Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Martin County, Florida

At a glance

Building permit

Required for regulated construction, alteration, repair, demolition and occupancy changes¹

Zoning

Yes in unincorporated Martin County; municipalities may use their own development rules²

Septic

The Florida Department of Health in Martin County handles local OSTDS permits and inspections⁴

Owner-builder

Allowed; a qualifying owner/builder must appear in person to sign the Owner/Builder Disclosure³⁵

RV / camping

Private-land occupancy is unconfirmed; ask Growth Management for the parcel-specific rule⁶⁷

Private well

A permit is required for construction, repair or abandonment; Martin County Health is a delegated authority⁸⁹

Farm building

A bona fide agricultural, nonresidential farm building may qualify for an exemption, but floodplain rules still apply¹⁰

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on September 27, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Martin County, Florida?

Martin County, Florida requires a building permit before regulated construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, movement, demolition or a change in occupancy; regulated electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing work also requires a permit¹. Florida uses the Florida Building Code statewide, and the current adopted base is the 8th Edition (2023), as updated by the Florida Building Commission¹¹. County authority applies outside incorporated municipalities, while a city may be the permitting jurisdiction inside its limits¹². Some work is exempt: the county page lists painting, flooring, cabinetry, plug-in appliance replacement and specified minor repairs among its examples⁵. A nonresidential farm building on land used for bona fide agriculture may also be exempt from the Florida Building Code and county code or fees, but the exemption does not cover a dwelling or displace floodplain rules¹⁰.

Who is the Martin County Building Department, and how do you reach them?

The Martin County Building Department issues permits countywide and can be reached Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at 772-288-5916⁵. You can submit most permits at the permit counter or electronically, whether it's a small home project or new construction⁵. If you qualify as an owner/builder, Florida Statute requires you to appear in person at the Building Department, located at 900 SE Ruhnke Street in Stuart, to sign the Building Permit Application and the Owner/Builder Disclosure; every other step in the process can then be completed electronically⁵³. Permits go to either a licensed contractor in good standing or a qualifying owner/builder applying in place of one, and for permits that need plan review, your application is routed to the relevant departments before the county issues the permit and starts field inspections⁵.

Does Martin County have zoning?

Unincorporated Martin County has zoning districts shown on the County Zoning Atlas and implemented through the Land Development Regulations; municipalities may apply their own development rules². That makes the parcel's jurisdiction and zoning district the starting point for questions about use, setbacks, RVs, tiny homes and lot dimensions. Florida law authorizes counties to establish and enforce zoning in unincorporated areas, but that general authority does not answer what a particular Martin County district permits¹³. Florida also allows a county or municipality to adopt an ordinance permitting accessory dwelling units in single-family areas, but the state law does not itself establish that Martin County has adopted one¹⁴. We could not confirm a countywide minimum dwelling size, numeric minimum lot size or complete accessory-dwelling rule. Ask Martin County Growth Management at 772-288-5495 to identify the applicable district and standards before designing or buying⁷.

How do septic permits work in Martin County?

The Florida Department of Health in Martin County continues local permitting and inspection for onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems, while the Florida Department of Environmental Protection implements the governing statutes and regulations⁴. Installing, replacing, repairing, modifying or abandoning a septic system requires the applicable permit, and a site evaluation determines the parcel conditions and system suitability¹⁵. Reach the Stuart health office, which lists Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal among its services, at 772-221-4000 or 3441 SE Willoughby Blvd., Stuart, FL 34994¹⁶. Only about 0.6% of Martin County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so do not treat an attractive dry-looking homesite as proof that a conventional system will work¹⁷. If public sewer later becomes available, a properly functioning onsite system generally must connect within 365 days after written notice, with different timing for a system needing repair or modification¹⁸.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Martin County?

Florida regulates transient stays in permitted recreational vehicle parks and recreational camps, but that statewide rule does not establish permission to occupy an RV on private land in Martin County⁶¹⁹. We could not confirm a countywide private-land RV or temporary-camping rule, so ask Growth Management about the parcel's zoning district before relying on an RV during construction⁷. We also could not confirm a Martin County rule specifically for tiny-home occupancy or a countywide minimum dwelling size. A tiny home involving regulated construction still needs the applicable building permit, and its proposed residential use must fit the parcel's zoning¹². An off-site-constructed dwelling, including a qualifying manufactured home treated as real property, must be permitted as of right where single-family detached homes are allowed, but it remains subject to generally applicable permitting, installation, health, utility and zoning requirements²⁰.

How do you build a home in Martin County, step by step?

1. Ask Growth Management to confirm the parcel's jurisdiction, zoning district and applicable land-development standards²⁷.
2. Determine water and sewer service. A new septic system needs an application and site evaluation, and construction, repair or abandonment of a private well requires a permit from the appropriate delegated authority¹⁵⁸.
3. Choose a licensed contractor or determine whether you qualify as an owner-builder; a qualifying owner-builder must sign the application and disclosure in person at 900 SE Ruhnke Street³⁵.
4. Submit the building application at the counter or electronically; plans needing review are routed to the appropriate departments before permit issuance⁵.
5. Complete the required field inspections. A qualifying threshold building also needs structural inspections under an approved plan by a special inspector selected and paid by the owner⁵²¹.
6. Ask the Building Department which final approval or certificate applies before occupancy; the county confirms that it schedules an inspection associated with a Certificate of Occupancy²².

What should you check before buying land in Martin County?

Martin County's median property tax bill is about $3,120 a year at an effective rate near 0.8%, while the typical annual home-insurance premium is about $5,268²³²⁴²⁵. About 24.3% of the county is federally owned, so confirm that the parcel and its access are private and legally usable²⁶. Martin County averages about 55.6 inches of precipitation a year, and only about 0.6% of its soils rate without severe conventional-septic limitations; make drainage and septic feasibility contract contingencies where possible²⁷¹⁷. A private well needs a permit for construction, repair or abandonment, with Martin County among the counties where the health department has delegated well-permitting work⁸⁹. Florida regulates subdivision and platting statewide and allows additional local requirements, so ask Growth Management before assuming a tract can be split²⁸⁷. We could not confirm the complete Martin County driveway or floodplain-development rules; ask Growth Management which office must review access and floodplain work for the parcel⁷.

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm a general right to occupy an RV on private land outside a permitted park; call Growth Management at 772-288-5495 about the parcel before buying or moving one in⁷⁶.
• About 24.3% of Martin County is federally owned land, so confirm a specific parcel isn't inside a preserve, refuge or other federal holding before you assume it's buildable²⁶.
• A qualifying owner/builder cannot complete the whole permit process online: Florida Statute requires an in-person visit to the Building Department at 900 SE Ruhnke Street in Stuart to sign the Building Permit Application and Owner/Builder Disclosure before anything else proceeds electronically⁵.

Sources

1. Do I Need a Building Permit?, quoted and re-checked
2. Growth Management Department FAQs, quoted and re-checked
3. Martin County - Do I Need a Building Permit? (2026 county census)
4. Septic Systems - Florida Department of Health in Martin County, quoted and re-checked
5. Martin County Building Department (martin.fl.us)
6. Florida Statutes Chapter 513: Mobile Home and Recreational Vehicle Parks (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
7. Martin County Growth Management Department (martin.fl.us)
8. Water Well Contractor Licensing and Permitting (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Well Construction in Florida (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. Florida Statutes § 604.50, Nonresidential farm buildings; farm fences; farm signs (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. 61G20-1.001 Florida Building Code Adopted (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. Florida Statutes § 125.56 — Enforcement and amendment of the Florida Building Code (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Florida Statutes § 125.01 — Powers and duties (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
14. Florida Statutes § 163.31771: Accessory dwelling units (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. OSTDS Construction Application (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Florida Department of Health in Martin County – Stuart Office (martin.floridahealth.gov)
17. Share of soils without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field (USDA SSURGO): Bolthole Index county data
18. 2026 Florida Statutes, section 381.00655 (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. Florida Statutes Chapter 513: Mobile Home and Recreational Vehicle Parks (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
20. Florida Statutes § 553.385, Zoning of off-site constructed residential dwellings; parity (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
21. Florida Statutes § 553.79 — Threshold-building structural inspections (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
22. Inspection / Certificate of Occupancy, quoted and re-checked
23. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
24. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
25. Typical home insurance premium: Bolthole Index county data
26. Federal land share: Bolthole Index county data
27. Annual precipitation: Bolthole Index county data
28. F.S. 163.3202 — Land development regulations (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written September 27, 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.