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

Yes. Holmes County requires a building permit before construction, enlargement, modification, a change of occupancy, alteration, repair, moving, removal or demolition of covered public and private buildings, structures, facilities and floating residential structures¹. Residential construction must comply with the current Florida Building Code: Residential; HUD homes are outside that code, but site-built additions to them must comply¹.

Permit fees depend on total project cost, including labor and materials; when labor cost is unknown, the county directs applicants to double material cost, and planning, zoning, state-surcharge and separate subpermit charges may also apply¹. A passed inspection documents continuing construction, and a permit expires after 180 days without an approved inspection, subject to a one-time extension of up to 90 days¹.

The Holmes County Building Department accepts applications at 107 E. Virgina Ave. in Bonifay and can be reached at 850-547-1119 or hcbd@holmescountyfl.org¹. The office is open Monday through Friday, beginning at 8 a.m¹. The office closes at 4 p.m¹.

The county advises that residential review is faster than commercial review when a submittal is complete¹. Inspection requests must arrive by phone or email before 2 p.m. for scheduling on the next business day¹. The same county office provides flood-zone information for unincorporated Holmes County¹. Building-permit cost is project-specific, so ask the department to identify the building, planning, zoning, surcharge and subpermit charges that apply to your plans¹.

Yes. Holmes County uses Future Land Use Districts to determine allowed uses, and the rules vary by district and locality¹. The county Land Development Code applies in unincorporated Holmes County and within Esto, Noma, Ponce de Leon and Westville, but that does not establish county control over every incorporated municipality¹.

County setbacks for construction are at least 15 feet from the front and rear property lines and at least 10 feet from either side property line, with additional rules next to arterial roads¹. Holmes County allows a tiny house as a residential building with no county minimum size, provided it meets the building code and applicable land-use, septic, floodplain and development rules; only one single-family residence is allowed per parcel¹. Minimum lot size is not one countywide figure: agricultural density is district-specific, and septic-dependent development must meet the applicable state minimum-lot rule⁷. We could not confirm a general accessory-dwelling rule; ask the Holmes County Building Department about the parcel and proposed use¹.

Florida DEP handles onsite sewage permitting in Holmes County; the county health department stopped doing that work at the end of 2024, and DEP oversight began in 2025⁴. Installing, replacing, repairing, modifying or abandoning an onsite sewage system requires the applicable state permit⁸.

For a new permit, submit the DEP application, a site plan and the building floor plan through the online portal or by mail³. A site evaluation must assess soil, topography and other conditions; if a private evaluator performs it, the completed evaluation must be uploaded with the application³. Only 11.3% of Holmes County soils rate as having no severe limitation for a conventional septic drain field, so do not price a rural homesite on the assumption that a standard system will work⁹. Contact the Florida DEP Onsite Sewage Program at 850-245-8383 before finalizing a septic-dependent purchase⁴.

Holmes County prohibits using an RV as a permanent residential dwelling, requires an RV in use to be in a permitted RV park, and allows extended temporary RV housing during a declared emergency². Temporary placement of a recreational RV on a parcel in unincorporated Holmes County is limited to the Recreation, Agriculture, Rural Residential and Crossroads Mixed Use districts¹. Recreational camping does not authorize an RV as a permanent residence^1,2.

A tiny house can be used as a residential building in Holmes County when it meets the Florida Building Code and applicable Future Land Use District, septic, floodplain and development requirements¹. Holmes County has no minimum residential-building size, but allows only one single-family residence per parcel¹. Manufactured or mobile homes follow separate rules: they are allowed only in specified districts, and placement requires a permit, licensed installer and county setup inspection¹.

1. Ask the Holmes County Building Department to confirm the parcel's Future Land Use District, allowed residential use, setbacks and flood-zone status¹.
2. If you will act as your own contractor, complete the owner-builder affidavit and provide direct onsite supervision; the residence or farm outbuilding must be for your own use or occupancy rather than construction for sale or lease⁵.
3. Arrange water and wastewater approvals; Florida DEP requires the septic application, site plan, floor plan and site evaluation for a septic-dependent project³.
4. If access needs a new driveway culvert on a county road, obtain the county culvert permit before installation¹⁰.
5. Submit the building application and project valuation to the Holmes County Building Department, accounting for separately sold subpermits¹.
6. Request each inspection before 2 p.m. for next-business-day scheduling and avoid a 180-day gap without an approved inspection¹.

Start with the Future Land Use District because allowed uses vary by parcel and locality¹. If land will be divided, get county review before purchase: subdivision improvements, including stormwater work, apply when 3 or more lots are created, and cumulative divisions can trigger platting². Immediate-family homes may qualify for agricultural-density or Family Homestead exceptions, but only when the stated family, residence, land and ownership conditions are met^2,7.

Treat septic feasibility as a purchase contingency because only 11.3% of county soils rate without severe limitations for a conventional drain field⁹. Septic-dependent development must also satisfy the applicable state minimum-lot requirement⁷. Verify flood elevation, legal access and the county setbacks before closing¹. New county-road driveway culverts require a $25 permit; county installation costs $300, with the requester buying and delivering the pipe¹⁰. Holmes County's effective property-tax rate is about 0.5%, and the median annual property-tax bill is $527⁹.