Bolthole Index

Palm Beach County, Florida

Building permits, zoning and sewer rules in Town of Palm Beach Shores, Florida

Town of Palm Beach Shores, Florida requires building permits for covered construction, and the town Building Department handles building permits and inspections.12 The town sets zoning and requires sewer connection for properties its sewer system can serve.34 In Palm Beach County, septic-system and private-well plans go through the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County.5

At a glance

Building permits
Town Building Department; required for covered construction21
Zoning
Town zoning, with district-specific rules36
Sewer and septic
Connect to town sewer where usable; health department reviews septic plans45
Owner-builder
Conditional state exemption from contractor licensing; building permits still apply7
Lot size
Districts B and C use platted-lot building-site limits89
Wells
County health department reviews well location plans5

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Palm Beach Shores Building Department

Town building permits and inspections; starting contact for parcel zoning questions

561-844-3457

[email protected]

247 Edwards Lane, Palm Beach Shores, FL 33404

Zoning

Town of Palm Beach Shores Planning & Zoning Board

Municipal Planning & Zoning Board; contact Town Hall for zoning-review routing

561-844-3457

247 Edwards Lane, Palm Beach Shores, FL 33404

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

Floodplain permits

Town of Palm Beach Shores Flood Information

Property flood-hazard, coastal-erosion and prior-flooding inquiries

(561) 844-3457

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 Palm Beach Shores 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 Palm Beach Shores, FL?

Covered construction in Town of Palm Beach Shores needs a building permit before work begins under Florida law, subject to statutory exceptions.1 The town Building Department handles building permits and inspections for construction inside the town.2 Palm Beach Shores has adopted local administrative amendments to the Florida Building Code, and detached single-family and two-family dwellings and qualifying townhouses follow the residential code.10 An owner-builder can qualify for Florida’s contractor-licensing exemption for a residence for personal use and occupancy, but the exemption does not remove building-permit or code-compliance obligations.7

Who handles building permit applications in Town of Palm Beach Shores?

Contact the Town of Palm Beach Shores Building Department at 561-844-3457 or [email protected]; the department is at 247 Edwards Lane, Palm Beach Shores, FL 33404.2 Palm Beach Shores requires its town building permit application and does not accept the county universal application.2 The department requests copies of plans, specifications or product approvals and the contractor-owner proposal, quote or agreement showing job valuation; that valuation is used to determine the building permit fee.2 Ask the department for the current checklist and fee calculation for your particular scope before submitting an application.2

Does Town of Palm Beach Shores have zoning and lot-size rules?

Town of Palm Beach Shores administers its own zoning ordinance, with published district-specific regulations including Districts A, B, C and D.36 In District B, the minimum building site is one platted lot and the maximum is two adjoining platted lots.8 In District C, the minimum is one platted lot and the maximum is three adjoining platted lots, unless the Town Commission approves a special exception after a public hearing and a Planning and Zoning Board recommendation.9 Ask the town Building Department to identify the parcel’s district and direct you to the applicable setbacks and development-review requirements before choosing a house footprint.32

How do sewer and septic approvals work in Town of Palm Beach Shores?

Town of Palm Beach Shores requires all lands, buildings and structures that can use the town sewer system to connect and use it.4 The town’s sewer ordinance allows septic tanks and package plants only conditionally, so a septic plan is not a substitute for establishing the parcel’s sewer-connection obligation.4 For septic-system review, contact the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County at 561-840-4500.5 The health department reviews septic and well plans for applicable state and county requirements and requires approval before a building permit is issued.5 Florida requires a septic permit application and site evaluation for covered septic-system work.11

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Town of Palm Beach Shores?

We could not confirm permission to occupy an RV or tiny home on private property in Town of Palm Beach Shores; ask the town Building Department for a parcel-specific zoning answer before buying a vehicle or designing a small dwelling.23 Palm Beach Shores prohibits overnight camping and leaving camping shelters or vehicles in town parks after closing without a town special event permit; that park rule does not resolve occupancy on a private lot.12 We also could not confirm the town’s minimum dwelling size or accessory-dwelling occupancy rules; ask the town to address those questions together with the proposed use and district.32

Building a home in Town of Palm Beach Shores: what comes first?

  1. Ask the town Building Department to confirm the parcel’s zoning district and applicable building-site limits before finalizing the design.2389
  2. Establish whether the property must connect to town sewer; if septic or a private well is proposed, obtain the health department’s plan review and approvals.45
  3. Ask the town for the parcel’s flood-hazard designation, coastal-erosion information and prior flooding history.13
  4. Submit the town building permit application with the project documents requested by its Building Department, then coordinate required inspections with that department.2

For land outside town limits, use the Palm Beach County guide for the county’s unincorporated-area zoning framework.14

Watch-outs

  • An owner-builder exemption requires direct onsite supervision and a residence for the owner’s use, rather than a home offered for sale or lease.7
  • Town sewer connection obligations can control the wastewater choice even when a septic design is technically feasible.4
  • Ask the town about flood hazards, coastal erosion and prior flooding before committing to a parcel.13

Sources

  1. F.S. 553.79 — Permits; applications; issuance; inspections (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  2. Town of Palm Beach Shores Building Department (palmbeachshoresfl.us)
  3. Appendix A Zoning Ordinance, Pf. 2.23 Floor area total (Town of Palm Beach Shores), quoted and re-checked
  4. Chapter 74, Sec. 74-87 Connection; mandatory payment in lieu of (Town of Palm Beach Shores), quoted and re-checked
  5. Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County - Environmental Public Health (palmbeach.floridahealth.gov)
  6. Appendix A Zoning Ordinance, Pf. 5.2 Building height (Town of Palm Beach Shores), quoted and re-checked
  7. 2026 Florida Statutes § 489.103, Exemptions (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Appendix A Zoning Ordinance, Pf. 6.3 Building site area (Town of Palm Beach Shores), quoted and re-checked
  9. Appendix A Zoning Ordinance, Pf. 7.4 Building site area (Town of Palm Beach Shores), quoted and re-checked
  10. Chapter 14, Sec. 14-108 Local amendments to Chapter 1 of the Florida Building Code (Town of Palm Beach Shores), quoted and re-checked
  11. OSTDS Application Information (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. library.municode.com (Town of Palm Beach Shores), quoted and re-checked
  13. Town of Palm Beach Shores Flood Information (palmbeachshoresfl.us)
  14. Planning, Zoning & Building - Zoning (2026 county census)

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 Palm Beach Shores

Town of Palm Beach Shores’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction, alteration, movement, enlargement, replacement, repair, equipment, use and occupancy, location, maintenance, removal and demolition of buildings or structures in Palm Beach Shores town.

    • The town adopted local amendments to Chapter 1 of the Florida Building Code.
    • Detached one- and two-family dwellings and qualifying townhouses comply with the Florida Building Code, Residential.
    “The Town of Palm Beach Shores hereby adopts the following local amendments to Chapter 1, Administration, of the Florida Building Code. Chapter 1 as set forth below shall be in full force and effect within the Town of Palm Beach Shores:”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Palm Beach Shores town; the town adopts and administers an Appendix A Zoning Ordinance.

    “Floor area total is the sum of the gross horizontal area of all of the floor areas of a building including enclosed courtyards, accessory buildings and garages and shall be measured from the exterior side of the finished exterior walls and/or supporting columns unless specific measurement criteria is otherwise provided for at the various specific district regulations in this zoning ordinance.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Palm Beach Shores town zoning districts, including Districts A, B, C, and D.

    • The opened official code sections provide district-specific regulations for Districts A, B, C, and D.
    • Additional district regulations may exist elsewhere in Appendix A.
    “The maximum height of any principal building in this district shall be twenty-eight (28) feet, as measured from the finished first floor elevation.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    District B inside Palm Beach Shores town.

    • The maximum building site area is two adjoining platted lots.
    • The provision refers to the Palm Beach Shores plat, as amended.

    minimum building site: one platted lot · maximum building site: two adjoining platted lots

    “The minimum building site area shall be one (1) platted lot. The maximum building site area shall be two (2) adjoining platted lots as set out on the plat of Palm Beach Shores, as amended.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — District C inside Palm Beach Shores town.
      “The minimum building site area shall be one platted lot. The maximum building site area shall be three (3) adjoining platted lots, as set out on the Plat of Palm Beach Shores, as amended unless otherwise approved as a Special Exception by the Town Commission after a public hearing and after receipt of the recommendation of the Town Planning and Zoning Board.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Overnight camping in Palm Beach Shores town parks.

    • Overnight camping or leaving a structure or special vehicle after park closing is prohibited unless the town issues a special event permit.
    • The cited provision is park-specific and does not establish a rule for all private land.
    “No person shall set up tents, shacks, or any other temporary shelter for the purpose of overnight camping, nor shall any person leave in a park after closing hours any movable structure or special vehicle to be used or that could be used for such purpose, such as house-trailer, camp-trailer, camp-wagon, or the like, except pursuant to a special event permit issued by the town.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    All lands, buildings and structures inside Palm Beach Shores town that can use the town sewer system.

    • Connection is required when the property can use the town sewer facilities.
    • If the owner does not connect, monthly sewer rates apply.
    • Septic tanks and package plants are conditionally permitted only under Sec. 74-89, and failure to connect within 30 days after notice is unlawful.
    “All lands, buildings and structures which can use the facilities and services of the sewer system of the town, must connect with and use the facilities and services of such system.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permit requirement for construction inside Palm Beach Shores town.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for construction inside Palm Beach Shores town.
  • Inspections — Building inspection requirements inside Palm Beach Shores town.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Palm Beach Shores town.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Palm Beach Shores town.
3 more unanswered
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access

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 Palm Beach Shores 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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