Bolthole Index

Palm Beach County, Florida

Building permits, zoning and septic in Town of Ocean Ridge, Florida

Town of Ocean Ridge, Florida handles building permits through its municipal Building Department and requires online applications before work begins.1 Ocean Ridge administers its own zoning, while the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County handles septic permitting and inspection inside town limits.23 Qualifying work valued at $7,500 or less still requires a building permit under the town’s flood-hazard notice.1

At a glance

Building permits
Town Building Department; submit applications online1
Zoning
Town zoning with district-specific development rules2
Septic permits
Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County34
Minimum home size
RMM and RHM efficiencies: 850 square feet minimum56
Owner-builder
Conditional state exemption; building permits still required7
Private wells
Health department reviews well locations before drilling8

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Ocean Ridge Building & Zoning Department

Municipal building applications and questions for building, zoning and engineering officials

561-732-2635

[email protected]

6450 N Ocean Blvd

Online permits →

Septic permits

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

Septic plan 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 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Ocean Ridge 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 Ocean Ridge, FL?

Ocean Ridge’s Building Department requires building permit applications through the town’s online system, and work cannot begin before the building permit is issued.1 The town specifically says qualifying work valued at $7,500 or less still requires a building permit because the entire town is in a flood hazard area.1 Florida’s statewide Building Code applies without separate municipal adoption, subject to statutory exemptions.9 An owner-builder exemption changes who may act as contractor; it does not remove building permit or code-compliance obligations.7

Who handles building permits and zoning in Town of Ocean Ridge?

For Ocean Ridge building, zoning or engineering questions, email [email protected] through the town’s Building & Zoning Department.1 Submit building applications through the town’s BS&A Online portal using the current forms; incomplete applications will not be reviewed.1 The town requires the Universal County-Wide/Municipal Building Permit Application for applicable submissions beginning July 1, 2026.1 The town’s updated building fee schedule became effective July 8, 2026, so ask the department to identify the current charges for your project before submitting.1

Does Town of Ocean Ridge have zoning, lot coverage and setbacks?

Ocean Ridge has its own Land Development Code and residential zoning districts, including RSF, RSE, RMM and RHM; establish the parcel’s district with the town before designing a home.2 In the RMM district, minimum setbacks are 25 feet at the front, corner side and waterway, and 15 feet at the interior side and rear; these separations apply between buildings as well as at property lines.10 RMM and RHM both limit lot coverage to 40 percent.1112 RHM setbacks vary with the number of floors, so do not transfer the RMM dimensions to an RHM project.13

How do septic permits and private wells work in Town of Ocean Ridge?

Septic systems used inside Ocean Ridge require septic permitting through the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County, which also remains the local septic inspection contact.43 The health department reviews septic and private-well plans, and states that plan approval must precede issuance of a building permit.8 A septic site evaluation determines property conditions and system suitability under Florida’s permitting framework.14 Well drillers submit location plans to the health department before drilling; final well and septic approvals must be recorded before a certificate of occupancy is issued.8

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Town of Ocean Ridge?

We could not confirm permission for private-lot RV living, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy or an accessory dwelling in Ocean Ridge; ask the town’s zoning official at [email protected] about the proposed use and parcel.1 Ocean Ridge’s RMM and RHM districts require at least 850 square feet for an efficiency, with larger minimums as bedroom counts increase.56 A single-family dwelling in RMM has a minimum floor area of 1,600 square feet.5 Florida’s accessory-dwelling statute authorizes local ordinances but does not itself require Ocean Ridge to allow an accessory dwelling.15

What are the steps to build a home in Town of Ocean Ridge?

  1. Ask the town’s zoning official to confirm the parcel’s district and proposed use, then design around that district’s development rules.21
  2. If using septic or a private well, obtain health department plan approvals before the building permit is issued.8
  3. Submit the applicable building application through the town’s online portal and resolve any missing documents.1
  4. For new residential construction, complete the mandatory pre-construction meeting, obtain the building permit and post required documents before starting work.1
  5. Complete required septic and well approvals before occupancy.8

For land outside town limits, use the Palm Beach County guide for the county’s unincorporated building jurisdiction.16

Watch-outs

  • Ocean Ridge’s low-value-work notice says qualifying work valued at $7,500 or less still requires a building permit because of flood-hazard conditions.1
  • Ocean Ridge floodplain development subject to a floodplain approval is inspected, including structures exempt from the Florida Building Code.17
  • We could not confirm Ocean Ridge’s minimum lot size or private-lot RV occupancy permission; ask the town’s zoning official before buying for either purpose.1

Sources

  1. Town of Ocean Ridge Building & Zoning Department (oceanridgeflorida.com)
  2. Sec. 64-1. RSF and RSE single-family residential districts (Town of Ocean Ridge), quoted and re-checked
  3. Wastewater Systems - Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County (Town of Ocean Ridge), quoted and re-checked
  4. Wastewater Systems - Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County (Town of Ocean Ridge), quoted and re-checked
  5. Sec. 64-2. RMM medium density multiple-family residential district (Town of Ocean Ridge), quoted and re-checked
  6. Sec. 64-4. RHM high density multiple-family residential district (Town of Ocean Ridge), quoted and re-checked
  7. 2026 Florida Statutes § 489.103, Exemptions (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County — Environmental Public Health (palmbeach.floridahealth.gov)
  9. Florida Statutes § 553.73 — Florida Building Code (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. RMM property development regulations (Town of Ocean Ridge), quoted and re-checked
  11. Sec. 64-2. RMM medium density multiple-family residential district (Town of Ocean Ridge), quoted and re-checked
  12. Sec. 64-4. RHM high density multiple-family residential district (Town of Ocean Ridge), quoted and re-checked
  13. Sec. 64-4. RHM high density multiple-family residential district (Town of Ocean Ridge), quoted and re-checked
  14. OSTDS Construction Application (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Florida Statutes § 163.31771: Accessory dwelling units (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Florida Statutes § 125.56 — Enforcement and amendment of the Florida Building Code (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Sec. 66-21. Inspections (Town of Ocean Ridge), 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 Ocean Ridge

Town of Ocean Ridge’s own rules

  • InspectionsLimited

    Development inside Ocean Ridge flood hazard areas for which a floodplain development permit or approval is required.

    • The floodplain administrator inspects development, including buildings and structures exempt from the Florida Building Code.
    • Manufactured homes installed or replaced in flood hazard areas must be inspected and have lowest-floor elevation certification submitted.
    “Development for which a floodplain development permit or approval is required shall be subject to inspection.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Ocean Ridge town limits; the town adopts and administers its own Land Development Code and zoning districts.

    • The code includes RSF, RSE, RMM, and RHM districts and district-specific development regulations.
    “Sec. 64-1. - RSF and RSE single-family residential districts.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Ocean Ridge town zoning districts.

    • Opened official code sections identify RSF, RSE, RMM, and RHM residential districts and planned residential development standards tied to those districts.
    “Sec. 64-1. - RSF and RSE single-family residential districts.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision proposals, including manufactured-home parks and subdivisions, inside Ocean Ridge flood hazard areas.

    • Proposals must be reviewed for flood safety, utility location and construction, drainage, flood-hazard delineations, design flood elevations, and site-improvement and utility requirements.
    “Subdivision proposals, including proposals for manufactured home parks and subdivisions, shall be reviewed to determine that: (1) Such proposals are consistent with the need to minimize flood damage and will be reasonably safe from flooding;”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Ocean Ridge

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

  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    RMM medium-density multiple-family residential district inside Ocean Ridge town limits.

    • Minimum floor area depends on bedroom count.
    • Single-family dwellings in RMM are additionally subject to Sec. 64-1 regulations, except the minimum floor area is 1,600 square feet.

    efficiency minimum floor area: >= 850 square feet · one-bedroom minimum floor area: >= 1000 square feet · two-bedroom minimum floor area: >= 1200 square feet · three-bedroom minimum floor area: >= 1400 square feet · more-than-three-bedroom minimum floor area: >= 1600 square feet

    “Minimum floor area requirements are as follows: a. Efficiency: 850 square feet. b. One bedroom: 1,000 square feet. c. Two bedrooms: 1,200 square feet. d. Three bedrooms: 1,400 square feet. e. More than three bedrooms: 1,600 square feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — RHM high-density multiple-family residential district inside Ocean Ridge town limits.
      “Minimum floor area is as follows: a. Efficiency: 850 square feet. b. One bedroom: 1,000 square feet. c. Two bedrooms: 1,200 square feet. d. Three bedrooms: 1,400 square feet. e. More than three bedrooms: 1,600 square feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    RHM high-density multiple-family residential district.

    • Setbacks increase for buildings with three to four floors.

    front setback, one-to-two floors: >= 25 feet · front setback, three-to-four floors: >= 50 feet · interior side setback, one-to-two floors: >= 15 feet · interior side setback, three-to-four floors: >= 30 feet · corner side setback, one-to-two floors: >= 25 feet · corner side setback, three-to-four floors: >= 50 feet · rear setback, one-to-two floors: >= 15 feet · rear setback, three-to-four floors: >= 30 feet · waterway setback, one-to-two floors: >= 25 feet · waterway setback, three-to-four floors: >= 50 feet

    “The minimum building setbacks shall apply both to the proximity of one building to another as well as to the proximity to the property line. Minimum building setbacks are as follows: Number of Floors 1—2 (feet) 3—4 (feet) Front 25 50 Side (interior) 15 30 Side (corner) 25 50 Rear 15 30 Waterway 25 50”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — RMM medium-density multiple-family residential district.
      “The minimum building setbacks shall apply both to the proximity of one building to another as well as to the proximity to the property line. Minimum building setbacks are as follows: a. Front: 25 feet. b. Side (interior): 15 feet. c. Side (corner): 25 feet. d. Rear: 15 feet. e. Waterway: 25 feet.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    RHM high-density multiple-family residential district.

    maximum lot coverage: <= 40 percent of total lot area

    “Maximum lot coverage is 40 percent of the total lot area.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Who permits septicMixed

    Septic systems inside Ocean Ridge town limits: Florida DEP implements the OSTDS statutes and regulations, while the Palm Beach County health department continues septic permitting and inspection.

    • The Palm Beach County health department remains the permitting and inspection contact for septic tanks.
    “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 OSTDS installations inside Ocean Ridge town limits.

    • Permitting is handled by the Palm Beach County health department under the state OSTDS framework.
    • The source does not establish that every property requires septic; this claim concerns septic systems when used or installed.
    “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 OSTDS installations inside Ocean Ridge town limits.

    • The Palm Beach County health department continues septic inspection under the state OSTDS program.
    • Private-provider OSTDS inspections are optionally available beginning July 1, 2022.
    “Starting July 1, 2022, owners or contractors with owner authorization have the option to hire a private provider to perform inspections of OSTDS.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Construction, alteration, remodeling, or demolition inside Ocean Ridge town limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders performing construction inside Ocean Ridge town limits.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code adoption applicable inside Ocean Ridge town limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Buildings and development inside Ocean Ridge town limits.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Ocean Ridge town limits.
5 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 Ocean Ridge 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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