Building permits, zoning and land rules in Union County, Florida

In unincorporated Union County, an owner or authorized agent must obtain a building permit before construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, demolition, an occupancy change or covered electrical, gas, mechanical, plumbing or impact-resistant-covering work, subject to code exceptions¹. The Florida Building Code applies in Union County, while local authorities retain land-use, setback, site-development and subdivision requirements¹. Union County's owner-builder exemption lets qualifying owners act as their own contractor for a home for their own use, with direct onsite supervision; building-code and zoning compliance still apply⁷. A sale or lease within 1 year after completion creates a presumption that the home was built for sale or lease⁷.

The Union County Building Department handles building-permit applications through Cloudpermit at 15 NE 1st Street in Lake Butler; call (386) 496-2676². Planning & Development uses the same phone number for zoning and development questions⁶. Cloudpermit lets Union County applicants track building-permit and inspection status, schedule or cancel inspections, submit changes and pay by credit card². Building Official review may take 7–10 business days; a building permit needing no review may take up to 2 business days to issue². We could not confirm current building-permit fee totals or the complete inspection and closeout sequence; ask the Building Department what your project requires².

Union County's zoning regulations and Official Zoning Atlas apply throughout unincorporated Union County, excluding incorporated municipalities³. Inside Lake Butler, the city sets zoning; septic permits and inspections remain with the Florida Department of Health in Union County^4,5. Use the county Zoning Atlas to identify an unincorporated parcel's district⁶. The cited residential districts generally cap structures at 35 feet, subject to exceptions³. The 20-acre minimum applies to airplane landing fields approved by special exception in RSF/MH-1, while the 40% coverage cap applies to neighborhood commercial uses^10,11. We could not confirm general residential lot-size or setback standards; ask Planning & Development for the parcel's requirements⁶. Qualifying nonresidential farm buildings on bona fide agricultural land are exempt from building-code and local code or fee requirements, with urban agriculture excluded and floodplain rules still applicable⁸.

The Florida Department of Health in Union County handles local septic permits and inspections⁵. Union County requires a septic permit for onsite sewage systems; ask Environmental Public Health whether the proposed treatment system also requires an operating permit⁵. Septic construction and final inspections are required, and owners or contractors with owner authorization may hire a private inspection provider⁵. Only 3.1% of Union County soils are rated 'not limited' for a conventional drain field, so arrange a site evaluation before choosing the house location; the rating does not mean septic is impossible¹². Water-well construction, repair or abandonment requires a permit from the appropriate water management district or delegated authority; ask Environmental Public Health which office serves the parcel⁹.

Union County's general rule for living in an RV on private land could not be confirmed, nor could a general tiny-home occupancy rule⁶. Ask Planning & Development about the parcel's district, proposed duration, utility connections and whether a primary dwelling is required. Two narrower rules are confirmed for unincorporated Union County: travel-trailer parks or campgrounds in Agricultural-1 through Agricultural-4 districts require a special exception, with each site at least 1,200 square feet and each unit at least 25 feet from a lot line³. In flood-hazard areas, temporary placement must be for fewer than 180 consecutive days or the RV must remain fully licensed and highway-ready; units outside those limits must meet the manufactured-home provisions³. Those campground and flood-hazard rules do not by themselves authorize residential RV living on an ordinary parcel³.

1. Ask Planning & Development to identify the unincorporated parcel's zoning district and applicable residential standards^3,6.

1. Arrange a septic permit or Health Department letter, or obtain the City of Lake Butler sewer-and-water tap receipt when that service applies¹³.

1. For state-road access, obtain the Florida Department of Transportation culvert permit or letter saying one is not required¹³.

1. Assemble the survey/legal description, address, assessment-payment proof, plans, notice of commencement and applicable utility, access and flood documents for the residential building application².

1. Submit through Cloudpermit; an owner-builder must personally sign the application, directly supervise qualifying work and complete the disclosure and identity/signature verification^2,7.

1. Ask the Building Department for the project's building-inspection and closeout requirements, and arrange required septic inspections with Environmental Public Health or an authorized private provider^2,5.

For unincorporated Union County land in a flood zone, a residential building application requires base flood elevation and a Flood Elevation Certification showing first-floor elevation; the Building Department supplies the Letter of Compliance/Flood Data for $75¹³. In the regulatory floodway of the Suwannee River system, including the Santa Fe River, New River and Olustee Creek, habitable structures must be elevated at least 1 foot above the 100-year flood elevation without fill¹¹. Union County regulates subdivisions, with paved or stabilized road requirements depending on lot count and acreage; the cited road policies exclude existing county-maintained roads outside new subdivisions or planned residential developments¹¹. Ask Planning & Development which road standard applies before dividing land⁶. A residential application requires a new tax parcel number after a lot split².