Bolthole Index

Manatee County, Florida

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Holmes Beach, Florida

Holmes Beach, Florida zones every parcel inside city limits under its own Land Development Code1, and the city's Building Department takes building permit applications through an online portal2. Septic permits in Manatee County come from the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County3. Land outside the city follows Manatee County's rules instead.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, every parcel in the city has a zoning district1
Building permits
Applied for through the city Building Department's online portal2
Minimum lot (R-1AA)
8,000 sq ft with 80 ft of frontage4
Minimum home size (R-1AA)
1,000 sq ft of enclosed living area5
Short-term rentals (R-1AA)
Rentals under 30 consecutive days barred6
Septic
Florida Department of Health in Manatee County3
Camping overnight
Barred on beaches, parks, parking lots and vacant property7

Who to call

Building permits

City of Holmes Beach Building Department

Building permits, surveys, elevation certificates and flood zone information inside Holmes Beach city limits

(941) 708-5833

[email protected]

5801 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, FL 34217

Zoning

City of Holmes Beach Planning and Zoning

Zoning review, use determinations, variances, site plans and the zoning map inside Holmes Beach

Septic permits

Florida Department of Health in Manatee County, Environmental Public Health

Septic permits, site evaluations and inspections in Manatee County

941-714-7593

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

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Does Holmes Beach have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Holmes Beach has zoning on every parcel: the city's Land Development Code says all land within the city is subject to a specific zoning classification1. The Planning and Zoning office handles zoning review and interpretations8.

In the R-1AA single-family district, a lot needs at least 8,000 square feet and 80 feet of frontage4. Required setbacks for the first story are 25 feet in front, 10 feet on the sides and 15 feet in the rear, and each is larger for a second story9. Buildings may cover no more than 30 percent of the lot, and buildings plus other paved surfaces no more than 40 percent10. Height is capped at 36 feet above the street crown, with exceptions in section 6.8C11. We could not review the other districts, so ask Planning and Zoning about them.

Can you live in an RV, tiny home or second dwelling in Holmes Beach?

We found no Holmes Beach provision on tiny homes, so ask Planning and Zoning before planning one8. Sleeping or camping on beaches, parks, parking lots or unattended property is prohibited from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, unless the private owner consents in writing or the police department permits it on public beaches and parks7.

In R-1AA, accessory structures may not be used for human habitation12. A second dwelling is allowed only when the parcel has 8,000 square feet per dwelling and the distance between dwellings is double the yard requirements12. R-1AA also bars renting a dwelling for fewer than 30 consecutive days6.

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

The City of Holmes Beach Building Department handles permitting, surveys, zoning questions, elevation certificates and flood zone information inside city limits2. Applicants register an account on the city's online permit portal to apply for a building permit2. Planning and Zoning also does zoning review for building permits8.

We could not confirm the city's building permit thresholds, owner-builder rules, fees or inspection steps, so call the Building Department at (941) 708-5833 before you start2.

How do septic permits work inside Holmes Beach?

Septic permits in Manatee County are handled by the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County, not by DEP, which took over septic permitting in 16 other counties13. Whether a particular Holmes Beach lot is sewered or needs a septic system is something we could not confirm; ask the city Building Department and the health department before you buy2.

Conventional drain fields rate poorly in Manatee County soils, so expect a site evaluation and often an engineered system on any lot that needs septic14. Water wells inside the city are also unconfirmed, so ask the Building Department.

Building a home in Holmes Beach: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district and its lot size, setbacks and coverage limits with Planning and Zoning8.
  2. Check flood requirements: new structures must be built at base flood elevation plus 3 feet of freeboard, and stem wall construction is no longer permitted2.
  3. Ask the health department whether the lot needs a septic permit13.
  4. Register on the city's online permit portal and apply to the Building Department2.
  5. Schedule work inside the allowed hours: weekdays 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and none on Sundays2.

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

Holmes Beach's rules apply inside city limits only. For land outside the city, see the Manatee County page, where Manatee County's own rules cover unincorporated land. Septic permits stay with the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County13.

Before buying, confirm the zoning district and flood zone, since new structures in the city face an elevation requirement2. Manatee County's typical home value is $409,24615, and the county's effective property tax rate is 0.8%16.

Watch-outs

  • Holmes Beach's building permit thresholds, fees, owner-builder rules and inspections were not confirmed; call the City Building Department at (941) 708-58332.
  • We reviewed one single-family district; other Holmes Beach districts may have different lot, setback and rental rules, so ask Planning and Zoning8.
  • New structures in Holmes Beach must meet base flood elevation plus 3 feet of freeboard2.

Sources

  1. Holmes Beach LDC 6.6 District regulations (Holmes Beach), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Holmes Beach Building Department (holmesbeachfl.org)
  3. Onsite Sewage Disposal - Florida Department of Health in Manatee County (2026 county census)
  4. Holmes Beach LDC 6.6 District regulations (Holmes Beach), quoted and re-checked
  5. Holmes Beach LDC 6.6 District regulations (Holmes Beach), quoted and re-checked
  6. Holmes Beach LDC 6.6 District regulations (Holmes Beach), quoted and re-checked
  7. Holmes Beach Code Sec. 42-3 Camping (Holmes Beach), quoted and re-checked
  8. City of Holmes Beach Planning and Zoning (holmesbeachfl.org)
  9. Holmes Beach LDC 6.6 District regulations (Holmes Beach), quoted and re-checked
  10. Holmes Beach LDC 6.6 District regulations (Holmes Beach), quoted and re-checked
  11. Holmes Beach LDC 6.6 District regulations (Holmes Beach), quoted and re-checked
  12. Holmes Beach LDC 1.4 Definitions (Holmes Beach), quoted and re-checked
  13. Florida Department of Health in Manatee County, Environmental Public Health (manatee.floridahealth.gov)
  14. 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
  15. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  16. 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 Holmes Beach

Holmes Beach’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Holmes Beach city

    • Zoning districts are set in Land Development Code Art. VI, sec. 6.6.
    “all land within the city is subject to a specific zoning classification and may be developed only in accordance with the provisions established for that zoning district.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Holmes Beach city (R-1AA, R-1 and others in sec. 6.6)

    • Only R-1AA and the start of R-1 were reviewed; other districts (R-2, R-3, R-4 are referenced elsewhere in the code) not reviewed.
    “This zoning district is intended to protect and enhance the residential character of single-family areas located throughout the city.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    R-1AA single-family residential district, inside Holmes Beach city

    • Excludes carports, garages, breezeways, porches and terraces.

    minimum enclosed livable floor area: >= 1000 sq ft

    “minimum enclosed livable floor area of any dwelling, exclusive of carports, garages, breezeways, porches or terraces shall be 1,000 square feet.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-1AA single-family residential district, inside Holmes Beach city

    • Non-rectangular parcels: frontage is the width at the midpoint.
    • Nonconforming lots of record may still build one single-family home under sec. 4.4.

    minimum parcel size: >= 8000 sq ft · minimum frontage: >= 80 ft

    “Minimum parcel size: 8,000 square feet with minimum frontage of 80 feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R-1AA single-family residential district, inside Holmes Beach city

    • Measured from property line to nearest building wall or vertical structure.
    • Separate waterfront yards: bay, canal, Gulf (50 ft from erosion control line).

    front yard first story: >= 25 ft · front yard second story: >= 30 ft · side yard first story: >= 10 ft · side yard second story: >= 15 ft · rear yard first story: >= 15 ft · rear yard second story: >= 20 ft

    “front yard: first habitable story level: 25 feet second habitable story level: 30 feet (3) side yard: first habitable story level: 10 feet second habitable story level: 15 feet (4) rear yard: first habitable story level: 15 feet second habitable story level: 20 feet”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R-1AA single-family residential district, inside Holmes Beach city

    • Separate 40 percent cap on buildings plus other impervious surfaces.

    building coverage: <= 30 percent · building plus impervious coverage: <= 40 percent

    “not more than 40 percent of residential parcels or lots may be covered by buildings or other impervious surfaces.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-1AA single-family residential district, inside Holmes Beach city

    • See sec. 6.8C for additional height limitations and exemptions.

    maximum height above street crown: <= 36 ft (sec. 6.8C)

    “no building, structure or part thereof shall exceed a total height of 36 feet above the crown of the street as measured at the front center of the property. see section 6.8c. for additional height limitations and exemptions.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Beaches, parks, parking lots and unattended (vacant) property inside Holmes Beach city

    • Applies from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise.
    • Exceptions: prior written consent of the private owner, or a police department permit for public beaches/parks.
    “no person shall sleep or camp upon the beaches, parks, parking lots or unattended property within the city from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise, either inside or outside of any type of shelter, vehicle, bedroll, blanket or other protective garb, except as permitted in subsection (c) of this section.”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    R-1AA district, inside Holmes Beach city

    • Accessory structures may not be used for human habitation.
    • A second dwelling is allowed only if the parcel has 8,000 sq ft per dwelling and spacing is double the yard requirements.
    “more than one dwelling may be constructed on a single parcel provided the parcel is large enough (8,000 square feet per dwelling), the minimum distance between dwellings shall be double the applicable yard requirements and other requirements for each dwelling shall be met.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Proposed subdivisions inside Holmes Beach city that lie in a flood hazard area

    • Only the floodplain plat requirements were reviewed; general subdivision procedure not reviewed.
    “where any portion of proposed subdivisions, including manufactured home parks and subdivisions, lies within a flood hazard area, the following shall be required: (1) delineation of flood hazard areas, floodway boundaries and flood zones, and design flood elevations, as appropriate, shall be shown on preliminary plats;”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in flood hazard areas inside Holmes Beach city

    • Enforced by the city floodplain administrator under LDC Article IX.
    • Elevation certification of the lowest floor is required for manufactured homes upon placement.
    “the floodplain administrator shall inspect manufactured homes that are installed or replaced in flood hazard areas to determine compliance with the requirements of this ordinance and the conditions of the issued permit. upon placement of a manufactured home, certification of the elevation of the lowest floor shall be submitted to the floodplain administrator.”
  • Short-term rentalsLimited

    R-1AA district (rentals under 30 days barred), inside Holmes Beach city

    • Multifamily districts (R-2, R-3, R-4) have separate resort-housing rules (sec. 6.7U) not reviewed.
    • Some pre-existing rentals hold nonconforming status (sec. 4.2).

    minimum rental term: >= 30 days (nonconforming uses under sec. 4.2)

    “no dwelling or parcel shall be leased, subleased or rented for a term of less than 30 consecutive days and such occupancy shall be by the same individual or family.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Holmes Beach or Manatee County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Holmes Beach city
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Holmes Beach city
  • Building code adopted — Building code inside Holmes Beach city
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Holmes Beach city
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Holmes Beach city
12 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • 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 Holmes Beach publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Manatee County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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