Building permits, zoning and septic rules in New Smyrna Beach, Florida

At a glance

Building permits

Required; issued by the city's Building & Inspections Division¹⁵

Zoning

City Planning division administers the Land Development Regulations²

Septic

Appears to be the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County⁴

Living in an RV

Prohibited on residential lots³

Owner-builder

Florida allows it for your own one- or two-family home, with a permit⁵

Flood zones

Lowest floor must be 2 feet above base flood elevation, or the street crown plus 2 feet⁶

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 17, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in New Smyrna Beach, Florida?

Yes. Florida law generally makes construction unlawful without a permit from the local enforcing agency, and an owner-builder exemption does not remove that requirement⁵. Inside New Smyrna Beach, the city's Building & Inspections Division processes requests for construction and inspections and gives guidance on applying for a building permit¹. The city enforces the Florida Building Code, and its Code of Ordinances adds flood-resistant construction amendments⁶. Inspectors check buildings in flood hazard areas against the permits issued⁷. Permit fees and review times for the city are something we could not confirm; ask the Building & Inspections Division.

Who issues building permits in New Smyrna Beach, and how do you reach them?

The City of New Smyrna Beach Building & Inspections Division issues building permits at 214 Sams Ave., and takes applications online through its Energov Citizen Self Service portal¹. Call 386-410-2860¹. One boundary matters: the city's own page says that if you live in an "orange area" on its map, you should contact Volusia County for development services¹. Confirm which side of that line a parcel is on before you apply. For land outside city limits, see the Volusia County page, which covers unincorporated areas.

Does New Smyrna Beach have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and manufactured homes?

Yes. The city's Planning division administers its Land Development Regulations and answers what a given property is zoned². For RVs, the rule is clear: no major recreational equipment may be used for living, sleeping or housekeeping purposes on a residential lot, or anywhere not approved for it³. Manufactured homes can be placed, but new installations are not permitted in coastal high hazard areas (zone V), and installations in flood hazard areas need a permanent reinforced foundation and a licensed installer⁸. Florida law also requires off-site-built dwellings to be allowed as of right wherever single-family detached homes are allowed⁹. Minimum lot size, setbacks and tiny-home rules by district we could not confirm; ask the Planning division.

How do septic permits work inside New Smyrna Beach?

The city does not appear to issue septic permits; the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County's Environmental Public Health office is the contact for onsite sewage permits⁴¹⁰. Florida law requires a permit for any new septic system, plus a site evaluation¹¹. Soils matter: only about 2.6% of Volusia County soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect an engineered or mound system on many lots¹². If a sewer line is available, state law can require connection within 365 days of written notice¹³. Whether your lot in town must use city sewer we could not confirm; ask the city.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in New Smyrna Beach?

Not in an RV on a residential lot: city rules prohibit living in recreational vehicles parked or stored there³. Storage is limited to two pieces of major recreational equipment in the rear yard, and in flood hazard areas an RV must be highway-ready or on site fewer than 180 consecutive days³. Camping on public property is allowed only where authorized by ordinance, rule or permit¹⁴. Statewide rules for licensed RV parks do not answer whether you can live in an RV on your own lot¹⁵. We could not confirm a city tiny-home rule; ask the Planning division.

Building a home in New Smyrna Beach: the steps, in order

1. Ask the Planning division what the parcel is zoned and which Land Development Regulations apply².
2. Check the flood zone: development in a flood hazard area needs floodplain review, and lowest floors must sit 2 feet above base flood elevation or the street crown plus 2 feet, whichever is higher¹⁶⁶.
3. Contact the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County about a septic permit, if no sewer serves the lot¹⁰.
4. Apply for the building permit through the city's online portal¹.
5. Schedule inspections through the Building & Inspections Division⁷.
6. If you act as your own contractor on a home for your own use, you must sign the permit application and supervise the work onsite⁵.

What stays with Volusia County, and what to check before you buy

Wells and septic do not move to the city. Volusia is among the counties whose health departments are delegated to handle well permits¹⁷. Volusia County's effective property tax rate is 0.8%, with a median bill of $2,179 per year¹⁸¹⁹. Typical home insurance runs about $2,843 per year²⁰. Check the flood zone and the city-versus-county service boundary first, then confirm septic or sewer. The Volusia County page covers land outside city limits.

Watch-outs

• Some parcels shown in an orange area on the city's map are served by Volusia County for development services, not the city¹.
• Flood hazard areas carry extra rules: floodplain review applies to all development there, and farm-building exemptions do not cover floodplain provisions¹⁶²¹.
• We could not confirm city permit fees, minimum lot sizes, setbacks or tiny-home rules; ask the Planning division or the Building & Inspections Division².

Sources

1. City of New Smyrna Beach Building & Inspections Division (cityofnsb.com)
2. City of New Smyrna Beach Planning Division (cityofnsb.com)
3. New Smyrna Beach LDR 802.00 Storage on residential lots (New Smyrna Beach), quoted and re-checked
4. Florida DEP - OSTDS Permitting FAQ and County Table (2026 county census)
5. 2026 Florida Statutes § 489.103, Exemptions (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
6. Sec. 26-45 Technical amendments to the Florida Building Code, Residential (New Smyrna Beach), quoted and re-checked
7. Sec. 26-677 Inspections (New Smyrna Beach), quoted and re-checked
8. Sec. 26-685 Manufactured homes (New Smyrna Beach), quoted and re-checked
9. Florida Statutes § 553.385, Zoning of off-site constructed residential dwellings; parity (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. Florida Department of Health in Volusia County – Environmental Public Health (volusia.floridahealth.gov)
11. OSTDS Construction Application (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
13. flsenate.gov (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
14. Sec. 70-162.1 Camping limitations (New Smyrna Beach), quoted and re-checked
15. Florida Statutes Chapter 513: Mobile Home and Recreational Vehicle Parks (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Sec. 26-662 Scope (New Smyrna Beach), quoted and re-checked
17. Well Construction in Florida (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
19. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
20. Typical home insurance premium: Bolthole Index county data
21. Florida Statutes § 604.50, Nonresidential farm buildings; farm fences; farm signs (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 17, 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.