and prepare two sets of construction plans12.
  4. Apply through the city's ePermits portal, as the owner or a licensed, bonded contractor16.
  5. Begin construction within 180 days of permit issuance or the permit expires1.
  6. If a septic system or well is involved, apply separately to the Florida Department of Health in Broward County175.

What stays with Broward County, and what to check before you buy

Septic permits and water well permits for Broward County addresses come from the Florida Department of Health in Broward County, not the city45. Wells 12 inches in diameter or smaller need a permit from that office before construction5.

The county's own zoning applies only to the Broward Municipal Services District, not to land inside cities20. For land outside Coconut Creek city limits, see the Broward County page.

Before buying, check the parcel's zoning district, plat status and utility availability with the city. Broward County's typical home insurance premium is $6,148 a year21, and its median property tax bill is $3,610 a year22.

Watch-outs

  • Do not use the Broward County building or zoning counters for a Coconut Creek address; the county's zoning applies only to the Broward Municipal Services District20.
  • Coconut Creek's code prohibits any use not listed as permitted or special land use, so confirm your intended use in the parcel's district before buying3.
  • Because unlisted uses are prohibited3, ask the city's department of sustainable development about building permit fees, tiny homes, RV living and accessory dwelling units, which we could not confirm.

Sources

  1. Coconut Creek Code Sec. 13-38 Building permits (Coconut Creek), quoted and re-checked
  2. Coconut Creek Code Sec. 13-38 Building permits (Coconut Creek), quoted and re-checked
  3. Coconut Creek Code Sec. 13-331 General provisions (Coconut Creek), quoted and re-checked
  4. Onsite Sewage FAQ - Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  5. Water Well Construction, quoted and re-checked
  6. City of Coconut Creek building permits (ePermits, building division) (coconutcreek.gov)
  7. Coconut Creek Code Sec. 17-91 Prohibitions (public camping) (Coconut Creek), quoted and re-checked
  8. Coconut Creek Code Sec. 13-336.1 RS-5 residential single family district (Coconut Creek), quoted and re-checked
  9. Coconut Creek Code Sec. 13-336.1 RS-5 residential single family district (Coconut Creek), quoted and re-checked
  10. Coconut Creek Code Sec. 13-336.1 RS-5 residential single family district (Coconut Creek), quoted and re-checked
  11. Coconut Creek Code Sec. 13-161 Prerequisite to issuance of building permit (Coconut Creek), quoted and re-checked
  12. Coconut Creek Code Sec. 13-38 Building permits (Coconut Creek), quoted and re-checked
  13. Coconut Creek Code Sec. 13-336.1 RS-5 residential single family district (Coconut Creek), quoted and re-checked
  14. Coconut Creek Code Sec. 13-336.1 RS-5 residential single family district (Coconut Creek), quoted and re-checked
  15. Coconut Creek Code Sec. 13-331 General provisions (Coconut Creek), quoted and re-checked
  16. Onsite Sewage Disposal - Florida Department of Health in Broward County, quoted and re-checked
  17. Onsite Sewage FAQ - Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  18. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Florida Department of Health in Broward County, Environmental Public Health Program (broward.floridahealth.gov)
  20. Urban Planning Services, quoted and re-checked
  21. Typical home insurance premium: Bolthole Index county data
  22. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 16, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Coconut Creek

Coconut Creek’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, addition, alteration, movement, repair or change of use inside Coconut Creek city

    • Applications accepted only from the property owner or a licensed, bonded contractor representing the owner.
    • Permits expire if construction does not commence within 180 days of issuance.
    • Principal building permits require an approved plat, with stated exceptions.
    • Site plan review applies except for one detached single-family dwelling on one lot.

    permit expiry if not commenced: 180 days

    “A building permit is required for construction, addition, alteration, movement, repair or change to a new or different use of any building, structure or land.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Building permits inside Coconut Creek city

    • Permits issue only in conformance with Chapter 13 and the Florida Building Code; edition not stated in the cited section.
    “Building permits may not be issued by the director of sustainable development for any applicable purpose except when in conformance with the regulations of this chapter and the Florida Building Code.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    All land inside Coconut Creek city limits

    • Zoning regulations are in Chapter 13, Article III of the city code; any use not specified as permitted or special land use is prohibited (Sec. 13-331(j)).
    “No building shall hereafter be wholly or partially altered nor shall any land be designated, used or physically altered for any purpose or in any manner except in conformity with this article.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    RS-5 residential single family district inside Coconut Creek city

    • Minimum air conditioned dwelling unit size varies by bedroom count.
    • Other districts (RS-1, RS-3, RS-4, RC-5, RC-8, RM-10) have their own sizes.

    1 bedroom: >= 1400 sq ft · 2 bedrooms: >= 1500 sq ft · 3 bedrooms: >= 1600 sq ft · 4+ bedrooms: >= 1800 sq ft (plus 200 sq ft for each additional bedroom/den)

    “c. three (3) bedrooms: one thousand six hundred (1,600) square feet;”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    RS-5 residential single family district inside Coconut Creek city

    • Other districts have different minimums.

    minimum lot area: >= 5500 sq ft · minimum lot width: >= 55 ft · minimum lot depth: >= 100 ft

    “(2) minimum lot area: five thousand five hundred (5,500) square feet for single-family detached dwellings on individual lots; (3) minimum lot width: fifty-five (55) feet; (4) minimum lot depth: one hundred (100) feet;”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    RS-5 residential single family district inside Coconut Creek city

    • Setbacks increase 1 ft for each 2 ft of height above 20 ft (Sec. 13-331(c)).
    • Side or rear yards abutting a street equal the front yard minimum.

    front setback: >= 25 ft · side setback: >= 5 ft (15 ft minimum between structures) · rear setback: >= 10 ft

    “(5) minimum front setback: twenty-five (25) feet; (6) minimum side setback: five (5) feet per lot; minimum between structures fifteen (15) feet; (7) minimum rear setback: ten (10) feet:”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    RS-5 residential single family district inside Coconut Creek city

    • Also maximum paved area 20% and minimum open area 60% of lot.

    maximum building coverage: <= 40 percent of lot · maximum paved area: <= 20 percent of lot

    “(9) maximum building coverage: forty (40) percent of total lot area; (10) maximum paved area: twenty (20) percent of the total lot area; (11) minimum open area: sixty (60) percent of total lot area;”
  • Building heightSpecified

    RS-5 residential single family district inside Coconut Creek city

    • Sec. 13-331(h) exempts spires, chimneys, mechanical appurtenances and similar features.

    maximum building height: <= 25 ft

    “(8) maximum building height: twenty-five (25) feet;”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Camping on private property inside Coconut Creek city

    • Camping on private property is permitted only with the owner's permission and consent.
    • Camping and sleeping in vehicles on public property is prohibited.
    “public camping is prohibited on all private property in the city provided, however, that camping is permitted on such property with the permission and consent of the property owner.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupConditional

    Development in zoning districts other than A-1 and RS-1 inside Coconut Creek city

    • Availability of public water and wastewater is a precondition for development in every district except A-1 and RS-1.
    • No distance rule found in supplied sections.
    “the availability of public water and wastewater is a necessary precondition for any development proposed within any district except A-1 and RS-1.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Platting and subdivision inside Coconut Creek city

    • Principal building permits require city commission plat approval, subject to exceptions in Sec. 13-38(d)(2).
    “Building permits for construction of a principal building shall not be issued until a plat, including the site of the proposed building, has been approved by the city commission”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building permit applications inside Coconut Creek city

    • Application must include a survey by a Florida registered land surveyor and two sets of construction plans.
    • Reviewed by the department of sustainable development, which returns or approves applications.
    “applications shall be accompanied by a survey prepared by a registered land surveyor of the state.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Coconut Creek or Broward County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permitting inside Coconut Creek city
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Coconut Creek city
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Coconut Creek city
  • Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Coconut Creek city
  • Manufactured homes — Manufactured homes inside Coconut Creek city
10 more unanswered
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Coconut Creek publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Broward County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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