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

At a glance

Building permit

Required from Bay County Building Safety Division in unincorporated areas¹⁴

Zoning

Yes; county zoning governs development in unincorporated areas²

Septic

Florida DEP requires an OSTDS permit, application, site plan, floor plan and site evaluation⁵

Owner-builder

Available with portal registration and an in-person notarized affidavit before permit issuance⁶

Floodplain

Substantial improvement = 50%+ of market value within any 10-year period, not just the current project⁷

Manufactured homes

Allowed in specified residential zones, but prohibited in the Beaches Special Treatment Zone⁸

Lot standards

Minimum lot area and residential density vary by district; utility availability can limit density⁹¹⁰

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Bay County, Florida?

Unincorporated Bay County requires a building permit before construction, remodeling, renovation, additions, moving or demolition of a building or structure; inside an incorporated city, the appropriate city government handles building permits¹. The Florida Building Code applies statewide and is administered by the applicable local building authority¹¹. Permitted work must remain exposed and accessible until the Building Official approves the required inspections¹². A Bay County owner-builder must register for the county portal and sign the affidavit in person before a county notary before building-permit issuance⁶. Owner-builder status requires direct onsite supervision and a residence for the owner’s use, not offered for sale or lease; building permits and inspections still apply¹³. Building-permit cost varies with project size, use and construction type; the county estimates roughly $1,600 for a typical 2,500-square-foot site-built single-family home, including state surcharges and plan review but excluding possible county impact fees¹⁴. Bay County publishes a separate planning application fee schedule; planning fees are not refunded when a request is withdrawn, denied or granted¹⁵. Inside Panama City Beach, the city issues building permits; septic permits remain with Florida DEP¹⁶³.

Who is the Bay County building department, and how do you reach them?

The Bay County Building Safety Division is the first stop for building-permit questions in unincorporated Bay County⁴. Building-permit documents are submitted through the county online portal; developments other than individual single-family homes follow the county's development-order process¹⁷. Planning, zoning and floodplain questions go to the Planning & Zoning Division, which reviews development in unincorporated Bay County against the Land Development Regulations¹⁸¹⁹. Both offices are at 840 W 11th Street in Panama City: call Building Safety at 850-248-8350 for building permits or Planning & Zoning at 850-248-8250 for zoning approval and floodplain review⁴¹⁹. City building and zoning authority does not include septic permitting: Florida DEP handles septic permits throughout Bay County³. After the final inspection passes and required closeout documents are filed, the certificate of occupancy becomes available in the permit portal²⁰.

How do septic permits work in Bay County?

Florida DEP handles onsite sewage treatment and disposal system permits throughout Bay County, including addresses inside incorporated cities³. A new system requires a septic construction permit; repairs, modifications and abandonment have their own septic permit requirements²¹. Bay County septic applicants need the DEP4015 application, a site plan, a building floor plan and a site evaluation of soil, topography and installation conditions; submit through DEP’s online portal or by mail⁵. A qualified private site evaluation must be completed before submission and uploaded; applicants may instead request DEP’s evaluation⁵. A building or plumbing permit generally cannot issue for a building needing septic until the owner or builder receives the septic construction permit; for a single-family residence, proof of a submitted septic application may accompany the building or plumbing application²². Only about 6.5% of Bay County soils lack severe limits for a conventional drain field, so complete the evaluation before fixing the house location or septic budget²³.

Can you live in an RV, tiny home or manufactured home in Bay County?

In unincorporated Bay County, manufactured homes are allowable uses in R-2 and R-4, but are prohibited in the Beaches Special Treatment Zone regardless of zoning designation⁸. Garage apartments, guesthouses and domestic quarters are listed accessory uses in R-1, with those uses incorporated into the other residential zones; a principal use or structure must exist²⁴. Accessory uses generally belong in side or rear yards, with a waterfront-lot exception; except for fences, accessory uses need at least 5 feet from side and rear property lines and must meet the Florida Building Code where applicable²⁴. Ask Planning & Zoning to confirm the proposed dwelling use before choosing a design¹⁹. We could not confirm general long-term RV occupancy, temporary private-land camping, tiny-home occupancy or a minimum dwelling floor area in unincorporated Bay County; ask Planning & Zoning and Building Safety about the parcel and proposed home¹⁹⁴. Covered short-term rentals in unincorporated Bay County require a Short-Term Vacation Rental Certificate; high-rise condominium units and apartment complexes are exempt²⁵.

What are the steps to build a home in Bay County?

1. Ask Planning & Zoning to confirm the parcel's district, allowed use, density, setbacks, impervious-surface limit, height limit, utility availability, special-area status and flood status^19910262728.
2. If the home will use septic, prepare the septic permit application, site plan, floor plan and site evaluation for Florida DEP⁵²⁹.
3. Submit the building-permit documents through the Bay County online portal and budget for a fee based on the project's size, use and construction type¹⁷¹⁴⁴.
4. If acting as your own contractor, appear at Building Safety and sign the Owner-Builder Affidavit before a county notary prior to building-permit issuance⁶.
5. Keep permitted work exposed for required building inspections, then pass the final inspection and file the closeout documents to receive the certificate of occupancy¹²²⁰.

What should you check before buying or dividing land in Bay County?

Before buying unincorporated Bay County land, confirm zoning and flood status with Planning & Zoning¹⁹. Bay County subdivision plans require a Development Order application and general development plan, with compliant plats before final approval and recording; optional conceptual review is free, and specified lot-split or lot-shift exceptions apply³⁰. Development subject to Bay County flood-management regulations requires a floodplain-development permit; nonconforming-structure repairs or remodeling require a cost estimate and appraised value for review³¹. Bay County counts improvements across a 10-year period toward its 50%-of-market-value substantial-improvement threshold³². A residential connection to a county-owned or county-maintained right-of-way requires a driveway permit and acceptance before a certificate of occupancy; existing-driveway verification also requires a permit, with the fee waived³³. Florida requires a water-well permit from the appropriate water management district or delegated authority before construction, repair or abandonment; we could not confirm the local issuing office for Bay County, so ask Planning & Zoning where to start³⁴¹⁹.

Watch-outs

• Bay County counts cumulative building improvements over a 10-year period toward its 50%-of-market-value substantial-improvement threshold in flood-prone areas³².
• Manufactured homes are prohibited in Bay County’s Beaches Special Treatment Zone regardless of zoning designation⁸.
• Bay County minimum lot areas and residential density limits vary by district and special planning area; confirm both before buying or dividing a parcel⁹¹⁰¹⁹.
• Only about 6.5% of Bay County soils lack severe limits for a conventional septic drain field, so complete the site evaluation before fixing the house site or septic budget²³.

Sources

1. Permits, quoted and re-checked
2. Planning & Zoning | Bay County, FL, quoted and re-checked
3. Onsite Sewage FAQ - Permitting | Florida Department of Environmental Protection, quoted and re-checked
4. Bay County Building Safety Division (baycountyfl.gov)
5. Onsite Sewage FAQ - Permitting, quoted and re-checked
6. Building Safety FAQs, quoted and re-checked
7. Bay County Floodplain Management (Planning & Zoning) (baycountyfl.gov)
8. Chapter 4, Bay County Land Development Regulations: Residential Zones, quoted and re-checked
9. Zoning Bulk Regulations, quoted and re-checked
10. Bay County Land Development Regulations, Chapter 4 Residential Zones, quoted and re-checked
11. Florida Building Code statutory provisions, quoted and re-checked
12. 2023 Florida Building Code, Eighth Edition Minimum Required Inspections, quoted and re-checked
13. 2026 Florida Statutes § 489.103, Exemptions (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
14. Bay County FAQs, quoted and re-checked
15. Fee Schedule, quoted and re-checked
16. Panama City Beach: Sec. 8-32. Permit required (Bay County), quoted and re-checked
17. Development Review, quoted and re-checked
18. Planning & Zoning, quoted and re-checked
19. Bay County Planning & Zoning Division (baycountyfl.gov)
20. Building Safety FAQs, quoted and re-checked
21. OSTDS Construction Application, quoted and re-checked
22. Chapter 2026-62, Laws of Florida, quoted and re-checked
23. 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
24. Chapter 4, Bay County Land Development Regulations: Residential Zones, quoted and re-checked
25. Register your short-term rental in unincorporated Bay County, quoted and re-checked
26. Bay County Land Development Regulations, Chapter 4 Residential Zones, quoted and re-checked
27. Bay County Land Development Regulations, Chapter 4 Residential Zones, quoted and re-checked
28. Bay County Land Development Regulations, Chapter 4 Residential Zones, quoted and re-checked
29. Florida Department of Environmental Protection — Onsite Sewage Program (floridadep.gov)
30. Bay County Zoning and Development Code, Chapter 29 Subdivisions, quoted and re-checked
31. Permit Requirements, quoted and re-checked
32. Permit Requirements, Floodplain Management, quoted and re-checked
33. Residential Driveways, quoted and re-checked
34. Water Well Contractor Licensing and Permitting (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 12, 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.