Building permits, zoning and land rules in Escambia County, Florida

Yes, for the work Escambia County lists as permit-required. That list includes construction of a new home or an addition to a one-, two- or three-family dwelling¹. The Florida Building Code applies in Escambia County without separate local adoption; its 8th Edition (2023) took effect December 31, 2023^2,11. Escambia County Building Services reviews plans, issues permits and inspects new buildings and major improvements in unincorporated Escambia County and the town of Century¹². Other listed work includes aluminum screen rooms and carports, mobile-home setup or replacement, re-roofs over two squares, window and door replacement, and utility sheds with poured slabs¹. A portable skid-mounted utility shed under 120 square feet is on the county's no-permit list, but zoning, environmental review and engineering requirements may still apply¹.

Escambia County Building Services is the permit office for building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and other listed construction work¹. Reach Building Services at 850-595-3550 or permits@myescambia.com¹. A completed application with the contractor's notarized signature is required before the county assigns a permit number¹. Construction must be complete, reinspection fees paid and all inspections successfully completed before final occupancy; a change in an existing building's use or occupancy type also requires a new Certificate of Occupancy¹³. Escambia County publishes a separate Planning and Zoning fee schedule, but the reviewed material does not establish that it includes every building or septic fee¹⁴. An owner-builder may construct or improve a qualifying residence or farm outbuilding for the owner's own use, but must complete the disclosure and directly supervise the work⁷.

Yes. Escambia County administers zoning in unincorporated areas, and the parcel's location determines its district³. Development Services uses the property reference number and address to identify a parcel's zoning and future land use³. Minimum lot area also varies by district and use: several residential districts have no general minimum unless a particular use sets one, while other uses and overlays impose their own requirements⁹. Rules can become unusually specific in an overlay: between Scenic Highway and Escambia Bay, structures generally have a 35-foot height limit and a 35-foot setback from the Scenic Highway right-of-way, subject to stated exceptions⁹. The Scenic Highway Overlay caps impervious surfaces at 50 percent of gross site area⁹. The county's districts stop at the town line: inside the Town of Century, the town's own land development code sets zoning⁴. Septic permitting in Escambia County, town or not, is a state function managed by Florida DEP⁵.

Septic permitting in Escambia County is a state function managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection⁵. An applicant completes the DEP application and site plan, supplies a building floor plan and submits through the online permit portal or by mail⁵. The required site evaluation examines soil, topography and other site conditions; DEP can perform it, or a qualified private evaluator can complete it before the application is submitted⁵. For a single-family home, proof that the septic application was submitted may accompany the building or plumbing permit application, but the septic requirements still apply independently¹⁵. Only about 17 percent of Escambia County soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field, so buyers should budget for site evaluation before assuming a conventional system will work¹⁰. If an available public or investor-owned sewer reaches a property with a functioning septic system, state law can require connection within 365 days after written notice¹⁶.

Unincorporated Escambia County limits use of an RV as living quarters outside a licensed campground, RV park or mobile-home park. Short-term use of one RV is limited to no more than 14 days in a calendar year and requires a land use certificate⁸. Longer occupancy has narrow pathways: qualifying property in Commissioner District 5 may be authorized if all parcel, zoning, subdivision, ownership and hazard-area conditions are met, while occupancy during construction requires a valid home-building permit and ends when the certificate of occupancy is issued or the permit concludes⁸. Utilities, site work, driveway access, sewage and solid-waste rules still apply⁸. We could not confirm a countywide tiny-home occupancy rule. The only confirmed dwelling-size provision is narrow: apartments in the Pensacola Beach HDR/C-PB district must have at least 500 square feet for one bedroom or 850 square feet for two bedrooms⁹. Ask Development Services how the proposed home and parcel are classified¹⁷.

1. Give Escambia County Development Services the parcel's property reference number and address so staff can identify its zoning and future land-use designations³.
2. If the parcel needs septic, submit the DEP application, site plan and building floor plan, and arrange the required site evaluation⁵.
3. Apply for written county approval before constructing new driveway access in an Escambia County right-of-way⁶.
4. Confirm potable-water and wastewater service before relying on a future Certificate of Occupancy; the permit holder is responsible for securing both services¹⁸.
5. Submit a completed building-permit application; the contractor's notarized signature is required before the county assigns a permit number¹.
6. If you are acting as your own contractor, complete the owner-builder disclosure and directly supervise the work⁷.
7. Complete construction, pass every required inspection and pay any reinspection fees before final occupancy¹³.

About 68 percent of Escambia County is wooded, and nearly all county land is at a slope of 15 percent or less¹⁰. Only about 17 percent of local soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field, so septic suitability deserves an early site evaluation¹⁰. Many Escambia County properties lie in special flood-hazard areas, and repair or rebuilding can trigger the FEMA 50% Rule during plan review¹⁹. New driveway access in an Escambia County right-of-way needs written approval before work begins, and that approval does not replace zoning or environmental review⁶. A private well requires a permit from the appropriate water management district or its delegated permitting authority before construction, repair or abandonment²⁰. The median property-tax bill is $1,406 a year at an effective rate of about 0.6 percent¹⁰.