Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Hillsboro Beach, Florida

At a glance

Zoning

Town's own zoning code (RS-2, RM-16, RM-30, RPC districts)¹

Building permits

Town Building Department reviews plans and inspects²

Building code

Florida Building Code, adopted statewide⁵

Septic

Florida Department of Health in Broward County⁴

Manufactured homes

Not permitted in town³

Minimum home size

2,000 sq ft in RM-16 and RM-30⁶⁷

Flood hazard areas

Town floodplain rules apply to development in them⁸

Who to call

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

Does Hillsboro Beach have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size, setbacks and home size?

Yes. The Town of Hillsboro Beach zones its own land under Chapter 12, Division 5 of the town code, with RS-2, RM-16, RM-30 and RPC districts¹. Broward County's zoning office only covers the Broward Municipal Services District, not incorporated towns, so the county planning counter is the wrong place to ask⁹.

Rules differ by district. A lot in the RS-2 single-family district needs at least 20,000 square feet and an average width of at least 100 feet, at no more than 2 dwelling units per acre¹⁰. A single-family plot in RM-30 needs at least 12,000 square feet and 100 feet of width¹¹.

Homes on either side of State Road A1A must sit back at least 85 feet from the A1A centerline in RS-2¹² and in RM-30¹³. In RM-30, buildings above ground may cover no more than 25 percent of the lot¹⁴. A single-family home in RM-16 or RM-30 must have at least 2,000 square feet of enclosed living area⁶⁷.

Can you put a manufactured home, RV or tiny home in Hillsboro Beach?

Manufactured homes are out: the Hillsboro Beach town code states that no manufactured homes, manufactured home parks or subdivisions are permitted in the town³.

We could not confirm the town's rules on living in an RV, tiny homes or temporary camping. Florida's RV park rules cover permitted parks and camps, not a private lot¹⁵. Ask the Town of Hillsboro Beach Building Department before you plan on either².

Accessory dwelling units are the same story: Florida lets a town allow them in single-family zones by ordinance, and any permit application must include an affordable-rent affidavit¹⁶. We could not confirm that Hillsboro Beach has adopted such an ordinance.

Do you need a building permit in Hillsboro Beach, and who issues it?

Inside town limits, the Town of Hillsboro Beach Building Department is the office to deal with. Its page says it reviews plans and performs jobsite inspections to verify compliance with the Florida Building Code². The Florida Building Code applies statewide without separate local adoption⁵.

We could not read the town's permit ordinance itself, so confirm exactly which projects need a permit, and the fee, with the Building Department. Florida law sets the fee as a reasonable amount adopted by the enforcing agency¹⁷.

The owner-builder exemption in Florida law lets an owner act as their own contractor on a one- or two-family home for the owner's own use, with the owner signing the permit application in person¹⁸. It does not remove the permit requirement. Ask the town whether it adds its own conditions.

Broward County Building Code Services covers unincorporated Broward County and the cities it contracts with¹⁹. We could not confirm that Hillsboro Beach is one of them, and the town's own page names its own department.

How do septic permits work inside Hillsboro Beach?

Septic permits are not a town matter. In Broward County, the county health department continues to permit and inspect septic tanks⁴. Anyone who builds, repairs, modifies or abandons a septic system must first get a permit approved by the department²⁰.

The application needs a form, a site plan, a building floor plan and the fee, plus a site evaluation of the property²¹. Soil ratings point the same way: the share of Broward County soils USDA rates not limited for a conventional drain field is²² percent, so expect an engineered system on most lots.

We could not confirm whether the town is sewered or requires sewer connection. If a public sewer is available, Florida law requires a working septic system to connect within 365 days of written notice²³. Call the Environmental Public Health Program²⁴. The same office permits water wells of 12 inches or smaller²⁵.

What are the steps to build a home in Hillsboro Beach?

• Confirm the lot's zoning district (RS-2, RM-16, RM-30 or RPC) and check lot area, width, setbacks from A1A and minimum floor area against the town code¹.
• Check whether the lot lies in a flood hazard area; the town's floodplain rules apply to development wholly or partly inside one⁸.
• Ask the Building Department which permits your project needs and how to submit plans².
• If the home will use septic, apply to the health department with a site plan and floor plan²¹.
• Build to the Florida Building Code, which the town's inspectors check on site².
• Finish with the required inspections; Florida requires a certificate of occupancy under the building code process²⁶.

What stays with Broward County, and what to check before you buy in Hillsboro Beach?

Septic and well permits stay with the Florida Department of Health in Broward County⁴²⁵. For land outside the town, see the Broward County page.

Broward County figures, not town figures: the typical home value is $424,261²⁷, the typical home insurance premium is $6,148 a year²⁸, and the effective property tax rate is 0.9 percent²⁹.

Before you buy, check the flood hazard status⁸, the zoning district and its minimum floor area, and the sewer question. The town lists a flood zone map and elevation certificates page on its website for flood questions.

Watch-outs

• Manufactured homes and manufactured home parks are not permitted anywhere in the Town of Hillsboro Beach³.
• We could not confirm the town's rules on RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or building height; ask the Town of Hillsboro Beach Building Department before you buy².
• Do not send zoning questions to Broward County planning: its zoning office covers only the Broward Municipal Services District⁹.
• Floodplain rules apply to development in flood hazard areas inside town limits, even where a building permit is otherwise simple⁸.

Sources

1. Hillsboro Beach Code Sec. 12-161 RM-30 use regulations (Town of Hillsboro Beach), quoted and re-checked
2. Town of Hillsboro Beach Building Department (townofhillsborobeach.com)
3. Hillsboro Beach Code Sec. 4-156 Manufactured homes not permitted (Town of Hillsboro Beach), quoted and re-checked
4. Onsite Sewage FAQ - Permitting, quoted and re-checked
5. Florida Statutes § 553.73 — Florida Building Code (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
6. Hillsboro Beach Code Sec. 12-146 RM-16 floor areas (Town of Hillsboro Beach), quoted and re-checked
7. Hillsboro Beach Code Sec. 12-166 RM-30 floor areas (Town of Hillsboro Beach), quoted and re-checked
8. Hillsboro Beach Code Sec. 4-91 Floodplain scope (Town of Hillsboro Beach), quoted and re-checked
9. Urban Planning Services, quoted and re-checked
10. Hillsboro Beach Code Sec. 12-125 RS-2 lot area (Town of Hillsboro Beach), quoted and re-checked
11. Hillsboro Beach Code Sec. 12-165 RM-30 area and ground coverage (Town of Hillsboro Beach), quoted and re-checked
12. Hillsboro Beach Code Sec. 12-124 RS-2 yard regulations (Town of Hillsboro Beach), quoted and re-checked
13. Hillsboro Beach Code Sec. 12-164 RM-30 yard regulations (Town of Hillsboro Beach), quoted and re-checked
14. Hillsboro Beach Code Sec. 12-165 RM-30 area and ground coverage (Town of Hillsboro Beach), quoted and re-checked
15. Florida Statutes Chapter 513: Mobile Home and Recreational Vehicle Parks (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Florida Statutes § 163.31771: Accessory dwelling units (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. F.S. 553.79 — Permits; applications; issuance; inspections (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. 2026 Florida Statutes § 489.103, Exemptions (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. Building Code, quoted and re-checked
20. Onsite Sewage Disposal - Florida Department of Health in Broward County, quoted and re-checked
21. Onsite Sewage FAQ - Permitting, 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. flsenate.gov (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
24. Florida Department of Health in Broward County, Environmental Public Health Program (broward.floridahealth.gov)
25. Water Well Construction, quoted and re-checked
26. Florida Statutes § 553.73, Florida Building Code, quoted and re-checked
27. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
28. Typical home insurance premium: Bolthole Index county data
29. Effective property tax rate: 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.