Bolthole Index

Brevard County, Florida

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Palm Shores, Florida

The Town of Palm Shores, Florida adopts and administers its own zoning chapter, so the town's code, not Brevard County's, sets lot sizes and setbacks inside town limits1. We could not confirm which office issues building permits inside the town, so ask Town Hall before you design anything. Septic permits for Brevard County come from the Florida Department of Health in Brevard County2.

At a glance

Zoning
Town of Palm Shores adopts its own zoning chapter (Chapter 157)1
Zoning districts
R-A, R-1AAA, R-1A, R-2, C-1, C-2, C-P, M-1, TR-1 and TTP are listed in the code3
Main residential lot
R-1A: 7,500 sq ft minimum, 75 ft wide, 100 ft deep4
Minimum home size
1,200 sq ft in R-1A; 1,600 sq ft in R-1AAA56
Building permit
Statewide code applies; the town's permit office is not confirmed7
Septic
Florida Department of Health in Brevard County2

Who to call

Septic permits

Florida Department of Health in Brevard County – Environmental Health Services

Septic (OSTDS) construction permits and inspections for Brevard County, including addresses inside Palm Shores

321-633-2100

brevard.septicapplication@flhealth.gov

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 23, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Palm Shores means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Palm Shores, Florida have zoning?

Yes. The Town of Palm Shores adopts and administers its own zoning chapter, Chapter 157, in the town code of ordinances1. The code lists these districts: R-A Residential Agricultural, R-1AAA, R-1A, R-2, C-1, C-2, C-P, M-1, TR-1 mobile home parks and TTP travel trailer park3. Brevard County's zoning map covers only unincorporated Brevard County, so it does not tell you what a Palm Shores parcel allows8. We did not open the town's zoning map, so confirm a parcel's district with Town Hall before you buy.

What are the lot sizes and setbacks in Palm Shores?

The numbers depend on the district. In R-1A, the main single-family district, a lot needs at least 7,500 square feet, 75 feet of width and 100 feet of depth4. R-1A front and corner-lot side setbacks are 25 feet9, and lot coverage is capped at 35%10. In R-1AAA, a lot needs at least 12,000 square feet and 100 feet of width11, and lot coverage is capped at 30%12. In R-A Residential Agricultural, a lot needs at least 1 acre, 150 feet of width and 200 feet of depth13, with a 50-foot front setback14 and 25% maximum lot coverage15.

Minimum living area is 1,200 square feet in R-1A5 and R-A16, and 1,600 square feet in R-1AAA6. Building height tops out at 25 feet in R-1A17. Those minimums matter if you hoped to put a small cabin or tiny home on a lot.

Do you need a building permit in Palm Shores, and who issues it?

We could not confirm which office issues building permits inside Palm Shores town limits, or what the town's permit chapter requires. Florida law makes the statewide Florida Building Code the base code everywhere in the state7, and local governments may amend it7. Call Palm Shores Town Hall to ask who accepts building permit applications for your address and whether owner-builders may apply.

Brevard County's Building Permits office issues permits only for unincorporated Brevard County18, so do not assume it handles a Palm Shores address. Statewide, an owner acting as their own contractor on a one- or two-family home for personal use may pull a permit if the owner personally signs the application and directly supervises the work19.

How do septic permits work in Palm Shores?

Septic permits in Brevard County come from the Florida Department of Health in Brevard County, which handles permitting and inspection for septic tanks2. Applications and inspection requests go by email to the department's septic application address20. Florida requires a site evaluation to judge whether a lot suits a system21, and USDA rates almost none of Brevard County's soils as suited to a conventional drain field22, so plan for a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system. We could not confirm whether the town requires a sewer connection where public sewer is available; ask Town Hall.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Palm Shores?

We could not confirm this inside town limits. The town code lists a TR-1 mobile home park district and a TTP travel trailer park district3, which suggests RV and mobile home rules depend on district, but we did not read those sections. Brevard County's rule that an RV cannot be used for residential purposes or kept on a vacant property covers properties under county code enforcement23, not necessarily Palm Shores. Ask the town before you park an RV on a lot.

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

Wells under six inches in diameter are permitted through the Florida Department of Health in Brevard County, while larger wells go through the St. Johns River Water Management District24. For land outside Palm Shores, see the Brevard County page. Typical home value across Brevard County is $344,48125 and the effective property tax rate is 0.7%26. Before buying, get the parcel's zoning district from the town, ask Town Hall who issues building permits, and order a septic site evaluation.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm the Palm Shores building permit office, owner-builder rules, or RV and tiny-home rules, so call Town Hall before you buy or build, since the town sets its own zoning1.
  • The zoning chapter is the American Legal Publishing copy of the code, current through Ordinance 2025-02, and may not reflect the latest changes; ask the town for the current version1.
  • Riverfront R-1A lots with plans submitted after September 1, 2011 face extra breezeway and visual corridor rules4.

Sources

  1. Chapter 157: Zoning (Town of Palm Shores), quoted and re-checked
  2. Onsite Sewage Disposal, quoted and re-checked
  3. Chapter 157: Zoning (Town of Palm Shores), quoted and re-checked
  4. R-1A Single-Family Residential (Section 157.225) with R-1AAA (Section 157.195) (Town of Palm Shores), quoted and re-checked
  5. R-1A Single-Family Residential (Section 157.225) with R-1AAA (Section 157.195) (Town of Palm Shores), quoted and re-checked
  6. R-1A Single-Family Residential (Section 157.225) with R-1AAA (Section 157.195) (Town of Palm Shores), quoted and re-checked
  7. 61G20-1.001 Florida Building Code Adopted (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Planning and Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  9. R-1A Single-Family Residential (Section 157.225) with R-1AAA (Section 157.195) (Town of Palm Shores), quoted and re-checked
  10. R-1A Single-Family Residential (Section 157.225) with R-1AAA (Section 157.195) (Town of Palm Shores), quoted and re-checked
  11. R-1A Single-Family Residential (Section 157.225) with R-1AAA (Section 157.195) (Town of Palm Shores), quoted and re-checked
  12. R-1A Single-Family Residential (Section 157.225) with R-1AAA (Section 157.195) (Town of Palm Shores), quoted and re-checked
  13. R-A Residential Agricultural (Section 157.180) (Town of Palm Shores), quoted and re-checked
  14. R-A Residential Agricultural (Section 157.180) (Town of Palm Shores), quoted and re-checked
  15. R-A Residential Agricultural (Section 157.180) (Town of Palm Shores), quoted and re-checked
  16. R-A Residential Agricultural (Section 157.180) (Town of Palm Shores), quoted and re-checked
  17. R-1A Single-Family Residential (Section 157.225) with R-1AAA (Section 157.195) (Town of Palm Shores), quoted and re-checked
  18. Brevard County Building Permits, quoted and re-checked
  19. 2026 Florida Statutes § 489.103, Exemptions (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Florida Department of Health in Brevard County – Environmental Health Services (brevard.floridahealth.gov)
  21. OSTDS Construction Application (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. 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
  23. brevardfl.gov, quoted and re-checked
  24. Well Construction, quoted and re-checked
  25. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  26. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 23, 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 Town of Palm Shores

Town of Palm Shores’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Palm Shores town limits: the town adopts and administers its own zoning chapter (Chapter 157: Zoning) in its code of ordinances

    • Source is the American Legal Publishing copy of the code, which states it may not reflect the most current legislation and that the official printed copy should be consulted.
    • Code text is stated as current through Ordinance 2025-02, passed 3-25-2025.
    “157.167 schedule of district regulations r-a residential agricultural 157.180 district and intent r-1aaa single-family residential 157.195 district and intent r-1a single-family residential 157.225 district and intent”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Land inside Palm Shores town limits: the town's zoning district list in Chapter 157

    • Districts listed in the table of contents include R-A Residential Agricultural, R-1AAA, R-1A, R-2, C-1, C-2, C-P, M-1, TR-1 mobile home parks and TTP travel trailer park.
    • The zoning map that designates parcels to districts (referenced in Section 157.165 and 157.167) was not opened.
    “157.167 schedule of district regulations r-a residential agricultural 157.180 district and intent r-1aaa single-family residential 157.195 district and intent r-1a single-family residential 157.225 district and intent r-2 one-, two- and multiple-family residential”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    R-1A Single-Family Residential district inside Palm Shores town limits (main single-family residential district)

    • Stated as minimum living area in Section 157.225(f).

    minimum living area: >= 1200 square feet

    “maximum lot coverage 35% minimum living area 1200 square feet”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-1A Single-Family Residential district inside Palm Shores town limits (main single-family residential district)

    • Lot and structure requirements are in Section 157.225(f).
    • Riverfront properties with building construction plans submitted after September 1, 2011 are subject to the breezeway/visual corridor requirements of Section 157.506 (per Section 157.225(g)).
    • Source is the American Legal Publishing copy of the code.

    minimum lot area: >= 7500 square feet · minimum lot width: >= 75 feet · minimum lot depth: >= 100 feet

    “(f) lot and structure requirements are: minimum lot area 7,500 square feet minimum lot width 75 feet minimum lot depth 100 feet”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R-1A Single-Family Residential district inside Palm Shores town limits (main single-family residential district)

    • Interior side yard is 7.5 feet or 10% of lot width up to 15 feet, whichever is greater.
    • Rear yard is 20 feet when abutting an alley.

    front yard setback: >= 25 feet · interior side yard setback: >= 7.5 feet (or 10% of width of lot up to 15 feet, whichever is greater) · corner lot side yard setback: >= 25 feet · rear yard setback: >= 25 feet (20 feet when abutting an alley)

    “minimum yard requirements front 25 feet side interior lot 7.5 feet or 10% of width of lot up to 15 feet, whichever is greater side corner lot 25 feet rear 25 feet; 20 feet when abutting an alley”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Specified — R-A Residential Agricultural district inside Palm Shores town limits
      “minimum yard requirements front 50 feet side interior 25 feet side corner lot 30 feet rear 30 feet, 25 feet when abutting an alley”
    • Specified — R-1AAA Single-Family Residential district inside Palm Shores town limits
      “minimum yard requirements front 25 feet or average depth of existing front yards on developed lots within 100 feet each side, but not less than 35 feet side interior lot 15 feet side corner lot 25 feet rear 25 feet; 20 feet when abutting an alley”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R-1A Single-Family Residential district inside Palm Shores town limits (main single-family residential district)

    • Maximum lot coverage stated in Section 157.225(f).

    maximum lot coverage: <= 35 percent

    “maximum lot coverage 35% minimum living area 1200 square feet”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Specified — R-A Residential Agricultural district inside Palm Shores town limits
      “minimum lot area 1 acre minimum lot width 150 feet minimum lot depth 200 feet maximum lot coverage 25% minimum living area 1,200 square feet maximum height 25 feet minimum yard requirements front 50 feet side interior 25 feet side corner lot 30 feet rear 30 feet, 25 feet when abutting an alley”
    • Specified — R-1AAA Single-Family Residential district inside Palm Shores town limits
      “minimum lot area 12,000 square feet minimum lot width 100 feet minimum lot depth 120 feet maximum lot coverage 30% minimum living area 1,600 square feet maximum height 25 feet minimum yard requirements front 25 feet or average depth of existing front yards on developed lots within 100 feet each side, but not less than 35 feet side interior lot 15 feet side corner lot 25 feet rear 25 feet; 20 feet when abutting an alley”
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-1A Single-Family Residential district inside Palm Shores town limits (main single-family residential district)

    • Maximum height stated in Section 157.225(f).

    maximum building height: <= 25 feet

    “minimum living area 1200 square feet maximum height 25 feet”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Palm Shores or Brevard County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permit requirement for new homes inside Palm Shores town limits
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside Palm Shores town limits
  • Building code adopted — Building code adoption for new construction inside Palm Shores town limits
  • Inspections — Building inspection requirement for construction inside Palm Shores town limits
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Palm Shores town limits
18 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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 Town of Palm Shores publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Brevard County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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