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

At a glance

Zoning

Yes, town zoning districts under the Land Development Code¹

Building permits

Issued by the Town of Belleair building department²

Septic

Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County⁴

RV living

Prohibited on any lot, except in a licensed park³

Owner-builder

One- and two-family homeowners can apply for an owner-builder permit²

Minimum home size (RM-10)

1,500 sq ft of living space⁵

Floodplain

Development in flood hazard areas is regulated under LDC chapter 75⁶

Who to call

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

Does Belleair, FL have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and lot size?

Yes. The Town of Belleair zones land inside town limits, and development must comply with the zoning districts in Article II of chapter 74 of its Land Development Code¹. Pinellas County's zoning applies only to unincorporated land, so the county zoning counter is the wrong office for a Belleair lot⁷.

RVs and house trailers: sleeping in a trailer, RV or vehicle on any lot or right-of-way inside Belleair is prohibited, except in a public camp, trailer park or mobile home park licensed by the town and the state³⁸. Living in an RV while you build is not an option here.

Minimum home size depends on the district. In the RM-10 multifamily district a dwelling unit must be at least 1,500 square feet of living space, and in RM-15 at least 1,000 square feet, with garages, porches and breezeways excluded⁵⁹. In a residential planned development, a single-family dwelling needs at least 1,200 square feet¹⁰. We could not confirm the single-family district minimum, minimum lot area or general setbacks; ask the Building Department. Tiny homes: we could not confirm a town rule, so ask the Building Department before buying.

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

The Town of Belleair Building Department administers the Florida Building Code and the town's Land Development Code, covering new construction, additions, alterations, pools, roofing, fences, sheds, driveways and sidewalks². All permits require inspections². We could not confirm the exact dollar threshold below which a permit is not needed, so call the Building Department at (727) 588-1477 before starting any work².

Homeowners of one- or two-family homes can apply for an owner-builder permit². Hired contractors must be licensed by the State of Florida and register with the town². Unincorporated Pinellas County has a separate Building and Development Review Services Department; it does not issue building permits inside Belleair¹¹.

How do septic permits work inside Belleair?

Septic permits for Belleair addresses come from the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County, not from the town⁴¹². Florida law requires a permit to install, replace, repair, modify or abandon an onsite sewage system¹³. We could not confirm whether a given Belleair lot is already on public sewer, or whether the state's sewer-connection rule applies; ask the health department and the town Public Works office. In Pinellas County, conventional drain fields rate poorly: USDA rates 0% of soils as not limited for them, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system¹⁴.

Building a home in Belleair: the steps, in order

1. Confirm the lot's zoning district and any minimum home size with the town under the Land Development Code¹.
2. Check whether the lot lies in a flood hazard area, which brings extra review under chapter 75⁶.
3. Contact the Septic office at the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County if the lot is not on public sewer⁴.
4. Register your contractor with the Belleair Building Department, or file an owner-builder affidavit if you are a homeowner building a one- or two-family home².
5. Apply for the building permit, then schedule inspections; all permits require inspections².

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

Septic and wells are not town decisions. Septic permits come from the county health department⁴, and Florida requires a permit for any water well¹⁵. For land outside town limits, use the Pinellas County page. Pinellas County's effective property tax rate is 0.7%¹⁶, and its median tax bill is $2,324 a year¹⁷. The typical home value there is about $371,631¹⁸.

Watch-outs

• Sleeping in an RV, trailer or vehicle on a Belleair lot is prohibited, so plan housing during construction elsewhere³.
• We could not confirm the town's building permit threshold, setbacks, minimum lot size or fee schedule; call the Building Department at (727) 588-1477².
• Lots in flood hazard areas face extra subdivision and development review⁶.

Sources

1. Belleair LDC Sec. 66-4 Guide for users (Town of Belleair), quoted and re-checked
2. Town of Belleair Building Department (townofbelleair.com)
3. Belleair Code Sec. 58-3 Sleeping in cars or trailers (Town of Belleair), quoted and re-checked
4. Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County (pinellas.floridahealth.gov)
5. Belleair LDC Sec. 74-83 Special regulations for RM-10, RM-15, RPD, and H districts (Town of Belleair), quoted and re-checked
6. Belleair LDC Sec. 75-57 Floodplain subdivisions minimum requirements (Town of Belleair), quoted and re-checked
7. Zoning & Land Use - Pinellas County, quoted and re-checked
8. Belleair Code Sec. 58-3 Sleeping in cars or trailers (Town of Belleair), quoted and re-checked
9. Belleair LDC Sec. 74-83 Special regulations for RM-10, RM-15, RPD, and H districts (Town of Belleair), quoted and re-checked
10. Belleair LDC Sec. 74-83 Special regulations for RM-10, RM-15, RPD, and H districts (Town of Belleair), quoted and re-checked
11. Building Frequently Asked Questions (2026 county census)
12. Onsite Sewage Disposal and Septic Tanks (2026 county census)
13. OSTDS Construction Application (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
14. 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
15. Water Well Contractor Licensing and Permitting (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
17. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
18. Typical home value (Zillow): 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.