Bolthole Index

Broward County, Florida

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Sunrise, Florida

Sunrise, Florida adopts its own zoning, and the city's Building Division reviews plans and issues building permits1. Recreational vehicles may not be occupied while parked2. Septic permits for Sunrise addresses are not a city matter: the Florida Department of Health in Broward County handles them3. Sunrise is in Broward County.

At a glance

Zoning
Sunrise's own Land Development Code, with districts such as RS-3 and RS-54
Building permits
Issued by the city's Building Division1
Septic
Florida Department of Health in Broward County3
RV living
RVs may not be occupied while parked2
Minimum home size
RS-3: 1,800 sq ft; RS-5: 1,400 sq ft5
Minimum lot
RS-3: 11,500 sq ft; RS-5: 6,000 sq ft6
Owner-builder
Florida law lets owners act as their own contractor on a one- or two-family home for their own use7

Who to call

Building permits

City of Sunrise Building Division

Plan review, building permits, inspections and certificates of occupancy inside Sunrise

(954) 572-2354

askbuilding@sunrisefl.gov

10770 W. Oakland Park Boulevard Sunrise, FL 33351

Zoning

City of Sunrise Planning Division

Zoning questions and the Land Development Code inside Sunrise

(954) 746-3281

askzoning@sunrisefl.gov

10770 W. Oakland Park Boulevard Sunrise, FL 33351

Septic permits

Florida Department of Health in Broward County, Environmental Public Health Program

Septic (OSTDS) and water-well permits for Broward County, including addresses inside Sunrise

954-467-4700

2421A SW 6th Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315

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

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Sunrise, Florida have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and lot size?

Yes. Sunrise sorts its land into districts under its own Land Development Code, and the single-family districts RS-3 and RS-5 allow no more than three and five dwelling units per gross acre respectively4.

RVs are the sharp edge. In RS-3, RS-5 and RS-7 districts an RV may be parked only under the city's parking conditions (30 feet at most, one per lot, current license plate, no repair work), and it may not be occupied at any time while parked2. Occupied includes electrical or telephone connections. The RP-10 mobile home park district does not permit RVs at all2. Campgrounds appear only as a special exception use in the Recreation/Open Space district8.

Lot rules differ by district. RS-3 needs 11,500 sq ft and 80 ft of width; RS-5 needs 6,000 sq ft and 60 ft6. Houses need at least 1,800 sq ft of floor area in RS-3 and 1,400 sq ft in RS-55.

What are the setbacks, height and coverage limits in Sunrise?

In RS-3 and RS-5, residential buildings sit at least 25 feet back from a public right-of-way9. Height is capped at two stories or 25 feet10. Landscaped or pervious area must be at least 30 percent of the lot11. Driveways in these districts must use decorative brick or concrete pavers12. Planning Division staff at askzoning@sunrisefl.gov can confirm the district a specific parcel falls in13.

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

Inside Sunrise city limits, the city's own Building Division enforces the Florida Building Code, reviews plans, collects permit fees, issues building permits, inspects work and issues certificates of occupancy1. Broward County's Building Code Division is not the office for Sunrise addresses: it covers unincorporated Broward County and the cities it contracts with14. We could not confirm from the city's code whether every small project needs a permit, so ask the Building Division before starting work.

Florida's owner-builder exemption lets an owner act as their own contractor on a one-family or two-family home for the owner's own use, with direct onsite supervision, but the owner must personally appear and sign the permit application7. We could not confirm how Sunrise applies this exemption.

How do septic permits work inside Sunrise?

Septic is not a city decision. Septic permits and inspections in Broward County run through the Florida Department of Health in Broward County3, and a permit is required before anyone constructs, repairs or modifies a system15. An application needs a form, site plan, floor plan and fee, and a site evaluation determines property conditions16. Well permits for wells 12 inches or smaller also go to the same health department17. Broward soils are poor for conventional drain fields, so expect an evaluation and possibly an engineered system18. Whether a particular Sunrise lot is on public sewer is something we could not confirm; ask the Building Division.

Can you live in an RV, mobile home or tiny home in Sunrise?

Living in an RV on a residential lot is prohibited: Sunrise's code says recreational vehicles shall not be occupied while parked2. Mobile homes fit in the RP-10 Mobile Home Park District, which allows rental-site parks owned or operated as a unit, while the RS-3 and RS-5 districts list only single-family detached dwellings19. We could not confirm Sunrise rules for tiny homes or accessory dwellings; Florida law lets a local government allow accessory dwellings but does not require it20. Ask the Planning Division13.

Building a home in Sunrise: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district, lot size and setbacks with the Planning Division13.
  2. Check flood rules: new construction and substantial improvements in Sunrise must have the lowest floor elevated to the highest of several flood elevations21.
  3. Apply for the septic permit with the Florida Department of Health in Broward County if the lot is not on sewer16.
  4. Submit plans to the Building Division for review and the building permit1.
  5. Pass the inspections and obtain a certificate of occupancy1.

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

Broward County's zoning authority applies only to the Broward Municipal Services District, so county zoning does not govern Sunrise lots22. For land outside Sunrise, see the Broward County page. Flood elevation matters here: accessory structures below required elevations are limited to parking or storage, one story and no larger than 600 square feet21. Broward County's typical home insurance premium is $6,148 a year23, and its effective property tax rate is 0.9 percent24.

Watch-outs

  • Inside Sunrise, the city, not Broward County, issues building permits and sets zoning; do not use county counters for city addresses1.
  • RVs may not be occupied while parked on residential lots in Sunrise, including with electrical or telephone connections2.
  • We could not confirm Sunrise's permit fees or tiny-home rules; call the Building Division or Planning Division1.

Sources

  1. City of Sunrise Building Division (sunrisefl.gov)
  2. Sunrise Code Sec. 14-47 Recreational vehicles - Parking restricted (Sunrise), quoted and re-checked
  3. Onsite Sewage FAQ - Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  4. Sunrise Land Development Code Sec. 16-69 RS-3 and RS-5 Low Density Single-Family Residential Districts (Sunrise), quoted and re-checked
  5. Sunrise Land Development Code Sec. 16-69 RS-3 and RS-5 Low Density Single-Family Residential Districts (Sunrise), quoted and re-checked
  6. Sunrise Land Development Code Sec. 16-69 RS-3 and RS-5 Low Density Single-Family Residential Districts (Sunrise), quoted and re-checked
  7. 2025 Florida Statutes, Section 489.103 — Exemptions, quoted and re-checked
  8. Sunrise Land Development Code Sec. 16-75 R/OS Recreation/Open Space District (Sunrise), quoted and re-checked
  9. Sunrise Land Development Code Sec. 16-69 RS-3 and RS-5 Low Density Single-Family Residential Districts (Sunrise), quoted and re-checked
  10. Sunrise Land Development Code Sec. 16-69 RS-3 and RS-5 Low Density Single-Family Residential Districts (Sunrise), quoted and re-checked
  11. Sunrise Land Development Code Sec. 16-69 RS-3 and RS-5 Low Density Single-Family Residential Districts (Sunrise), quoted and re-checked
  12. Sunrise Land Development Code Sec. 16-69 RS-3 and RS-5 Low Density Single-Family Residential Districts (Sunrise), quoted and re-checked
  13. City of Sunrise Planning Division (sunrisefl.gov)
  14. Building Code, 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. Water Well Construction, quoted and re-checked
  18. 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
  19. Sunrise Land Development Code Sec. 16-74 RP-10 Mobile Home Park District (Sunrise), quoted and re-checked
  20. Florida Statutes § 163.31771: Accessory dwelling units (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. Sunrise Land Development Code Sec. 16-209 Flood resistant development (Sunrise), quoted and re-checked
  22. Urban Planning Services, quoted and re-checked
  23. Typical home insurance premium: Bolthole Index county data
  24. 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Sunrise

Sunrise’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Sunrise city limits

    “rs-3 and rs-5 zoning districts are established for low density residential dwelling units at densities not to exceed three (3) and five (5) units per gross acre, respectively.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family dwellings in RS-3 and RS-5 districts inside Sunrise city

    • Values from the Sec. 16-69(d) table: RS-3 1,800 sq ft; RS-5 1,400 sq ft

    RS-3 minimum floor area: >= 1800 sq ft · RS-5 minimum floor area: >= 1400 sq ft

    “rs-3 11,500 sq. ft. 1,800 sq. ft. 80 ft. 40 rs-5 6,000 sq. ft. 1,400 sq. ft. 60 ft. 40”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    RS-3 and RS-5 single-family districts inside Sunrise city

    • Non-residential uses in these districts: 20,000 sq ft and 100 ft width

    RS-3 minimum lot area: >= 11500 sq ft · RS-3 minimum lot width: >= 80 ft · RS-5 minimum lot area: >= 6000 sq ft · RS-5 minimum lot width: >= 60 ft

    “rs-3 11,500 sq. ft. 1,800 sq. ft. 80 ft. 40 rs-5 6,000 sq. ft. 1,400 sq. ft. 60 ft. 40 non-residential uses 20,000 sq. ft. n/a 100 ft. 50”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential uses in RS-3 and RS-5 districts inside Sunrise city

    • RS-3 side yard at least 10 ft (or 7.5 ft and 12.5 ft option); RS-5 side yard at least 7.5 ft each side
    • Corner lots: side street yard at least 20 ft
    • Rear yard 25 ft when abutting a waterway or another street
    • See Sec. 16-235(b) for nonconforming setback exception

    front yard: >= 25 ft · rear yard: >= 15 ft (25 ft abutting waterway or street)

    “residential uses: not less than twenty-five (25) feet in depth from a public right-of-way.”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    RS-3 and RS-5 districts inside Sunrise city

    • Non-residential uses 50 percent
    • Minimum landscaped or pervious area 30 percent

    maximum lot coverage (principal and accessory buildings): <= 40 percent

    “minimum landscaped or pervious area—thirty (30) percent.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    RS-3 and RS-5 single-family districts inside Sunrise city

    maximum height: <= 25 feet (or two stories, whichever limit applies per code text 'either')

    “height not to exceed either two (2) stories or twenty-five (25) feet.”
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Recreational vehicles parked in RS-3, RS-5 or RS-7 single-family districts inside Sunrise city

    • RVs may be parked only under Sec. 14-47 conditions: max 30 feet, one per lot, current license plate, no repair work
    • Multi-family and non-residential: only in designated parking area not visible from public right-of-way
    • Occupied includes electrical or telephone connections or any personal occupancy day or night
    • RP-10 mobile home park district: recreational vehicles are not permitted

    max RV length: <= 30 feet (unless parked in totally enclosed building)

    “recreational vehicles shall not be occupied, at any time while parked.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Campgrounds in the R/OS Recreation/Open Space District inside Sunrise city

    • Allowed only as a special exception use (Article III)
    • Campgrounds also appear as special exception in CR district
    “special exception use (see article iii): social, athletic, neighborhood or community club (nonprofit). camp grounds, overnight and short term.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Mobile homes in the RP-10 Mobile Home Park District inside Sunrise city

    • Permitted use is rental-site mobile home parks owned/operated as a unit; single-family districts RS-3/RS-5 list only single-family detached dwellings
    • Minimum site 3,200 sq ft and 40 ft average width; max 10 units per gross acre
    “Mobile home parks for rental of site for occupancy by mobile homes as living quarters, wherein the mobile home park is owned and/or operated as a unit.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupConditional

    Mobile home sites in the RP-10 Mobile Home Park District inside Sunrise city

    • Applies only to RP-10 district; general rule for other districts not found
    • Sanitary regulations of the state and county must also be complied with
    “potable fresh water and sanitary sewer services shall be available on each site.”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Driveways in RS-3 and RS-5 districts inside Sunrise city

    • Design standard only; affordable housing waivers may be granted by the department under Sec. 16-69(k)
    “decorative brick or concrete pavers shall be required for all driveways.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    New construction and substantial improvements inside Sunrise city

    • Lowest floor must be elevated to the higher of FEMA BFE, FBC minimum, Broward County 100-year Flood Elevation Map, SFWMD permit elevation, or approved alternative
    • Non-elevated accessory structures limited to parking or storage, one story, max 600 sq ft

    non-elevated accessory structure max size: <= 600 sq ft

    “accessory structures are permitted below elevations required by the florida building code provided the accessory structures are used only for parking or storage and: a. are one-story and not larger than six hundred (600) square feet.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Sunrise or Broward County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Sunrise city
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Sunrise city
  • Building code adopted — Building code inside Sunrise city
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Sunrise city
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Sunrise city
12 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • 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 Sunrise publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Broward County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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