Bolthole Index

Palm Beach County, Florida

Building permits, zoning and septic in Town of Briny Breezes, Florida

Town of Briny Breezes, Florida requires a building or mobile-home permit before covered construction or alterations begin.1 In Palm Beach County, Briny Breezes administers town zoning, while septic permitting and inspection remain with the county health department under the state program.23 RV occupancy in RMH-V is limited and temporary, rather than a townwide permission to live in a trailer.4

At a glance

Building permits
Required before covered building or mobile-home work1
Zoning
Town zoning; residential rules vary by district25
Septic permits
Palm Beach County health department handles permitting and inspection36
RV living
Limited, temporary recreational and travel trailer occupancy in RMH-V4
Manufactured homes
Conditional allowance in RMH-I through RMH-IV; new mobile homes must be all electric7
Owner-builder
State exemption has supervision and personal-use conditions; building permits still apply8
Setbacks
Block- and lot-specific tables in RMH-I through RMH-IV9

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Briny Breezes Building Official / Mobile Home Inspector

Town building-permit applications, plan review, inspections and certificates of occupancy; mobile-home interior work goes to the Mobile Home Inspector.

Septic permits

Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County - Environmental Public Health

Septic-system plan review and permitting, septic and well approvals, and private-well location review

561-840-4500

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Briny Breezes means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Town of Briny Breezes, FL?

Briny Breezes requires the applicable building or mobile-home permit before covered construction, enlargement, alterations, installation, removal, structural repairs, or electrical and plumbing modifications begin.1 Briny Breezes applies the Florida Building Code; mobile-home work outside that code is governed by HUD manufactured-home standards and Florida repair/remodeling guidelines.10

Briny Breezes requires plans showing intended compliance before the Building Official or Mobile Home Inspector approves permit issuance.11 For a completed project issued a building or mobile-home permit, a certificate of occupancy is required before occupancy or use.12

Who handles building permits and zoning in Town of Briny Breezes?

For Briny Breezes building-code questions and inspections of permitted work, start with the town Building Official; mobile-home interior work outside the Florida Building Code falls to the Mobile Home Inspector.13 The Briny Breezes Building Official also serves as Zoning Official unless the town makes a separate appointment.13 Ask that office to identify the correct application route for your proposed work.

Briny Breezes collects building and mobile-home permit fees before issuance, and unpaid reinspection fees suspend further work until payment.11 We could not confirm current fee amounts; request the current Town Council fee resolution before budgeting your application.

Does Town of Briny Breezes have zoning and district-specific setbacks?

Briny Breezes has town zoning, with residential mobile-home districts and an elevated single-family-home overlay in specified districts.25 In RMH-I through RMH-IV, Briny Breezes conditionally allows detached single-story mobile homes, trailers, manufactured housing or qualified modular homes affixed to a foundation on designated lots; new mobile homes must be all electric, and second-level construction or usage is prohibited in those districts.7

Briny Breezes setbacks vary by block and lot, with special conditions for sidewalks, seawalls, the water edge, awnings, cabanas and rights-of-way.9 Ask the town Zoning Official for the table and notes governing the exact lot before choosing a unit or designing an addition.13

How do septic permits and wells work inside Town of Briny Breezes?

Septic systems inside Briny Breezes require septic permitting through Palm Beach County health department offices, which also perform septic inspections under the state program.614 The Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County reviews septic and private-well plans; applicable plans must be approved before a building permit can be issued.15

Palm Beach County well drillers submit location plans to the health office before drilling, so bring any proposed well location to that office early.15 Before assuming septic is the right option for a Briny Breezes property, ask about existing sewer service: Florida law requires connection of a properly functioning onsite sewage system after written notice that qualifying sewer service is available, subject to stated exceptions.16

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Town of Briny Breezes?

Briny Breezes restricts RMH-V to recreational and travel trailers under the present lot configuration, with use intended to be limited and temporary.4 In RMH-V, trailers may not exceed 29 feet in length and must have at least 10 feet of spacing in all directions.4 That district-specific allowance does not establish permission for permanent RV occupancy throughout Briny Breezes.4

We could not confirm a Briny Breezes rule expressly allowing tiny-home occupancy, a separate accessory dwelling, or a complete minimum dwelling-size standard. Ask the town Zoning Official to classify the proposed unit and use before buying a trailer or commissioning plans.13

What are the steps to build a home in Town of Briny Breezes?

  1. Ask the town Zoning Official to identify the district, block and lot standards for the property; Briny Breezes setbacks are lot-specific.139
  2. For an elevated home in ESFH-1, arrange the required licensed-engineer elevation certification and account for FEMA and Florida Building Code freeboard requirements.17
  3. If septic or a private well is proposed, obtain the health office’s applicable plan approval before building-permit issuance.15
  4. Submit compliant plans to the Building Official or Mobile Home Inspector and pay fees before permit issuance.11
  5. Arrange town inspections of permitted work and obtain the required certificate of occupancy before use.1312

What should you check before buying in Town of Briny Breezes?

For an elevated single-family home in Briny Breezes’ ESFH-1 overlay, the conditional maximum building height is 25 feet measured from the road crown, including mechanical and structural equipment, when the lowest floor is used solely for parking, building access or limited storage.18 Briny Breezes elevated-home rules also restrict habitable uses below base flood elevation and impose drainage and site-plan conditions on specified lot-fill projects.17 Ask the town Building Official to review the proposed elevation and layout before committing to a design.13

For land outside Briny Breezes town limits, consult the Palm Beach County guide: the county’s general zoning framework applies to unincorporated Palm Beach County.19

Watch-outs

  • Briny Breezes RV occupancy in RMH-V is intended to be limited and temporary; do not treat the district allowance as permanent residential permission.4
  • Florida’s owner-builder exemption requires direct onsite supervision and personal use, and does not remove building-permit or code-compliance obligations.8
  • We could not confirm current Briny Breezes permit-fee amounts; ask the town Building Official for the current fee resolution before applying.13

Sources

  1. § 153.124 Permits (Town of Briny Breezes), quoted and re-checked
  2. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Town of Briny Breezes), quoted and re-checked
  3. Wastewater Systems (Town of Briny Breezes), quoted and re-checked
  4. § 153.028 Origin and Status of Residential Districts (Town of Briny Breezes), quoted and re-checked
  5. § 153.027 Zoning Use Districts (Town of Briny Breezes), quoted and re-checked
  6. Wastewater Systems (Town of Briny Breezes), quoted and re-checked
  7. § 153.028 Origin and Status of Residential Districts (Town of Briny Breezes), quoted and re-checked
  8. 2026 Florida Statutes § 489.103, Exemptions (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. § 153.027 Zoning Use Districts (Town of Briny Breezes), quoted and re-checked
  10. § 153.125 Standards (Town of Briny Breezes), quoted and re-checked
  11. § 153.124 Permits (Town of Briny Breezes), quoted and re-checked
  12. § 153.124 Permits (Town of Briny Breezes), quoted and re-checked
  13. Town of Briny Breezes Building Official / Mobile Home Inspector (codelibrary.amlegal.com)
  14. Wastewater Systems (Town of Briny Breezes), quoted and re-checked
  15. Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County - Environmental Public Health (palmbeach.floridahealth.gov)
  16. leg.state.fl.us (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. § 153.0285 Elevated Single Family Home Overlay District (Town of Briny Breezes), quoted and re-checked
  18. § 153.0285 Elevated Single Family Home Overlay District (Town of Briny Breezes), quoted and re-checked
  19. Planning, Zoning & Building - Zoning (2026 county census)

Written October 12, 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 Briny Breezes

Town of Briny Breezes’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, enlargement, alteration, installation, removal, structural repair, and specified electrical or plumbing work inside Briny Breezes town.

    • A permit is required when required by the Florida Building Code, HUD Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards, or FLHSMV repair/remodeling guidelines.
    • Plans sufficient to show compliance must be submitted and approved before issuance.
    “No construction, enlargement, alteration, installation or removal of any buildings, mobile homes, patios, awnings, screen rooms, blocking and anchoring devices, buildings or like structures or structural repairs or hookups of, or modifications to existing electrical or plumbing equipment shall be begun within the jurisdiction of the town, until the applicable building or mobile home permit for such project has first been obtained, if a permit is required.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    All work requiring a building permit in Briny Breezes town.

    • The Florida Building Code is applied and enforced by the Building Official.
    • Mobile-home work not subject to the Florida Building Code is governed by HUD Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards and FLHSMV guidelines.
    “The town hereby adopts by reference the current edition of the Florida Building Code as established and amended from time to time by F.S. Ch. 553, as the building code of the town, and incorporates the codes into the town’s Land Development Code, as though fully set out herein.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Any lot, building, mobile home, or other structure in Briny Breezes for which a building or mobile-home permit was issued and the project was completed.

    • The certificate must be issued before occupancy or use.
    • The project must be completed in compliance with the code.
    “A certificate of occupancy shall be issued by the Building Official or the Mobile Home Inspector, as applicable, and is required in advance of occupancy or use of any lot, building, mobile home or other structure for which a building or mobile home permit has been issued and the project completed in compliance with this subchapter.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Briny Breezes town limits; the town adopts and administers a Land Development Code with zoning-use districts.

    • The code is current through the supplement identified on the official code site; the site states that the posted code may not reflect the most current legislation.
    “The residential zoning district of the town shall consist of the areas shown as residential (mobile home) use districts on the official zoning map of the town.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Briny Breezes town.

    • The residential zoning area is divided into five residential mobile-home subdistricts.
    • The ESFH-1 overlay applies in specified residential districts.
    • RMH-V is restricted to recreational and travel trailers under the present configuration.
    “This residential area or zone is further divided into five sub-districts or zones which are named, designated and located with reference to the Park Plat for the town as hereinafter set forth.”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Recreational and travel trailers in RMH-V inside Briny Breezes town.

    • RMH-V is restricted to recreational and travel trailers under the present lot configuration.
    • The use is intended to be limited and temporary.
    • Trailer length may not exceed 29 feet and spacing must be at least 10 feet in all directions.

    maximum trailer length: <= 29 feet · minimum spacing between trailers: >= 10 feet (in all directions)

    “In Residential Mobile Home District V (RMH-V), under the present configuration of lots and the existing pattern of development, the use shall be restricted to the use and occupancy of recreational and travel trailers only.”
  • Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

    One-story mobile homes, trailers, manufactured housing units, or qualified modular homes affixed to a foundation in RMH-I through RMH-IV.

    • The unit must be on a designated lot.
    • New mobile homes must be all electric.
    • Second-level construction or usage is prohibited in RMH-I through RMH-IV.
    • Applicable district setbacks and Florida/HUD standards apply.
    “A detached single-family one story mobile home, trailer, manufactured housing unit or qualified modular home affixed to a foundation upon a designated lot;”
  • Building in a floodplainLimited

    Elevated single-family-home construction and lot elevation in ESFH-1 and specified RMH districts inside Briny Breezes.

    • Homes must be elevated consistently with FEMA and Florida Building Code freeboard standards.
    • No enclosure below base flood elevation may be equipped for listed habitable or occupied uses.
    • District III and IV lot-fill provisions require roadway/drainage improvements, shoreline protection, site-plan approval, and drainage controls.

    minimum loft floor area: >= 35 square feet (for lofts used as sleeping or living space)

    “Certification by an engineer licensed by the state is required certifying that the lowest floor elevation to all homes, second unit, screen rooms, add-a-rooms and the like is consistent with current regulations promulgated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Florida Building Code including freeboard standards.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building and mobile-home permits inside Briny Breezes town.

    • Plans sufficient to show intended compliance must be submitted and approved by the Building Official or Mobile Home Inspector before permit issuance.
    • Fees are due before issuance.
    • Reinspection fees must be paid before reinspection and further work is suspended until payment.
    “No building or mobile home permit shall be issued under this subchapter except when plans sufficient to show intended compliance with this section shall have been submitted and approved by the Building Official or Mobile Home Inspector, as applicable.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Briny Breezes

Town of Briny Breezes does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Mobile homes and related structures in RMH-I through RMH-IV inside Briny Breezes town.

    • Requirements vary by block and lot.
    • RMH-I through RMH-IV tables and notes control, including special sidewalk, seawall, water-edge, awning, cabana, enclosed-structure, and right-of-way conditions.
    • RMH-V has no current setback table in the cited code section.
    “The setback dimensions for the mobile homes in the RMH-I District shall be as stated in the following table and notes.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Elevated single-family homes in the ESFH-1 overlay over RMH-I through RMH-IV.

    • The overlay applies to RMH-I through RMH-IV, not RMH-V unless RMH-V is reconfigured into no more than eight lots.
    • The lowest floor must be usable solely for vehicle parking, building access, or limited storage for the stated 25-foot maximum rule.

    maximum building height: <= 25 feet (measured from crown of road; includes mechanical and structural equipment)

    “In no instance shall a home exceed 25 feet in building height as measured from the crown of road including mechanical and structural equipment, so long as the lowest floor is usable solely for parking of vehicles, building access or limited storage.”
  • Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

    Septic systems inside Briny Breezes town limits.

    • The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is responsible for implementing the applicable OSTDS statutes and regulations.
    • Palm Beach County Health Department offices continue to perform septic permitting and inspection.
    “Effective July 1, 2021, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is responsible for implementing the Florida Statutes and regulations applicable to OSTDS. Under Florida’s Clean Waterways Act of 2020, the county health department offices will continue to do the permitting and inspection for septic tanks; please continue to work with them for all of your permitting-related needs.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Septic tanks and other onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems inside Briny Breezes town.

    • Permitting is handled by Palm Beach County Health Department offices under the state OSTDS program.
    “Under Florida’s Clean Waterways Act of 2020, the county health department offices will continue to do the permitting and inspection for septic tanks; please continue to work with them for all of your permitting-related needs.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    Septic tanks and other onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems inside Briny Breezes town.

    • Palm Beach County Health Department offices perform septic inspections.
    • Private-provider inspections may also be available under Florida law.
    “The OSTDS program ensures that the OSTDS is properly designed, constructed, and maintained through permitting and inspection and contributes to safe ground water, which provides 90% of Florida’s drinking water.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Briny Breezes or Palm Beach County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemptions inside Briny Breezes town.
  • Inspections — Building and mobile-home inspections inside Briny Breezes town.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential Mobile Home Districts I through V and the ESFH-1 overlay inside Briny Breezes town.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential Mobile Home Districts inside Briny Breezes town.
  • Lot coverage — Residential lots inside Briny Breezes town.
7 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • 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 Briny Breezes publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Palm Beach County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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