Building permits, zoning and land rules in St. Johns County, Florida

Yes. St. Johns County requires a building permit before most construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, demolition, occupancy changes, and specified electrical, gas or plumbing work begins¹. County plan review checks the Florida Building Code, the Land Development Code and other applicable laws¹. Fees vary by permit and service; plan review is generally one-half of the building-permit fee, while an inspection or reinspection costs $53⁹. The permit holder or authorized agent must request inspections, work cannot pass an inspection point without approval, and a final inspection is required after completion⁸. St. Johns County prohibits occupancy until it issues a Certificate of Occupancy or Completion⁸.

The St. Johns County Building Department is the local contact for building, electrical, gas and plumbing permits, plan review and inspections¹. Its office is at 4040 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL 32084; the main phone is (904) 827-6800 and the email is bldcodes@sjcfl.us¹. Before hiring someone, call the department at (904) 827-6820 to verify that the contractor is licensed and insured¹. Building permit applications are in most cases accepted only after a Clearance Sheet is issued, applicants need the parcel ID, and contractors must be licensed and registered with the county¹. An owner-builder must personally apply, sign the disclosure, directly supervise work onsite and comply with building and zoning rules; the exemption generally covers the owner's one-family or two-family residence or farm outbuilding for the owner's own use, not property offered for sale or lease⁴.

Yes. The St. Johns County Land Development Code governs unincorporated St. Johns County; incorporated municipalities may administer their own rules². Uses and special approvals vary by zoning district, so confirm the parcel's district with the Planning and Zoning Division^2,6. Residential setbacks vary: the Open Rural district uses a 25-foot front setback and 10-foot side and rear setbacks⁶. Zero-lot-line housing is limited to approved Planned Unit Developments with central water and wastewater, and all buildings together may cover no more than 50 percent of the lot¹⁰. The county housing code requires 150 square feet of habitable space for one occupant and 100 additional square feet for each additional occupant; sleeping rooms have separate minimums⁷.

Building, repairing, modifying or abandoning a septic system in St. Johns County requires a septic permit³. Florida DEP implements the governing statutes and regulations, while the Florida Department of Health in St. Johns County continues septic permitting and inspections³. Reach the local office at 904-506-6081 or 200 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine, FL 32084¹¹. The soil survey rates 0 percent of St. Johns County soils as avoiding severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so make septic feasibility an early contract contingency⁵. In the Coastal Area, a new single-family or two-family dwelling using septic generally needs a one-acre lot, subject to the exemption for a documented pre-existing lot¹⁰.

St. Johns County does not permit RV campers or fifth wheels to be used for living purposes unless they are parked in a properly zoned campground or park⁶. Building a house does not create an exception to that restriction⁶. A tiny home that qualifies under Florida law as an off-site constructed residential dwelling must be permitted as of right in a district that allows detached single-family homes, subject to the same generally applicable design, setback, height and bulk standards¹². The county housing code sets occupancy-based space minimums rather than one blanket dwelling-size figure: 150 square feet for one occupant, plus 100 square feet for each additional occupant⁷. Ask the Planning and Zoning Division whether a proposed unit qualifies and what parcel-specific standards apply⁶.

1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district, permitted residential use, setbacks and lot minimum with the Planning and Zoning Division^2,6,10.
2. Determine whether central water and wastewater are required for the proposed development; zero-lot-line housing requires both services and an approved Planned Unit Development district¹⁰.
3. If septic is needed, apply through the Florida Department of Health in St. Johns County^3,11.
4. Obtain the Clearance Sheet and parcel ID, then submit plans to the Building Department for Florida Building Code, county code and zoning review¹.
5. Record a Notice of Commencement before the first Building Services inspection when the permitted project exceeds $5,000¹.
6. Request each required inspection and wait for approval before moving beyond that inspection point⁸.
7. Obtain the Certificate of Occupancy or Completion after final inspection and before moving in⁸.

Check the zoning district first because setbacks, allowed uses and special approvals vary by district in unincorporated St. Johns County^2,6. Confirm that the lot meets the applicable zoning and utility-dependent minimum area, especially if it will use a private well or septic¹⁰. A subdivided lot must have qualifying street access or provide access under the county code; FDOT access requires results from an FDOT pre-application meeting¹⁰. Confirm septic feasibility before closing because 0 percent of county soils avoid a severe soil-survey limitation for conventional drain fields⁵. Check the flood map as well: development in the listed Special Flood Hazard Areas requires a construction permit¹³. A water-well permit must come from the appropriate water management district or its delegated authority¹⁴.