Bolthole Index

Palm Beach County, Florida

Building permits, zoning and sewer rules in Town of Palm Beach Shores, Florida

Town of Palm Beach Shores, Florida requires building permits for covered construction, and the town Building Department handles building permits and inspections.12 The town sets zoning and requires sewer connection for properties its sewer system can serve.34 In Palm Beach County, septic-system and private-well plans go through the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County.5

At a glance

Building permits
Town Building Department; required for covered construction21
Zoning
Town zoning, with district-specific rules36
Sewer and septic
Connect to town sewer where usable; health department reviews septic plans45
Owner-builder
Conditional state exemption from contractor licensing; building permits still apply7
Lot size
Districts B and C use platted-lot building-site limits89
Wells
County health department reviews well location plans5

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Palm Beach Shores Building Department

Town building permits and inspections; starting contact for parcel zoning questions

561-844-3457

orodriguez@pbstownhall.org

247 Edwards Lane, Palm Beach Shores, FL 33404

Zoning

Town of Palm Beach Shores Planning & Zoning Board

Municipal Planning & Zoning Board; contact Town Hall for zoning-review routing

561-844-3457

247 Edwards Lane, Palm Beach Shores, FL 33404

Septic permits

Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County - Environmental Public Health

Septic-system plan review and permitting, septic and well approvals, and private-well location review

561-840-4500

Floodplain permits

Town of Palm Beach Shores Flood Information

Property flood-hazard, coastal-erosion and prior-flooding inquiries

(561) 844-3457

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Town of Palm Beach Shores, FL?

Covered construction in Town of Palm Beach Shores needs a building permit before work begins under Florida law, subject to statutory exceptions.1 The town Building Department handles building permits and inspections for construction inside the town.2 Palm Beach Shores has adopted local administrative amendments to the Florida Building Code, and detached single-family and two-family dwellings and qualifying townhouses follow the residential code.10 An owner-builder can qualify for Florida’s contractor-licensing exemption for a residence for personal use and occupancy, but the exemption does not remove building-permit or code-compliance obligations.7

Who handles building permit applications in Town of Palm Beach Shores?

Contact the Town of Palm Beach Shores Building Department at 561-844-3457 or orodriguez@pbstownhall.org; the department is at 247 Edwards Lane, Palm Beach Shores, FL 33404.2 Palm Beach Shores requires its town building permit application and does not accept the county universal application.2 The department requests copies of plans, specifications or product approvals and the contractor-owner proposal, quote or agreement showing job valuation; that valuation is used to determine the building permit fee.2 Ask the department for the current checklist and fee calculation for your particular scope before submitting an application.2

Does Town of Palm Beach Shores have zoning and lot-size rules?

Town of Palm Beach Shores administers its own zoning ordinance, with published district-specific regulations including Districts A, B, C and D.36 In District B, the minimum building site is one platted lot and the maximum is two adjoining platted lots.8 In District C, the minimum is one platted lot and the maximum is three adjoining platted lots, unless the Town Commission approves a special exception after a public hearing and a Planning and Zoning Board recommendation.9 Ask the town Building Department to identify the parcel’s district and direct you to the applicable setbacks and development-review requirements before choosing a house footprint.32

How do sewer and septic approvals work in Town of Palm Beach Shores?

Town of Palm Beach Shores requires all lands, buildings and structures that can use the town sewer system to connect and use it.4 The town’s sewer ordinance allows septic tanks and package plants only conditionally, so a septic plan is not a substitute for establishing the parcel’s sewer-connection obligation.4 For septic-system review, contact the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County at 561-840-4500.5 The health department reviews septic and well plans for applicable state and county requirements and requires approval before a building permit is issued.5 Florida requires a septic permit application and site evaluation for covered septic-system work.11

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

We could not confirm permission to occupy an RV or tiny home on private property in Town of Palm Beach Shores; ask the town Building Department for a parcel-specific zoning answer before buying a vehicle or designing a small dwelling.23 Palm Beach Shores prohibits overnight camping and leaving camping shelters or vehicles in town parks after closing without a town special event permit; that park rule does not resolve occupancy on a private lot.12 We also could not confirm the town’s minimum dwelling size or accessory-dwelling occupancy rules; ask the town to address those questions together with the proposed use and district.32

Building a home in Town of Palm Beach Shores: what comes first?

  1. Ask the town Building Department to confirm the parcel’s zoning district and applicable building-site limits before finalizing the design.2389
  2. Establish whether the property must connect to town sewer; if septic or a private well is proposed, obtain the health department’s plan review and approvals.45
  3. Ask the town for the parcel’s flood-hazard designation, coastal-erosion information and prior flooding history.13
  4. Submit the town building permit application with the project documents requested by its Building Department, then coordinate required inspections with that department.2

For land outside town limits, use the Palm Beach County guide for the county’s unincorporated-area zoning framework.14

Watch-outs

  • An owner-builder exemption requires direct onsite supervision and a residence for the owner’s use, rather than a home offered for sale or lease.7
  • Town sewer connection obligations can control the wastewater choice even when a septic design is technically feasible.4
  • Ask the town about flood hazards, coastal erosion and prior flooding before committing to a parcel.13

Sources

  1. F.S. 553.79 — Permits; applications; issuance; inspections (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  2. Town of Palm Beach Shores Building Department (palmbeachshoresfl.us)
  3. Palm Beach Shores Code, Appendix A—Zoning Ordinance, District A regulations (Town of Palm Beach Shores), quoted and re-checked
  4. Chapter 74, Sec. 74-87 Connection; mandatory payment in lieu of (Town of Palm Beach Shores), quoted and re-checked
  5. Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County - Environmental Public Health (palmbeach.floridahealth.gov)
  6. Appendix A Zoning Ordinance, Pf. 5.2 Building height (Town of Palm Beach Shores), quoted and re-checked
  7. 2026 Florida Statutes § 489.103, Exemptions (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Palm Beach Shores Zoning Ordinance Pf. 6.3—District B building site area (Town of Palm Beach Shores), quoted and re-checked
  9. Palm Beach Shores Zoning Ordinance Pf. 7.4—District C building site area (Town of Palm Beach Shores), quoted and re-checked
  10. Palm Beach Shores Code § 14-108—Local amendments to Florida Building Code (Town of Palm Beach Shores), quoted and re-checked
  11. OSTDS Application Information (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Palm Beach Shores Code § 48-5—Recreational activities (Town of Palm Beach Shores), quoted and re-checked
  13. Town of Palm Beach Shores Flood Information (palmbeachshoresfl.us)
  14. Planning, Zoning & Building - Zoning (2026 county census)

Written October 11, 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 Beach Shores

Town of Palm Beach Shores’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction, alteration, movement, enlargement, replacement, repair, equipment, use, occupancy, location, maintenance, removal, and demolition of buildings or structures in Palm Beach Shores.

    • Section 14-108 adopts local amendments to Chapter 1, Administration, of the Florida Building Code.
    “The Town of Palm Beach Shores hereby adopts the following local amendments to Chapter 1, Administration, of the Florida Building Code. Chapter 1 as set forth below shall be in full force and effect within the Town of Palm Beach Shores:”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Palm Beach Shores town limits.

    • The adopted Appendix A is the Town Zoning Ordinance; individual district regulations apply.
    “The maximum height of any principal building in this district shall be twenty-eight (28) feet, as measured from the finished first floor elevation.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Palm Beach Shores town zoning districts, including Districts A, B, C, and D.

    • The opened official code sections provide district-specific regulations for Districts A, B, C, and D.
    • Additional district regulations may exist elsewhere in Appendix A.
    “The maximum height of any principal building in this district shall be twenty-eight (28) feet, as measured from the finished first floor elevation.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Zoning District B inside Palm Beach Shores.

    • Maximum building site area is two adjoining platted lots as set out on the amended Palm Beach Shores plat.

    minimum building site: one platted lot

    “The minimum building site area shall be one (1) platted lot. The maximum building site area shall be two (2) adjoining platted lots as set out on the plat of Palm Beach Shores, as amended.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — Zoning District C inside Palm Beach Shores.
      “The minimum building site area shall be one platted lot. The maximum building site area shall be three (3) adjoining platted lots, as set out on the Plat of Palm Beach Shores, as amended unless otherwise approved as a Special Exception by the Town Commission after a public hearing and after receipt of the recommendation of the Town Planning and Zoning Board.”
  • Camping on your landProhibited

    Town parks in Palm Beach Shores.

    • A special event permit issued by the town is the stated exception.
    “No person shall set up tents, shacks, or any other temporary shelter for the purpose of overnight camping, nor shall any person leave in a park after closing hours any movable structure or special vehicle to be used or that could be used for such purpose, such as house-trailer, camp-trailer, camp-wagon, or the like, except pursuant to a special event permit issued by the town.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    All lands, buildings and structures inside Palm Beach Shores town that can use the town sewer system.

    • Connection is required when the property can use the town sewer facilities.
    • If the owner does not connect, monthly sewer rates apply.
    • Septic tanks and package plants are conditionally permitted only under Sec. 74-89, and failure to connect within 30 days after notice is unlawful.
    “All lands, buildings and structures which can use the facilities and services of the sewer system of the town, must connect with and use the facilities and services of such system.”
  • Short-term rentalsLimited

    Vacation rentals of property or dwelling units inside Palm Beach Shores town limits.

    • A vacation-rental permit or pending application under § 18-53 is required.
    “It shall be unlawful for any person or entity to rent, lease, advertise or hold out for rent any property or dwelling unit for vacation rental use without a vacation rental permit, or pending application under section 18-53.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — General residential construction inside Palm Beach Shores town limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Palm Beach Shores town limits.
  • Inspections — General building construction inside Palm Beach Shores town limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Buildings inside Palm Beach Shores town limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential dwellings inside Palm Beach Shores town limits.
10 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Permit fees

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

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