Bolthole Index

Polk County, Florida

Building permits, zoning and septic in Town of Dundee, Florida

Town of Dundee, Florida requires building permits for new construction, alterations, repairs, demolition and additions through its Development Services Department.1 Dundee sets its own zoning in Polk County.2 New development must connect to Town water and wastewater systems when reasonably available; septic installation and repair permits come from the Florida Department of Health in Polk County.34

At a glance

Building permits
Required; apply through Dundee Development Services1
Zoning
Town Land Development Code applies inside Dundee2
Septic permits
DOH-Polk; first establish whether Town sewer connection is required43
RV living
RV parks require a special exception in RMH; private-lot occupancy remains unconfirmed2
Minimum home size
500 square feet for single-family attached development; not a universal home minimum5
Owner-builder
Conditional Florida exemption; building permits and code compliance still apply6
Water and sewer
Connection required for new development when Town services are reasonably available3

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Dundee Development Services Department — Building

Building permits, construction inspections and certificate requests inside Dundee

(863) 438-8330 ext. 223

permits@townofdundee.com

124 Dundee Road, Dundee, Florida 33838

Planning & zoning

Town of Dundee Planning Department

Town zoning, land-use and development questions

863-438-8330 ext. 230

AClaremont@TownofDundee.com

124 Dundee Road, Dundee, FL, 33838

Septic permits

Florida Department of Health in Polk County — Environmental Public Health

Septic installation and repair permits, evaluations and inspections throughout Polk County

863-519-8330

polkcommunications@FLHealth.gov

2090 E. Clower St Bartow, FL 33830

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 10, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Dundee 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 Dundee, FL?

Dundee requires a building permit for new construction, alterations, repairs, demolition and additions to a structure, and applicants obtain building permits from the Town Development Services Department.1 Dundee Development Services also permits and inspects mobile-home setups, signs and other structures.1 Florida’s statewide building code supplies the base code; local authorities may adopt amendments permitted by state law.7 An eligible Florida owner-builder must directly supervise work and build for personal use rather than sale or lease; the exemption does not remove building permits or code compliance.6

Who issues building permits in Town of Dundee, and how do you apply?

Start a Dundee building-permit application with the Town Development Services Department at 124 Dundee Road, Dundee, Florida 33838.1 The Town directs applicants to download and return its building-permit application and send building-permit submissions and questions to permits@townofdundee.com.1 Request construction inspections through inspections@townofdundee.com, including the building-permit number, job-site address, inspection type and desired date.1 Send certificate-of-occupancy or certificate-of-completion requests to co-info@townofdundee.com.1 Ask Development Services for the current fee sheets and required forms before budgeting the application.1

Does Town of Dundee have zoning, lot sizes and setbacks?

Dundee has its own Land Development Code and district-specific zoning rules inside town limits.2 Ask the Town Planning Department for a zoning verification for the parcel and proposed dwelling type before treating a small lot as buildable.8 For single-family attached development, Dundee specifies a minimum lot size of 2,000 square feet and minimum lot width of 20 feet.9 The same development standards require a 500-square-foot minimum dwelling floor area; that is not a minimum for every dwelling type.5 Single-family attached standards specify front setbacks of 25 feet, rear setbacks of 20 feet and side setbacks of at least 10 feet where there is no common wall.10

How do septic permits work inside Town of Dundee?

For new improvements or development inside Dundee or its water and wastewater service area, connection to Town water and wastewater systems is required at development when reasonably available.3 Establish service availability before designing a septic system for a Dundee parcel.3 Where septic is appropriate, DOH-Polk evaluates, permits and inspects new and repaired septic systems throughout Polk County, with septic permits available from the Bartow Environmental Public Health Office.4 Polk County’s soil data rates only 1.6% of soils as not limited for conventional drain fields; this is countywide context, not a Dundee parcel determination or proof that septic is impossible, so obtain a site evaluation.114

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Town of Dundee?

Dundee allows recreational vehicle parks only by special exception in the RMH district; that park rule does not establish permission to occupy an RV on an ordinary residential lot.2 We could not confirm private-lot RV occupancy, temporary RV living while building, or a Dundee rule specifically authorizing tiny-home occupancy; ask the Town Planning Department about the proposed use before buying.8 Dundee’s 500-square-foot floor-area standard applies to single-family attached development, so it cannot establish permission for a detached tiny home.5 An off-grid proposal must also account for Dundee’s required water and wastewater connection when Town services are reasonably available.3

Building a home in Town of Dundee: what steps come first?

  1. Ask Dundee Planning for parcel zoning verification and confirmation that the proposed dwelling use fits the Town’s district rules.82
  2. Establish whether Town water and wastewater are reasonably available; arrange required connections or discuss a septic site evaluation with DOH-Polk.34
  3. Return the Dundee building-permit application to Development Services and request the current fee sheets and forms.1
  4. Arrange Town construction inspections and direct certificate requests to the Town’s published certificate email.1

For a parcel outside Dundee town limits, use the Polk County guide for the county’s unincorporated-area zoning answer; the Town’s zoning rules described here concern land inside Dundee.122

Watch-outs

  • Dundee’s attached-home lot and floor-area minimums do not establish the standards for a detached home; ask Town Planning for the parcel’s applicable schedule.958
  • A Dundee off-grid plan may still require Town water and wastewater connections when those services are reasonably available.3
  • We could not confirm Dundee-specific private-well routing, floodplain application steps or accessory-dwelling approval; ask Town Planning to identify the responsible office before committing to a design.8

Sources

  1. Town of Dundee Development Services Department — Building (townofdundee.com)
  2. Dundee Land Development Code, Sec. 3.07.01 (Town of Dundee), quoted and re-checked
  3. library.municode.com (Town of Dundee), quoted and re-checked
  4. Florida Department of Health in Polk County — Environmental Public Health (polk.floridahealth.gov)
  5. Article 3, Development design and improvement standards (Town of Dundee), quoted and re-checked
  6. 2026 Florida Statutes § 489.103, Exemptions (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. 61G20-1.001 Florida Building Code Adopted (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Town of Dundee Planning Department (townofdundee.com)
  9. Article 3, Development design and improvement standards (Town of Dundee), quoted and re-checked
  10. Article 3, Development design and improvement standards (Town of Dundee), quoted and re-checked
  11. 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
  12. 2018 Eloise CRA Plan, quoted and re-checked

Written October 10, 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 Dundee

Town of Dundee’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction governed by Dundee's Land Development Code provision for front carports.

    • The cited provision specifically addresses front carports; applicability of other Florida Building Code provisions was not established in this research.
    “Construction shall be in accordance with the requirements of the Florida Building Code.”
  • InspectionsLimited

    Development inside Dundee town limits for which a floodplain development permit or approval is required.

    • Applies only where a floodplain development permit or approval is required.
    “Development for which a floodplain development permit or approval is required shall be subject to inspection.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Dundee town limits.

    • Dundee's Land Development Code includes district-specific regulation; parcel-level zoning remains determinative.
    “Recreational vehicle parks shall be permitted only as a special exception in the RMH district.”
  • Zoning districtsPartial

    Dundee zoning districts published in the Land Development Code.

    • The opened code section expressly identifies the RMH district; this research did not locate the complete district list or zoning map.
    “Recreational vehicle parks shall be permitted only as a special exception in the RMH district.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Single-family attached development inside Dundee town limits.

    • The 500-square-foot minimum applies to the single-family attached development standards, not necessarily to every dwelling type or zoning district.

    minimum floor area: >= 500 square feet (single-family attached development)

    “Minimum floor area shall be 500 square feet.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Single-family attached development inside Dundee town limits.

    • The cited minimum applies to residential lots in single-family attached developments; complete district schedules were not established.

    minimum residential lot size: >= 2000 square feet (single-family attached development) · minimum lot width: >= 20 feet (single-family attached development) · minimum curved-frontage: >= 12 feet (cul-de-sac or other curved right-of-way)

    “2. Minimum residential lot requirements. Minimum lot size: 2,000 square feet. Minimum lot width: 20 feet. Where a lot fronts on a cul-de-sac or other curved right-of-way, there shall be no less than 12 feet of frontage, as measured along the arc of the curve.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Single-family attached developments and recreational vehicle parks inside Dundee town limits.

    • Single-family attached standards require 25-foot front and side-street setbacks, 20-foot rear setbacks, and 10-foot side setbacks where there is no common wall.
    • RV parks are permitted only as a special exception in RMH and have superseding standards.
    • For RV parks, side and rear setbacks increase to 25 feet where a public right-of-way abuts the property line.

    single-family attached front setback: 25 feet · single-family attached rear setback: 20 feet · single-family attached side street setback: 25 feet (corner lot) · single-family attached side setback: >= 10 feet (where there is no common wall) · RV park front setback: 25 feet · RV park side/rear setback: 15 feet (25 feet when a public right-of-way abuts)

    “Side street setbacks on corner lots shall be 25 feet.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Single-family attached development inside Dundee town limits.

    • The cited coverage limit applies to the single-family attached development standards.

    maximum structural coverage: <= 35 percent (single-family attached development)

    “5. Maximum site coverage. Structural coverage on the development site shall not exceed 35 percent.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Single-family attached development inside Dundee town limits.

    • The cited height limit applies to the single-family attached development standards.

    maximum structure height: <= 35 feet (single-family attached development)

    “a. No structure shall exceed 35 feet in height.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    On-site waste disposal systems in Dundee floodplain development.

    • Applies to new and replacement systems; they must meet Chapter 64E-6, F.A.C. and ASCE 24 Chapter 7 requirements.
    “on-site waste disposal systems shall be designed in accordance with the standards”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    Any new improvement or new development on a parcel within Dundee's limits or within the Town's water and wastewater service area.

    • Connection is required at the time of development if the service is reasonably available to the parcel.
    • The rule applies to both the Town's water and wastewater systems.
    “shall be required to connect to the town's water and wastewater system at the time of development, if such service is reasonably available”
  • Agricultural exemptionConditional

    Agricultural-tax-exempt properties annexed into or located within Dundee town limits.

    • The property must be fenced.
    • Certification by an inspector from the Polk County Property Appraiser's Office is required.
    • The tax-exempt rules follow F.S. § 193.461.
    • An already-qualified agricultural use may continue after annexation as allowed by state law.
    “In Polk County, in order to qualify for an agricultural tax exempt status, the property must be fenced, and must be certified by an inspector”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Proposed subdivisions, including manufactured-home parks and subdivisions, inside Dundee town limits.

    • Flood-hazard subdivision plats have additional requirements when any portion lies within a flood hazard area.
    “Subdivision proposals [...] shall be reviewed”
  • Permit processPartial

    Single-family structures on specified existing or metes-and-bounds lots inside Dundee town limits.

    • Applies before receiving a building permit to single-family structures on platted lots existing before adoption of the code, or on non-subdivision lots established by metes and bounds.
    “the builder or property owner shall secure a certificate of concurrency from the development director.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Dundee

Town of Dundee does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Owner-builder exemptionConditional

    Owners acting as their own contractors, including owners of property inside Dundee town limits.

    • The owner must provide direct, onsite supervision of work not performed by licensed contractors; additional statutory conditions apply.
    “Owners of property when acting as their own contractor and providing direct, onsite supervision themselves of all work not performed by licensed contractors:”
  • Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

    Septic systems inside Dundee town limits, which are in Polk County.

    • Polk County is not one of the 16 counties listed as managed by DEP beginning January 2, 2025.
    “If you live outside these 16 counties, your local county health department will still handle septic system permitting and inspections.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — General residential construction inside Dundee town limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — General construction inside Dundee town limits.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside Dundee town limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Dundee town limits.
  • Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy outside flood-hazard-specific requirements inside Dundee town limits.
5 more unanswered
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Well permit
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • 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 Dundee publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Polk County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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