Bolthole Index

Palm Beach County, Florida

Village of Wellington, Florida: building permits, zoning and septic rules

The Village of Wellington, Florida handles building permit applications through its Building Division and regulates land use through its own Planning & Zoning office.12 Septic and private-well plans go to the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County.3 In the Rustic Ranches Overlay Zoning District, RV residence is limited to 2 consecutive weeks during a calendar year, with compliant water and wastewater connections required.4

At a glance

Building permits
Apply to Wellington Building Division; electronic review uses ProjectDox1
Zoning
Wellington Planning & Zoning administers land development regulations2
Septic
County health department reviews septic plans; state septic permits required35
RV living
Rustic Ranches overlay: maximum 2 consecutive weeks per calendar year; water and wastewater connections required4
Owner-builder
State exemption is conditional; building permits and code compliance still apply6
Private wells
County health department reviews well locations before drilling3

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Wellington Building Division

Building permit applications and electronic plan review inside Wellington

561-363-7907

[email protected]

Zoning

Village of Wellington Planning & Zoning

Land-use and zoning questions and planning applications inside Wellington

561-791-4000

[email protected]

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 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Village of Wellington 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 Village of Wellington, FL?

For a home project in Wellington, start with the Village Building Division: Wellington processes building permit applications electronically through ProjectDox.1 Submit the building permit application by email to the Building Division; access to electronic plan review follows submission and receipt of login information.1 The Florida Building Code applies statewide.7 An eligible Florida owner-builder can act as the contractor for a residence intended for the owner’s use, but must directly supervise qualifying work and still satisfy building permit and code requirements.6 Ask Wellington Building Division which application package, inspections and fees your proposed work requires.1

Does the Village of Wellington have zoning and setback rules?

Wellington Planning & Zoning administers the Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Regulations for all properties and uses within Wellington.2 Ask that office to identify the parcel’s district and applicable lot-size, dwelling-size, height and setback requirements before choosing a house plan.2 Wellington’s special nonconforming-residential-lot provisions specify a front setback of 30% of lot depth, an interior-side setback of 15% of lot width, and rear and corner-side setbacks of 20% of lot depth and width respectively; these apply only to qualifying nonconforming lots.8 Qualifying nonconforming residential lots have maximum lot coverage of 40%.9 Do not use those special provisions as a general district table.8

How do septic permits and private wells work inside Wellington?

The Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County regulates and permits onsite sewage treatment and disposal and reviews septic and private-well plans.3 Florida requires septic permits for installing, repairing, modifying or abandoning a system, with a site evaluation to establish suitability.5 The county health department states that plan approval precedes building permit issuance.3 Final approval of wells and septic systems must be recorded before Wellington issues a certificate of occupancy.10 Well drillers submit location plans to the county health department before drilling.3 We could not confirm an off-grid sanitation option for Wellington; ask the health department about the proposed system and Wellington Planning & Zoning about the proposed use.32

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in the Village of Wellington?

In Wellington’s Rustic Ranches Overlay Zoning District, temporary residence in an RV, travel trailer, camper or similar vehicle cannot exceed 2 consecutive weeks during a calendar year.4 Water and wastewater connections are required and must comply with Palm Beach County Health Department regulations.11 That district-specific allowance does not establish a village-wide RV residence allowance.4 We could not confirm tiny-home occupancy or RV residence rules for other Wellington districts; ask Wellington Planning & Zoning about the exact parcel and proposed dwelling.2 Wellington prohibits overnight camping in village parks, including parking areas, subject to the Director’s vehicle authorization provision.12

Building a home in the Village of Wellington: what are the steps?

  1. Ask Wellington Planning & Zoning to confirm the proposed use and the parcel’s development requirements; planning applications must be submitted online through Customer Self Service.2
  2. If the home will use septic or a private well, obtain the county health department’s plan review and approval before building permit issuance.3
  3. Email the building permit application to Wellington Building Division, then use the supplied login for ProjectDox electronic plan review.1
  4. For a septic- or private-well-served home, ensure final system approvals are recorded before seeking a certificate of occupancy.10

What should you check before buying land in the Village of Wellington?

Ask Wellington Planning & Zoning to review the intended use and any proposed division of land; Wellington’s nonconforming-lot provisions require Village Engineer review of lots created by conveyance after February 5, 1973 for subdivision compliance.213 For a manufactured home, Wellington prohibits placement in floodways and requires licensed installation where permitted in flood hazard areas.14 Florida’s nonresidential farm-building exemption is conditional, excludes residential dwellings and urban agriculture, and preserves floodplain requirements; ask Wellington Building Division how the exemption applies to your structure.151 For land outside village limits, use the Palm Beach County guide: county zoning regulations apply to unincorporated Palm Beach County.16

Watch-outs

  • Rustic Ranches RV residence requires water and wastewater connections as well as compliance with the temporary occupancy limit.4
  • Wellington’s nonconforming-lot setback percentages apply only to qualifying lots, not every residential parcel.8
  • We could not confirm Wellington’s principal dwelling minimum size or general residential minimum lot sizes; ask Wellington Planning & Zoning before buying.2

Sources

  1. Village of Wellington Building Division (wellingtonfl.gov)
  2. Village of Wellington Planning & Zoning (wellingtonfl.gov)
  3. Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County - Environmental Public Health (palmbeach.floridahealth.gov)
  4. Recreational vehicles in Rustic Ranches Overlay Zoning District (Village of Wellington), quoted and re-checked
  5. OSTDS Construction Application (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  6. 2026 Florida Statutes § 489.103, Exemptions (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. 61G20-1.001 Florida Building Code Adopted (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Nonconforming residential lot dimensional requirements (Village of Wellington), quoted and re-checked
  9. Nonconforming residential lot dimensional requirements (Village of Wellington), quoted and re-checked
  10. Septic Tanks and Private Drinking Water Wells (Village of Wellington), quoted and re-checked
  11. Recreational vehicles in Rustic Ranches Overlay Zoning District (Village of Wellington), quoted and re-checked
  12. Use of vehicles in parks (Village of Wellington), quoted and re-checked
  13. Residential and non-residential development on nonconforming lots (Village of Wellington), quoted and re-checked
  14. General requirements for manufactured homes (Village of Wellington), quoted and re-checked
  15. Florida Statutes § 604.50, Nonresidential farm buildings; farm fences; farm signs (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. 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 Village of Wellington

Village of Wellington’s own rules

  • InspectionsLimited

    Manufactured homes installed or replaced in Wellington flood hazard areas.

    • The inspection is by the floodplain administrator.
    • The inspection determines compliance with the article and issued-permit conditions.
    • Elevation certification for the lowest floor must be submitted upon placement.
    “The floodplain administrator shall inspect manufactured homes that are installed or replaced in flood hazard areas”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Residential lots in Wellington village that cannot conform to the zoning district’s minimum setbacks and qualify under the nonconforming-lot provisions.

    • The lot must satisfy the legal-lot and permissible-use requirements of Section 1.3.2.
    • Front setback is 30% of lot depth.
    • Corner-side setback is 20% of lot width.
    • Interior-side setback is 15% of lot width.
    • Rear setback is 20% of lot depth.

    front setback: 30 percent of lot depth · corner-side setback: 20 percent of lot width · interior-side setback: 15 percent of lot width · rear setback: 20 percent of lot depth

    “Front 30% of lot depth Side (corner) 20% of lot width Side (interior) 15% of lot width Rear 20% of lot depth”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Residential nonconforming lots inside Wellington village that qualify under Section 1.3.2.

    • The maximum lot coverage is 40 percent of lot area.

    maximum lot coverage: 40 percent of lot area

    “Maximum lot coverage: 40 percent of lot area.”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Temporary residence in recreational vehicles, travel trailers, campers, or similar vehicles in the Rustic Ranches Overlay Zoning District.

    • Maximum two consecutive weeks during a calendar year.
    • Water and wastewater connections are required.
    • Connections must comply with Palm Beach County Health Department regulations.

    maximum occupancy duration: 2 consecutive weeks per calendar year

    “shall not exceed two consecutive weeks during a calendar year.”
  • Camping on your landProhibited

    Overnight camping in Wellington parks, including parking areas.

    • The Director may authorize camper trucks, buses, trailers, or other vehicles to remain in a park.
    “No person shall bed down, sleep, or camp overnight in a Wellington park”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured homes in Wellington flood hazard areas.

    • Manufactured homes may not be placed in floodways.
    • Where permitted in flood hazard areas, installation must be by an installer licensed under F.S. § 320.8249.
    • Chapter 15C-1, F.A.C., and Wellington flood-damage-prevention requirements apply.
    “Manufactured homes shall not be placed in floodways.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    Recreational vehicles, travel trailers, campers, or similar vehicles used as temporary residences in the Rustic Ranches Overlay Zoning District.

    • Use may not exceed two consecutive weeks during a calendar year.
    • Water and wastewater connections must comply with Palm Beach County Health Department regulations.

    maximum temporary residence: 2 consecutive weeks per calendar year

    “Water and wastewater connections are required”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and platting of land inside Wellington village.

    • Lots created by conveyance after February 5, 1973 must be reviewed by the Village Engineer for compliance with Article 8, Subdivision, Platting, and Required Improvements.
    “reviewed by the Village Engineer for Compliance with Article 8”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Wellington

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

  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    Buildings inside Wellington village served by septic systems or private wells.

    • Final inspection and approval of wells and septic systems must be recorded before a certificate of occupancy is issued.
    “must be recorded in the building department’s computer prior to issuing a certificate of occupancy.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    Septic systems inside Wellington village.

    • Final inspection and approval must be recorded in the building department’s computer before certificate of occupancy issuance.
    • Private-provider OSTDS inspections may be available under applicable state procedures.
    “Final inspection and approval of wells and septic systems”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for construction inside Wellington village.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Principal single-family dwellings inside Wellington village.
  • Minimum lot size — Principal single-family residential lots inside Wellington village.
  • Building height — Principal residential buildings inside Wellington village.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy on land inside Wellington village.
4 more unanswered
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 Village of Wellington 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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