Bolthole Index

Martin County, Florida

Building permits, zoning and septic in the Town of Sewall's Point, Florida

The Town of Sewall's Point, Florida requires building permits for construction and regulated alterations, subject to technical-code exemptions.1 The town's Building & Public Works Department handles building permits, zoning and floodplain review; septic permitting and inspection stay with the Florida Department of Health in Martin County.23 In residential districts, minimum home size depends on the lot's history, and sleeping in a travel trailer or camper during temporary driveway parking in R-1 is prohibited.45

At a glance

Building permits
Required for construction and regulated alterations; technical-code exemptions may apply1
Zoning
Town zoning applies inside town limits6
Septic permits
Florida Department of Health in Martin County; separate from town building permits37
RV living
No sleeping or habitation during temporary travel-trailer or camper driveway parking in R-15
Minimum home size
Residential districts: 1,500 sq ft on qualifying older developed lots; 2,000 sq ft on other lots4
Accessory dwelling
Conditional on a residential parcel of at least 27,500 sq ft with no existing accessory dwelling or guesthouse8
Owner-builder
Conditional state licensing exemption for an owner’s own residence; building permits and code compliance still apply9

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Sewall's Point Building & Public Works Department

Town building-permit applications, planning and zoning, setbacks, and floodplain review.

772-287-2455 ext. 10

[email protected]

1 S. Sewall’s Point Road, Sewall’s Point, FL 34996

Online permits →

Septic permits

Florida Department of Health in Martin County – Stuart Office

Onsite sewage treatment and disposal services; ask for Environmental Health for septic permitting.

772-221-4000

[email protected]

3441 SE Willoughby Blvd., Stuart, FL 34994

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Sewall's Point means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in the Town of Sewall's Point, FL?

The Town of Sewall's Point requires an application to the building official and a building permit before construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, demolition or a change in occupancy, except work exempted by the technical codes.1 Regulated structural, electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing work also falls under the town's building-permit requirement.1 Sewall's Point applies the Florida Building Code along with local administrative and general provisions.10 For an owner building a residence for personal use, Florida's owner-builder exemption can remove the contractor-licensing requirement under specified conditions, but the owner must directly supervise applicable work and still obtain building permits and comply with codes and zoning.9

Who handles building permits and zoning in the Town of Sewall's Point?

The Town of Sewall's Point Building & Public Works Department supports building-permit and development applications, variances and alternative building standards, and handles construction, planning, zoning and setback compliance.2 The department also reviews building-permit applications for conformity with zoning, floodplain regulations and building codes.2 Use the town's online building permitting system for the municipal building-permit route.2 For building-permit submission or processing questions, call 772-287-2455 ext. 10 or email [email protected]; the town address is 1 S. Sewall’s Point Road, Sewall’s Point, FL 34996.2 Septic permitting and inspection inside Sewall's Point remain with Environmental Health at the Florida Department of Health in Martin County.3

What do Town of Sewall's Point zoning and lot-size rules require?

The Town of Sewall's Point administers its own zoning inside town limits.6 In the town's residential districts, minimum lot area depends on creation history: 15,000 square feet for lots existing on February 8, 1984; 18,000 square feet for lots created after that date through December 21, 1999; and 30,000 square feet for lots created, or subdivisions originally approved, after December 21, 1999.11 Private roads, rights-of-way and access or egress easements do not count toward required lot area.11 All buildings, including accessory buildings, may cover no more than 30% of a residential lot, and impervious area may occupy no more than 45%.12 Before designing a house, ask the town Building & Public Works Department to review the parcel's zoning and setbacks alongside these area limits.2 Subdivided land needs a properly approved and recorded final plat before building permits issue or lots are sold.13

How do septic permits work inside the Town of Sewall's Point?

Septic permitting and inspection inside the Town of Sewall's Point are administered by Environmental Health at the Florida Department of Health in Martin County, while Florida DEP implements the statewide program.3 Florida requires septic permits for installation, replacement, repair, modification or abandonment of an onsite sewage treatment and disposal system, and a site evaluation determines suitability.7 The health department's Stuart office lists onsite sewage treatment and disposal services at 3441 SE Willoughby Blvd., Stuart, FL 34994; call 772-221-4000 and ask for Environmental Health.14 Martin County's soil figures show only 0.6% rated not limited for conventional septic drain fields; that countywide rating supports getting a site evaluation, rather than assuming septic is impossible on a Sewall's Point parcel.15

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in the Town of Sewall's Point?

In the Town of Sewall's Point's R-1 district, temporary driveway parking of a travel trailer or camper is for loading or unloading, and sleeping, habitation or other occupancy during that parking is prohibited.5 Do not treat the temporary-parking provision as permission to live in an RV while building.5 In residential districts, Sewall's Point requires 1,500 square feet of enclosed living area on lots where a dwelling was completed or under construction on April 17, 2001, and 2,000 square feet on all other lots.4 Accessory dwellings and guesthouses are exempt from those principal-home minimums but must provide at least 350 square feet of living space.4 An accessory-dwelling or guesthouse application requires a residential parcel of at least 27,500 square feet and no existing accessory dwelling or guesthouse.8 We could not confirm a separate tiny-home occupancy rule; ask the town Building & Public Works Department how a proposed design fits zoning and building requirements.2

Building a home in the Town of Sewall's Point: what comes first?

  1. Start with the Town of Sewall's Point Building & Public Works Department for zoning, setbacks and floodplain review, and compare the proposed footprint with the residential coverage limits.212
  2. If the property needs septic, contact Environmental Health at the Florida Department of Health in Martin County about the septic application and required site evaluation.37
  3. Apply to the town building official and obtain the required building permit before covered construction begins; the town offers an online building permitting system.12
  4. Complete required inspections and obtain the certificate of occupancy before occupying a new building or changing a building's occupancy, nature or use.1617

For land outside town limits, use the Martin County guide for the county's building-permit and development process.18

Watch-outs

  • Sewall's Point's residential lot-area minimums depend on the lot's creation or subdivision-approval history; a parcel's advertised area alone does not establish compliance.11
  • Florida generally requires a properly functioning septic system to connect to available public or investor-owned sewer within 365 days after written notification, subject to the statutory exceptions.19
  • Florida requires a well permit from the appropriate water management district or delegated authority before construction, repair or abandonment; we could not confirm the specific private-well permitting office for Sewall's Point, so ask the Martin County health department's Environmental Health office for routing.2014
  • We could not confirm Sewall's Point's building-permit fee amounts or driveway-access requirements; ask the town Building & Public Works Department before budgeting site work.2

Sources

  1. Chapter 50 — Buildings and Building Regulations (Town of Sewall's Point), quoted and re-checked
  2. Town of Sewall's Point Building & Public Works Department (sewallspoint.org)
  3. Onsite Sewage Program (Town of Sewall's Point), quoted and re-checked
  4. Chapter 82, Section 82-275 — Minimum enclosed living area (Town of Sewall's Point), quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 42, Section 42-24 — Parking restrictions (Town of Sewall's Point), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 42, Section 42-24 — Parking restrictions (Town of Sewall's Point), quoted and re-checked
  7. OSTDS Construction Application (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Chapter 78 — Land Development Regulations (Town of Sewall's Point), quoted and re-checked
  9. 2026 Florida Statutes § 489.103, Exemptions (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Chapter 50 — Buildings and Building Regulations (Town of Sewall's Point), quoted and re-checked
  11. Chapter 82, Section 82-271 — Lot area (Town of Sewall's Point), quoted and re-checked
  12. Chapter 82, Section 82-273 — Lot coverage (Town of Sewall's Point), quoted and re-checked
  13. library.municode.com (Town of Sewall's Point), quoted and re-checked
  14. Florida Department of Health in Martin County – Stuart Office (martin.floridahealth.gov)
  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. Chapter 50, Section 50-136 — Certificate of occupancy required; issuance (Town of Sewall's Point), quoted and re-checked
  17. Chapter 50, Section 50-136 — Certificate of occupancy required; issuance (Town of Sewall's Point), quoted and re-checked
  18. Do I Need a Building Permit?, quoted and re-checked
  19. flsenate.gov (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Water Well Contractor Licensing and Permitting (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 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 Town of Sewall's Point

Town of Sewall's Point’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, alteration, repair, movement, demolition, occupancy changes, and regulated structural, electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing work in Sewall's Point town.

    • The applicant must first apply to the building official and obtain the required permit.
    • Work exempted by the technical codes may be excepted.
    “Any owner, authorized agent, or contractor who desires to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy or occupant content of a building or structure, or any outside area being used as part of the building's designated occupancy (single or mixed) or to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any structural, electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system, the installation of which is regulated by the technical codes, or to cause any such work to be done, shall first make application to the building official and obtain the required permit for the work.”
  • Building code adoptedPartial

    Construction throughout Sewall's Point town; the town acknowledges the statewide Florida Building Code and adds local administrative and general provisions.

    • The Florida Building Code is applicable as amended from time to time.
    • Town local administrative and general provisions also apply.
    “The Florida Building Code, as it may be amended from time to time, is hereby acknowledged as the applicable building code for the Town of Sewall's Point.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    New buildings and occupancy changes in Sewall's Point town.

    • Required electrical, gas, mechanical, plumbing, and fire-protection systems must be inspected and released by the building official before certificate of occupancy issuance.
    “Said certificate shall not be issued until all required electrical, gas, mechanical, plumbing and fire protection systems have been inspected for compliance with the technical codes and other applicable laws and ordinances and released by the building official.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    New buildings and changes in occupancy, nature, or use in Sewall's Point town.

    • The certificate application is made with the building-permit application.
    • The certificate is issued within ten days after erection or alteration is completed and approved as complying with the zoning ordinance.
    “A new building shall not be occupied or a change made in the occupancy, nature or use of a building or part of a building until after the building official has issued a certificate of occupancy.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Sewall's Point town limits; the town adopts and administers zoning regulations in Chapter 82.

    “The minimum enclosed living floor space in residential districts shall be 1,500 square feet for all lots on which a dwelling was located (completed or under construction) on April 17, 2001; on all other lots 2,000 square feet.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    All residential districts inside Sewall's Point town.

    • 1,500 square feet applies to lots with a dwelling completed or under construction on April 17, 2001.
    • 2,000 square feet applies to all other lots.
    • Open porches, terraces, patios, courts, breezeways, carports, and garages are excluded.
    • Accessory dwellings or guesthouses are exempt but must have at least 350 square feet of living space.

    minimum enclosed living area for qualifying existing lots: 1500 square feet (dwelling located completed or under construction on April 17, 2001) · minimum enclosed living area for other lots: 2000 square feet (all other lots) · minimum accessory dwelling or guesthouse living space: >= 350 square feet (accessory dwelling or guesthouse)

    “The minimum enclosed living floor space in residential districts shall be 1,500 square feet for all lots on which a dwelling was located (completed or under construction) on April 17, 2001; on all other lots 2,000 square feet. Open porches (covered or not), terraces, patios, courts, breeze ways, carports or garages shall not be included in the computation of minimum enclosed living area. An accessory dwelling or guesthouse shall be exempt from this requirement but shall not be comprised of less than 350 square feet of living space.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Lots in residential districts inside Sewall's Point town.

    • Lots existing on February 8, 1984 must be at least 15,000 square feet.
    • Lots created after February 8, 1984 through December 21, 1999 must be at least 18,000 square feet.
    • Lots created or subdivisions originally approved after December 21, 1999 must be at least 30,000 square feet.
    • Private roads, rights-of-way, and access or egress easements are excluded from required lot-area calculations.

    minimum lot area for lots existing on February 8, 1984: >= 15000 square feet · minimum lot area for lots created after February 8, 1984 until December 21, 1999: >= 18000 square feet · minimum lot area for lots created or subdivision originally approved after December 21, 1999: >= 30000 square feet

    “Lot areas shall not be less than 15,000 square feet for any lot existing on February 8, 1984, and not less than 18,000 square feet for any lot created after February 8, 1984 until December 21, 1999, and not less than 30,000 square feet for any lot created (or subdivision originally approved) after December 21, 1999.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Buildings and impervious area on lots in residential districts inside Sewall's Point town.

    • All buildings, including accessory buildings, are limited to 30 percent of lot area.
    • Impervious area is limited to 45 percent of lot size.

    building coverage: <= 30 percent · impervious area: <= 45 percent

    “All buildings, including accessory buildings, shall not cover more than 30 percent of the area of the lot. Nevertheless, in no case shall the percentage of the lot taken up by the impermeable area exceed 45 percent of the lot size.”
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Sleeping, habitation, or other occupancy of a travel trailer or camper during temporary driveway parking in an R-1 district.

    • Temporary parking is limited to loading or preparation for use and unloading after use.
    • Temporary parking may not exceed 24 hours.
    • A resident may not temporarily park a travel trailer or camper more than once in any consecutive seven days.
    “During temporary parking, the travel trailer or camper is not used for any purpose other than loading or unloading; and sleeping or other occupancy and/or the habitation thereof, is strictly prohibited.”
  • Camping on your landProhibited

    Camping or habitation in a travel trailer or camper during temporary parking in a residential driveway.

    • Temporary parking is only for loading or unloading.
    • The temporary parking period may not exceed 24 hours and may occur only once in any consecutive seven days.
    “During temporary parking, the travel trailer or camper is not used for any purpose other than loading or unloading; and sleeping or other occupancy and/or the habitation thereof, is strictly prohibited.”
  • Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

    An accessory dwelling or guesthouse on a residentially zoned parcel inside Sewall's Point town.

    • The lots must comprise at least 27,500 square feet of land.
    • The lots may not have an existing accessory dwelling or guesthouse.
    • The town building department approves the building permit and compliance with local regulations and the Florida Building Code.

    minimum parcel area: >= 27500 square feet (residentially zoned parcel)

    “Any owner of a residentially zoned parcel of land may apply for a building permit to construct an accessory dwelling or guesthouse by providing evidence via survey that the lots are comprised of at least 27,500 square feet of land, and the lots have no existing accessory dwelling or guesthouse.”
  • Who permits septicCounty

    Septic permitting and inspection inside Sewall's Point town are administered by the Environmental Health section of the Martin County health department.

    • Florida DEP implements the statewide program, while county health department offices continue permitting and inspection.
    • Martin County is listed among counties served by the local county health department.
    “Permits for OSTDS in these counties are issued by the Environmental Public Health Program of the Florida Department of Health's local county health department.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Additional living space constructed on property inside Sewall's Point town served by septic.

    • A copy of the Health Department-approved septic tank permit and original approved stamped plans must be submitted.
    • No Health Department approval is required when the property is served by public or private sewer.
    “If your property is served by septic system and additional living space is being constructed, a copy of the Health Department approved septic tank permit with the original approved stamped plans must be submitted.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and further subdivision of land inside Sewall's Point town.

    • The subdivision division applies to subdivisions occurring after enactment, except subdivisions with an unexpired preliminary plat approved before enactment.
    • A final plat must be approved and recorded before building permits issue, town services are rendered, or lots are sold.
    • The town commission must approve the plat before recording in Martin County public records.
    “Until a final plat is properly approved and recorded, no building permit shall be issued: no town services for the impacted land shall be rendered: and no lot shall be sold from the subdivided land.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Sewall's Point or Martin County directly.

  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Sewall's Point town.
  • Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy inside Sewall's Point town.
  • Well permit — Private wells inside Sewall's Point town.
  • Agricultural exemption — Agricultural or farm-building exemption inside Sewall's Point town.
  • Driveway access — Driveway access permits or standards for land inside Sewall's Point town.
2 more unanswered
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 Town of Sewall's Point publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Martin County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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