Belleview, FL Zoning, Building Permits & Septic Rules

Belleview, Florida, in Marion County, has its own city building division that issues building permits inside city limits¹. The city also zones its own land under its municipal code². Septic permits in Marion County, city or not, come from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, not the city³. Land outside city limits follows Marion County's rules instead.

At a glance

Building permits: Issued by the City of Belleview Building Division¹
Zoning: Belleview has its own zoning districts (R-1, R-2, AG and others)²⁴
Septic permits: Florida DEP issues septic permits in Marion County³
RV living: Temporary only, by city permit, 90 days at most without a special exception⁵
Mobile and manufactured homes: Allowed in AG, prohibited in R-1⁶
R-1 minimum home size: 600 sq ft of living area⁷
R-1 minimum lot: 7,500 sq ft, 75 ft wide⁸
Wells: Permit required from the water management district or its delegate⁹

Who to call

Building permits

City of Belleview Building Division

Building permits, plan review, inspections and certificates of occupancy inside Belleview city limits

352-245-7021

5525 SE 119th St. Belleview FL 34420

Zoning

City of Belleview Development Services Department

Zoning, the comprehensive plan, land use, building codes and inspections inside Belleview city limits

352-245-7021

5525 SE 119th St. Belleview FL 34420

Septic permits

Florida Department of Environmental Protection — Onsite Sewage Program

Onsite sewage treatment and disposal system (septic) permitting for Marion County

850-245-4070

[email protected]

2600 Blair Stone Road, MS 3596, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400

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

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Does Belleview have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes, lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Belleview, Florida adopts its own zoning, and the Development Services Department handles zoning, land use and the comprehensive plan inside city limits²¹⁰. The city's code establishes districts including R-1 single-family, R-2 single-family and duplex, and AG agriculture⁴.

In R-1, the minimum lot is 7,500 square feet and 75 feet wide⁸, with at least 600 square feet of living area⁷. Setbacks in R-1 are 25 feet in front, 8 feet on the sides and 25 feet in the rear¹¹. A tiny home under 600 square feet of living area therefore does not meet the R-1 minimum⁷; we could not confirm how Belleview treats tiny homes in other districts, so ask Development Services before buying.

In AG, lots need 300 feet of width and 300 feet of depth¹², and setbacks are 50 feet front, 25 feet side and 50 feet rear¹³. Mobile and manufactured homes are allowed as single-family dwellings in AG but prohibited in R-1⁶. R-1 height tops out at 40 feet or two stories¹⁴; AG allows 50 feet¹⁵.

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

The City of Belleview Building Division issues building permits for construction and improvements inside city limits, reviews plans, inspects work at stages and issues certificates of occupancy¹. Florida's statewide building code applies in the city without separate local adoption¹⁶.

The city's page notes that Florida's HB 803 created two new building permit exemptions for single-family properties and that city permitting fees changed with it in July 2026; zoning permits are still required for some of that work, such as fences and flatwork¹. We could not confirm the city's exact list of exempt work, its owner-builder process or its fee amounts, so call the Building Division before assuming a project is exempt.

Florida law sets review timeframes for complete applications: 30 business days for structures under 7,500 square feet¹⁷. Marion County's building permit rules cover only unincorporated land, not addresses inside Belleview; see the Marion County page for land outside the city.

How do septic permits work inside Belleview?

Septic permits for every address in Marion County come from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, which took over permitting and inspections from the county health department³¹⁸. Applicants complete form DEP4015 with a site plan and building floor plan, and a site evaluation of soil and topography is required before approval¹⁹.

Marion County's soils are tough on conventional drain fields: only 5.7% of the county's soils rate "not limited" for them in the USDA survey, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system²⁰. We could not confirm whether a given Belleview lot has city sewer available. If it does, Florida law requires a properly functioning septic system to connect within 365 days after written notice that sewer is available²¹. Ask the Building Division or Development Services whether sewer reaches your address.

Can you live in an RV on your land in Belleview?

Only temporarily. Belleview allows occupancy of an RV on residential property inside the city under a temporary permit granted by the development services director, and only on a determination of necessity such as repairs, illness or family hardship⁵. Permits are valid for the period requested, not to exceed 90 days, and a longer stay requires a special exception⁵.

Water and sewer hookups to RVs are expressly prohibited, all waste must be self-contained, and the RV needs valid registration and a plate⁵. Living in an RV full time on a Belleview lot while you build is therefore not something the city's code allows without that special exception. Statewide rules about RV parks and camps do not answer this question for private lots²². Outside city limits, Marion County's own rules apply.

Building a home in Belleview: the steps, in order

Confirm the parcel is inside Belleview city limits by calling the Development Services Department at 352-245-7021¹⁰.
Find the zoning district, then check lot size, setbacks and home size against it, for example 7,500 square feet and 600 square feet of living area in R-1⁸⁷.
Get the septic site evaluation and apply to the Florida DEP Onsite Sewage Program, unless sewer is available at the lot¹⁹.
Apply to the Building Division for a building permit and plan review¹.
Arrange the staged inspections and request the certificate of occupancy from the Building Division¹.

What stays with Marion County, and what should you check before buying in Belleview?

Septic permits come from the state DEP for all of Marion County³, and Marion is among the counties where a county health department is delegated to handle well permitting²³. A well permit is required from the appropriate water management district or its delegate before drilling⁹.

Marion County's effective property tax rate is 0.8%²⁴, and its median property tax bill is $1,659 a year²⁵. The county's typical home value is $273,513²⁶. We could not confirm who handles floodplain questions for lots inside the city, so ask Belleview Development Services about flood zone status before buying¹⁰.

Watch-outs

Belleview changed its permitting fees on July 1, 2026 under HB 803, so fee figures from older sources may be out of date¹.
Zoning permits are still required for fences and concrete or flatwork even where HB 803 exempts the building permit¹.
We could not confirm the city's owner-builder process, septic rules inside the city, or tiny-home treatment; call the Building Division or Development Services at 352-245-7021¹⁰.

Sources

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Belleview publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Marion County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Belleview, Florida