Bolthole Index

Franklin County, Florida

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Apalachicola, Florida

Inside Apalachicola, Florida, the City of Apalachicola Building Department issues building permits1, and the city's own zoning code sets the districts, minimum house size and where RVs and mobile homes may go2. Septic permits for Franklin County come through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, with the county health department still involved3. Land outside the city follows Franklin County's rules instead.

At a glance

Building permit
Issued by the City of Apalachicola Building Department inside city limits1
Zoning
City zoning code with R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, C-3 and R/C districts, run with a planning and zoning board2
Septic
State DEP manages septic permitting in Franklin County; county health department continues inspections and permits3
RV living
Travel trailers are listed as prohibited in the R-4 district, and also in R-1, R-2 and C-34
Mobile and modular homes
Allowed in the R-3 mobile home residential district5
Minimum house size
800 square feet for a single-family dwelling in R-16
Owner-builder
Florida allows owners to act as their own contractor on a home they will occupy, under conditions7
Flood zones
Development in a rated flood zone must be elevated or floodproofed8

Who to call

Building permits

City of Apalachicola Building Department

Building permit applications, permit payment and inspection scheduling inside Apalachicola city limits

850-653-7592

[email protected]

Zoning

City of Apalachicola Planning & Community Development

Planning review, special exceptions, variances and support for the Planning and Zoning Board inside Apalachicola city limits

[email protected]

Septic permits

Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Northwest District

State environmental permitting for Franklin County, including the onsite sewage (septic) program that moved from the health department

850-595-8300

160 W.Government Street, Suite 308, Pensacola, FL 32502-5794

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 Apalachicola means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Apalachicola have zoning, and what does it mean for lots and houses?

Yes. Apalachicola has its own zoning code, with districts named R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, C-3 and R/C, administered with a planning and zoning board2. The City of Apalachicola Planning & Community Development office handles special exceptions and variances9.

The rules change by district. In the R-1 single-family district, a lot needs at least 6,000 square feet, 60 feet of width and 100 feet of depth10. A single-family house in R-1 must be at least 800 square feet, and the same minimum applies in R-2, R-3 and R-46. R-1 caps lot coverage at 40 percent and height at 35 feet11, and requires a front setback of at least 15 feet and a rear setback of at least 25 feet for the main building12.

The figures above describe R-1 only10. Ask the planning office which district a parcel sits in before relying on them.

Do you need a building permit in Apalachicola, and who issues it?

Inside Apalachicola city limits, the City of Apalachicola Building Department administers building permit applications1. The department says Section 105 of the Florida Building Code requires permits for most construction-related work1, and it lists a set of small residential items that need no permit.

A separate permit is required for electrical work, plumbing, signs, roofing, pools, furnaces, boilers, heaters, tanks, air conditioners and tree removal1. For new construction, mobile homes, sheds, decks, fences and accessory structures, the city says to consult the Planning Department before permits can be issued1.

Contact the Building Department at 850-653-7592 or [email protected]1. The city says a permit request generally takes 3 to 5 business days1. The city's rules for building inspection beyond flood-area manufactured homes were not confirmed, so ask the Building Department what inspections your project needs.

How do septic permits work inside Apalachicola?

Septic permits for Franklin County, including addresses in the city, are managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection since January 2, 2025, and the county health department still performs permitting and inspection work for septic tanks3. The DEP Northwest District office can be reached at 850-595-830013.

Florida requires a permit to install, repair, modify or abandon an onsite sewage system, and a site evaluation decides whether the lot suits one14. Franklin County's soils are demanding: only about 0.4% of soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect an engineered system on lots without sewer15.

Inside the city, development in the Special Waterfront district must connect to the municipal water and sewer system16. Whether a particular lot has city sewer available, and whether the city adds its own septic rules, we could not confirm; ask the City of Apalachicola Building Department. Well permits come from the water management district or its delegate, not the city17.

Can you live in an RV, mobile home or tiny home in Apalachicola?

In most residential districts, no. Apalachicola's code lists travel trailers as prohibited in the R-4 mixed use residential district, and also in R-1, R-2 and C-34. The same code prohibits mobile homes and house trailers in R-44.

Mobile and modular homes built to the Florida Building Code are allowed in the R-3 mobile home residential district5. Mobile homes and house trailers are prohibited in R-1, R-4 and C-3, and on vacant lots or residential yards in R-25. A mobile home park in R-3 needs a special exception, a site plan, a stormwater plan and a central water and sewer hookup5.

In flood hazard areas, a recreational vehicle may be placed temporarily for fewer than 180 consecutive days, or if it is licensed and highway-ready4. We did not find a tiny home provision in the city's code, so ask the planning office how a tiny home on a foundation would be classified.

Building a home in Apalachicola: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district and setbacks with the City of Apalachicola Planning & Community Development office at [email protected]9.
  2. Check whether the lot is in a rated flood zone; residential development there must be elevated or floodproofed8.
  3. Consult the Planning Department before applying for a permit for new construction, as the city requires1.
  4. Settle the sewage question: city sewer where it is available, or a septic permit through the state DEP and county health department3.
  5. Apply to the Building Department. For work costing $2500.00 or more, a certified copy of the Notice of Commencement goes in with the application1.
  6. Owners may act as their own contractor on a home they will occupy, with the owner supervising the work on site7.
  7. Schedule inspections through the Building Department clerk1.

What stays with Franklin County, and what to check before you buy in Apalachicola

The city's rules apply only inside Apalachicola. Land outside city limits falls under Franklin County, so for rural parcels use the Franklin County page rather than this one.

Septic permitting is a state and county matter for every address in Franklin County, city or not3. Before buying, check flood zone status, since Apalachicola requires elevation or floodproofing in rated flood zones8, and check sewer availability for the lot.

Franklin County's effective property tax rate is about 0.6% of value18. Windows and doors matter too: the city's Building Department says all glass in new or replacement windows and doors from 2026 forward must be impact resistant1.

Watch-outs

  • Impact-resistant glass is required in all new or replacement windows and doors for work permitted from January 1, 2026 onward, per the city's Building Department1.
  • The city lists RVs and travel trailers as prohibited in most residential districts, so confirm the parcel's district before parking one4.
  • We could not confirm the city's septic rules, certificate of occupancy process or permit fee schedule; ask the City of Apalachicola Building Department at [email protected]1.
  • Fraudulent emails claiming to be from the city planner ask for planning and zoning fee payments; the city says fees cannot be paid by email9.

Sources

  1. City of Apalachicola Building Department (cityofapalachicola.com)
  2. Apalachicola Code Sec. 111-268 R-1 single-family residential (Apalachicola), quoted and re-checked
  3. Onsite Sewage & Septic, quoted and re-checked
  4. Apalachicola Code Sec. 111-271 R-4 mixed use residential (Apalachicola), quoted and re-checked
  5. Apalachicola Code Sec. 111-270 R-3 mobile home residential (Apalachicola), quoted and re-checked
  6. Apalachicola Code Sec. 111-268 R-1 single-family residential (Apalachicola), quoted and re-checked
  7. 2026 Florida Statutes § 489.103, Exemptions (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Apalachicola Comprehensive Plan - Future Land Use Goals, Objectives, and Policies (Apalachicola), quoted and re-checked
  9. City of Apalachicola Planning & Community Development (cityofapalachicola.com)
  10. Apalachicola Code Sec. 111-268 R-1 single-family residential (Apalachicola), quoted and re-checked
  11. Apalachicola Code Sec. 111-268 R-1 single-family residential (Apalachicola), quoted and re-checked
  12. Apalachicola Code Sec. 111-268 R-1 single-family residential (Apalachicola), quoted and re-checked
  13. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Northwest District (floridadep.gov)
  14. OSTDS Construction Application (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. 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
  16. Apalachicola Comprehensive Plan - Future Land Use Goals, Objectives, and Policies (Apalachicola), quoted and re-checked
  17. Water Well Contractor Licensing and Permitting (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Effective property tax rate: 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 Apalachicola

Apalachicola’s own rules

  • InspectionsLimited

    Manufactured homes installed or replaced in flood hazard areas inside Apalachicola city; general inspection rules not found

    • Only the flood-hazard manufactured home inspection was verified.
    “The building official shall inspect manufactured homes that are installed or replaced in flood hazard areas”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Apalachicola city limits

    • Zoning districts include R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, C-3 and R/C, administered with a planning and zoning board.
    “After public notice and hearing and appropriate conditions and safeguards, the planning and zoning board may permit as special exceptions”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    R-1 single-family residential district inside Apalachicola city

    • Same 800 sq ft applies in R-2, R-3 and R-4.

    minimum single-family dwelling: >= 800 sq ft

    “Minimum building size. Single-family dwelling: 800 square feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-1 single-family residential district inside Apalachicola city

    • Two-family requires 9,000 sq ft; special exceptions 12,000 sq ft.

    area: >= 6000 sq ft · width: >= 60 ft · depth: >= 100 ft

    “Single-family and home occupations. 1. Area: 6,000 square feet. 2. Width: 60 feet. 3. Depth: 100 feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R-1 single-family residential district inside Apalachicola city

    • Corner lot side 15 ft; rear 25 ft principal, 5 ft accessory; 20 ft vegetative buffer from jurisdictional wetlands replaces conflicting setbacks.

    front: >= 15 ft · rear principal: >= 25 ft

    “Side, interior lot: 7½ feet each side, or any combination of setbacks on each side that equals at least 15 feet, provided that no such setback shall be less than five feet.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R-1 single-family residential district inside Apalachicola city

    max lot coverage: <= 40 percent

    “Maximum building restrictions. a. Lot coverage: 40 percent. b. Permissible building height: 35 feet.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-1 single-family residential district inside Apalachicola city

    max height: <= 35 ft

    “Maximum building restrictions. a. Lot coverage: 40 percent. b. Permissible building height: 35 feet.”
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Travel trailers in the R-4 mixed use residential district inside Apalachicola city (also listed as prohibited in R-1, R-2 and C-3)

    • In flood hazard areas, RVs may be placed temporarily for fewer than 180 consecutive days or if licensed and highway-ready (Sec. 107-420).
    “(1) mobile homes and house trailers. (2) travel trailers. (3) junkyards.”
  • Manufactured homesAllowed

    Mobile and modular homes in the R-3 mobile home residential district inside Apalachicola city

    • Mobile homes and house trailers are prohibited in R-1, R-4 and C-3, and on vacant lots or residential yards in R-2.
    • Mobile home parks in R-3 are a special exception requiring a site plan, stormwater plan and central water and sewer hookup.
    “e. mobile and modular homes constructed in accordance with the florida building code.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupConditional

    Developments in the Special Waterfront district inside Apalachicola city

    • Stated as a comprehensive plan policy for the Special Waterfront district; mobile home parks in R-3 must also hook up to central water and sewer.
    • General availability/distance rule for other districts not found.
    “Developments in the Special Waterfront district must be connected to the municipal water and sewer system.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in rated flood zones inside Apalachicola city

    • Governed by Chapter 107 Floods and the city's flood hazard ordinance.
    “Any residential or commercial development proposed for a rated flood zone as identified on the Federal Insurance Rate Maps must be elevated or floodproofed”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Apalachicola or Franklin County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Apalachicola city
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Apalachicola city
  • Building code adopted — Building code inside Apalachicola city
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Apalachicola city
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside Apalachicola city
11 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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 Apalachicola publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Franklin County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Franklin County: county rules, score and offices