Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Greenacres, Florida

Greenacres’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Greenacres city limits

  “In order to carry out the purpose and provisions of this chapter, the city is hereby divided into the following districts”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Greenacres city zoning districts

  • Districts: AR, RE, RL-1/2/3, RM-1/2, RH, RMH, OPI, CN, CG, CI, GU, SAZ, MXD-O, MXD

  “In order to carry out the purpose and provisions of this chapter, the city is hereby divided into the following districts”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwellings in the RL (residential low density) district, Greenacres city

  • New construction only
  • Lots recorded as of November 1, 1925 have separate minimums (750/900/1,000 sq ft for 1/2/3 bedrooms)

  minimum living area, one bedroom: >= 1000 sq ft · each additional bedroom: 200 sq ft

  “(1) single-family dwellings, one thousand (1,000) square feet for a one-bedroom dwelling unit, plus two hundred (200) square feet for each additional bedroom. (2) all subdivided lots recorded as of november 1, 1925: a. one-bedroom, seven hundred fifty (750) square feet.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family dwellings in the AR (agricultural residential) district, Greenacres city

    “the minimum required living area for single-family dwellings in the agricultural residential (ar) district shall be one thousand two hundred (1,200) square feet for a one-bedroom dwelling unit, plus two hundred (200) square feet for each additional bedroom. these provisions shall only apply to the construction of new units”

  • Specified — Single-family dwellings in the RE (residential estate) district, Greenacres city

    “the residential estate (RE) district shall be one thousand two hundred (1,200) square feet for a one-bedroom dwelling unit, plus two hundred (200) square feet for each additional bedroom.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  RL (residential low density) district single-family lots, Greenacres city (Sec. 16-307 text addresses lots recorded as of Nov. 1, 1925)

  • Section as provided addresses lots recorded as of November 1, 1925; requirements for newer RL lots not shown in provided text

  RL-1 area: >= 13500 sq ft · RL-2 area: >= 10000 sq ft · RL-3 area: >= 6500 sq ft

  “(1) single-family dwellings: a. rl-1: 1. width, one hundred (100) feet. 2. area, thirteen thousand five hundred (13,500) square feet. b. rl-2: 1. width, eighty-five (85) feet. 2. area, ten thousand (10,000) square feet. c. rl-3: 1. width, fifty (50) feet. 2. area, six thousand five hundred (6,500) square feet.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — AR (agricultural residential) district, Greenacres city

    “(1) lot or site area -two and one-half (2½) acres. (2) lot width -two hundred and fifty (250) feet. (3) lot depth -two hundred and fifty (250) feet.”

  • Specified — RE (residential estate) district, Greenacres city

    “The following are the minimum lot requirements in the residential estate (RE) district: (1) Lot or site area, one (1) acre. (2) Lot width, one hundred eighty (180) feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Single- and two-family dwellings in the RH (residential high density) district, Greenacres city

  • Multiple-family and other uses have different yards (front 20, rear 15, side 10, side corner 15)

  front: >= 25 feet · rear: >= 20 feet · side: >= 10 feet · side corner: >= 15 feet

  “(1) single- and two-family dwellings: a. front, twenty-five (25) feet. b. rear, twenty (20) feet. c. side, ten (10) feet. d. side corner, fifteen (15) feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family dwellings in the AR district, Greenacres city

    “(1) single-family dwellings: a. front -fifty (50) feet. b. side -fifty (50) feet. c. rear -fifty (50) feet. (2) other permissible structures, same as single-family dwellings unless otherwise specified.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicle parks inside Greenacres city

  • Special exception in the RMH district only
  • Park occupied only by RVs for temporary habitation; removal of wheels and placement on a foundation is prohibited
  • Minimum park area 25 acres; max 10 spaces per net acre
  • Rezoning to RMH and special exception required

  minimum park area: >= 25 acres · maximum density: <= 10 RV spaces per net acre

  “a recreational vehicle park is permissible as a special exception in the rmh district and shall only be occupied by recreational vehicles, pick-up coaches, motor homes, camping trailers and other vehicular accommodations suitable for temporary habitation”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Sleeping or lodging in the open on private property inside Greenacres city

  • Unlawful without owning the property or without the owner's permission
  • Separate prohibition on overnight lodging on public lands and in vehicles on public property

  “it shall be unlawful for any person at any time to occupy, lodge, or sleep in the open on private property, in vacant lots, in or under any bridge or structure, without owning the same or without permission of the owner or person entitled to possession of same.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Plumbing fixtures in Greenacres city

  • Fixtures must connect to a public sewer or an approved private sewage disposal system
  • Property maintenance code provision; approval authority for private systems not stated in the section

  “All plumbing fixtures shall be properly connected to either a public sewer system or to an approved private sewage disposal system.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Premises inside Greenacres city within the area in Exhibit A on file with the city clerk

  • Applies only within the area described in Exhibit A on file in the city clerk's office
  • Applies to premises that abut or are within 150 feet of a public water line
  • Sewer connection rule not found in provided sections

  water connection distance: <= 150 feet (only within Exhibit A area)

  “which abut on or are within one hundred fifty (150) feet of a public water line, connect to the public water system.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Greenacres city
• Owner-builder exemption — Greenacres city
• Building code adopted — Greenacres city
• Inspections — Greenacres city
• Certificate of occupancy — Greenacres city

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.