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

Yes. Unincorporated Franklin County requires a building permit for projects over $1,000 or 100 square feet, and every project in a special flood hazard area needs one regardless of size¹. Demolition permits are also required, and they are free¹. The county follows the current edition of the Florida Building Code¹. Starting work before the permit is issued doubles the fees⁸. Once the permit is issued, the posted permit and reviewed plans must be on the job site, electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractors need supplemental permits, and inspection requests need 24 hours' notice⁹. Nobody may occupy a building before the county issues a certificate of occupancy, and a house must be finished and pass a final flood inspection first^9,10. Florida's agricultural exemption can cover a nonresidential farm building on bona fide agricultural land, but it does not cover a house or override floodplain rules¹¹.

The Franklin County Building Department issues building permits and inspects construction in unincorporated Franklin County, including St. George Island, Eastpoint and Alligator Point; it is at 248 Hwy 98, Eastpoint, FL 32328, 850-653-9783, permits@franklincountyflorida.com¹². Franklin County Planning & Zoning handles parcel zoning, setbacks, land-use questions and development permits at 248 US Highway 98 in Eastpoint, 850-653-9783, zoning@franklincountyflorida.gov¹³. Floodplain administration sits inside the Building Department¹². Online building permit applications are processed in 3-7 business days and paper applications in 7-10 business days; incomplete applications are returned¹⁴.

Those rules apply to unincorporated land. Inside Carrabelle, the city issues its own building permits and sets its own zoning^15,16. Apalachicola sets its own zoning, with a planning and zoning board¹⁷. Septic permits do not move to either city: inside Carrabelle, private wastewater systems must still meet state DEP regulations¹⁸. A driveway onto a state highway, and any stormwater connection to one, needs a Florida Department of Transportation permit².

Yes. The Franklin County Board of County Commissioners controls zoning of all land and water in unincorporated Franklin County². The zoning code publishes district-specific uses, lot sizes, setbacks, heights and lot-coverage limits, so the first question for any parcel is which district it sits in². The A-2 district requires 40 acres with at least one acre designated for residential use, while R-1 requires one acre, 100 feet wide and 100 feet deep, or an existing lot of record as of July 1, 1981². In R-1, the setback is 25 feet from a property line bordering a private, local arterial or collector road and 10 feet from other property lines². R-1 and R-1A detached homes need at least 1,000 square feet of enclosed heated living area². The Building Department says buildings may not exceed 47 feet from finished grade, while many zoning districts set a 35-foot maximum¹. Site plans must show that every setback is met, so confirm the district with Planning & Zoning before you design^1,13.

Florida requires a permit to construct, install, modify, abandon or repair an onsite septic system, and the process includes a site evaluation¹⁹. In Franklin County, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has managed septic permitting since January 2, 2025, but the Franklin County Health Department's own page says county health offices continue septic permitting and inspection^3,4. Call the DEP Northwest District office and the health department to confirm where your application goes²⁰. The county's residential building application asks for a current septic permit or an existing-system letter from the Franklin County Health Department whenever a septic system will be used²¹. Only about 0.4% of Franklin County soils are rated not limited for a conventional drain field, so make the site evaluation a purchase contingency and expect to plan for an engineered system⁷. The county zoning code mentions composting or chemical toilets as alternative wastewater methods, but only in its R-5 multifamily district standards, and they need Planning and Zoning Commission and Board approval². Where central sewer is available, the county says onsite system owners must connect within 180 days².

No. Franklin County's zoning rules prohibit a camper trailer, travel trailer, recreational vehicle or fifth wheel as permanent living quarters, and a tiny home on wheels is treated the same way⁶. Such a unit may be stored on your property, and camping is allowed for up to 14 days if the camper is self-contained, but hooking it to power, water, sewer or septic is not permitted⁶. The code allows RV parking and camping as limited-stay facilities in the C-3 district and camping in the P-2 district, which are recreational uses, not living on your own parcel². A county ordinance also bars camping on beaches, dunes, causeways and barrier islands². A tiny home on a foundation is judged as a house: R-1 and R-1A detached dwellings need at least 1,000 square feet of enclosed heated living area². Mobile homes may be placed on R-2 or R-4 lots, are not permitted on St. George Island or in a V zone, and face added wind and flood requirements¹. Ask Planning & Zoning to confirm the district and your plan before buying or moving a unit¹³.

1. Ask Planning & Zoning for the parcel's district, allowed use, lot standard and setbacks^2,13.
2. Settle water and wastewater: the development application needs a current onsite sewage permit or inspection certificate, or a central wastewater availability letter².
3. Prepare the legal description, location map, sketch plan and a sealed survey identifying wetlands or dunes, and get the development permit before any construction begins².
4. Show driveway culverts on the sketch; a driveway that needs a culvert needs a final inspection before the certificate of occupancy, and a state-highway connection needs a Florida Department of Transportation permit^2,22.
5. Submit the building permit application to the Building Department: two sets of plans, boundary survey, site plan, energy code form, water and sewer letter, and the septic permit if applicable, plus an owner-builder affidavit only if you act as your own contractor^12,21.
6. Keep the permit and reviewed plans on site, request inspections 24 hours ahead, and do not depart from approved plans without written approval⁹.
7. Finish the house and complete the final flood review and closeout documents for the certificate of occupancy⁹.

Start with the zoning district, flood exposure, legal access, water service and septic feasibility^1,2. In a special flood hazard area, a development application needs a topographic map with one-foot contours, and elevation certificates are required for all new buildings²³. County guidance says new structures must be built at least one foot above base flood elevation¹. Septic deserves early attention because only about 0.4% of county soils are rated not limited for a conventional drain field⁷. If you plan to divide land, Franklin County regulates subdivisions, and R-1A applies only in approved, recorded subdivisions with central water and sewer². If you build as an owner-builder, the home must be for your own use or occupancy, not built for sale or lease, and a sale or lease within one year creates a presumption of violation⁵. The effective property-tax rate is about 0.6%, with a median annual bill of about $1,572⁷. Florida requires a permit from the water management district or its delegated authority before a private well is built, repaired or abandoned; the Health Department is the office the county sends applicants to^1,24.