Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Town of Davie, Florida

At a glance

Zoning

Town of Davie adopts its own zoning districts (Land Development Code, Chapter 12)¹

Building permits

Town of Davie Building Division; apply through the town's online portal²

Septic

Not confirmed inside town limits; ask the Florida Department of Health in Broward County⁴

RV living

Nuisance unless specifically approved by the town³

Tents and camping

Outdoor lodging and tents count as a nuisance⁵

Guest cottage / accessory dwelling

Overnight use only in a guest cottage that meets the code's standards⁶

Minimum dwelling size

150 sq ft for the first occupant, plus 100 sq ft for each additional occupant⁷

Flood hazard areas

Floodplain rules apply to all development in a flood hazard area⁸

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 16, 2026.

Does the Town of Davie have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and tiny homes?

The Town of Davie adopts its own zoning districts in Chapter 12 of its Land Development Code, so inside town limits the town, not Broward County, decides what can go where¹. Broward County's own zoning code applies only to the Broward Municipal Services District, the county-run unincorporated area⁹.

In Davie, using an RV or other vehicle for habitation is a nuisance unless the town has specifically approved it under its Code of Ordinances³. Tents and outdoor lodging are also treated as a nuisance⁵. Inside residential zoning districts, an accessory structure cannot be designed for overnight habitation unless it is a guest cottage that meets the code's standards⁶. We did not find a Davie rule on tiny homes, minimum lot sizes or setbacks, so ask Town of Davie Planning & Zoning before you commit to a lot¹⁰.

Do you need a building permit in the Town of Davie, and who issues it?

Florida's statewide building code applies in every Florida jurisdiction without local adoption¹¹. Inside Davie, the town's own Building Division enforces it and takes building permit applications². Davie's Building Division no longer accepts paper permit applications².

Owner-builders are covered by a state exemption that lets an owner act as their own contractor on a one- or two-family home for the owner's own use¹². At the Davie counter, an owner-builder permit application must be brought in by the owner personally². The Broward County Building Code Division serves unincorporated Broward and contract cities; the town's own Building Division is the office for Davie addresses¹³.

How do septic permits work inside the Town of Davie?

Septic permits in Broward County are issued by the county health department, the Florida Department of Health in Broward County¹⁴. A person may not build, repair, modify or abandon a septic system without first obtaining a permit¹⁵. The application needs a site plan and a building floor plan¹⁶. We could not confirm from Davie's own code which agency handles septic inside town limits, so call the health department before you plan a system⁴.

Soils matter too. Broward County's conventional drain-field rating is poor: 0% of soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field¹⁷, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system. Where a public sewer line is available, Florida law can require an existing system to connect within 365 days of written notice¹⁸.

Building a home in the Town of Davie: the steps, in order

1. Confirm the lot's zoning district and what it allows with Town of Davie Planning & Zoning¹⁰.
2. Check whether the lot sits in a flood hazard area; the town's floodplain rules apply to all development wholly or partly inside one, and the regulatory floodway is off limits unless an analysis shows no rise in base flood elevation⁸.
3. Call the Florida Department of Health in Broward County about septic if no sewer connection is available⁴.
4. Apply for the building permit through the Town of Davie Building Division².
5. Pass the required inspections and obtain a certificate of occupancy; we could not confirm Davie's own certificate-of-occupancy rule, but Florida requires mandatory certificates of occupancy wherever the building code is enforced¹⁹.

What stays with Broward County, and what to check before you buy in Davie

Water wells of 12 inches or smaller need a permit from the Florida Department of Health in Broward County; larger wells go to the South Florida Water Management District²⁰. For land outside Davie's limits, see the Broward County page.

Some figures are county-level. Broward County's effective property tax rate is 0.9%²¹, and the median property tax bill is $3,610 a year²². Home insurance in Broward County typically runs about $6,148 a year²³. Every dwelling in Davie must also meet a minimum gross floor area of 150 square feet for the first occupant, with 100 more for each added occupant⁷.

Watch-outs

• Davie's rules for lot size, setbacks, tiny homes, driveways and short-term rentals were not confirmed; ask Town of Davie Planning & Zoning¹⁰.
• Broward County's building and zoning offices serve unincorporated Broward, not Davie addresses, so a call to the county counter may send you to the wrong office¹³.
• Habitation in a recreational vehicle can be treated as a nuisance, and any human occupancy overnight is prima facie evidence of habitation³.

Sources

1. Davie Code Sec. 12-33 General regulations (Town of Davie), quoted and re-checked
2. Town of Davie Building Division (davie-fl.gov)
3. Davie Code Sec. 6-34 Minimum standards for area, use and location (Town of Davie), quoted and re-checked
4. Florida Department of Health in Broward County, Environmental Public Health Program (broward.floridahealth.gov)
5. Davie Code Sec. 6-34 Minimum standards for area, use and location (Town of Davie), quoted and re-checked
6. Davie Code Sec. 12-33 General regulations (Town of Davie), quoted and re-checked
7. Davie Code Sec. 6-34 Minimum standards for area, use and location (Town of Davie), quoted and re-checked
8. Davie Code Sec. 12-541 Floodplain ordinance, in general (Town of Davie), quoted and re-checked
9. Urban Planning Services, quoted and re-checked
10. Town of Davie Planning & Zoning (davie-fl.gov)
11. Florida Statutes § 553.73 — Florida Building Code (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. 2026 Florida Statutes § 489.103, Exemptions (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Building Code, quoted and re-checked
14. Onsite Sewage FAQ - Permitting, quoted and re-checked
15. Onsite Sewage Disposal - Florida Department of Health in Broward County, quoted and re-checked
16. Onsite Sewage FAQ - Permitting, quoted and re-checked
17. 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
18. flsenate.gov (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. Florida Statutes § 553.73, Florida Building Code, quoted and re-checked
20. Water Well Construction, quoted and re-checked
21. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
22. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
23. Typical home insurance premium: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 16, 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.