Bolthole Index

Polk County, Florida

Building permits, zoning and land rules in Mulberry, Florida

Mulberry, Florida has a city Building Department, and new-construction plans and building permit applications go through the city’s Accela portal.1 Mulberry sets zoning inside city limits; septic installation and repair permits come from the Florida Department of Health in Polk County.23 Mulberry prohibits living, sleeping or housekeeping in recreational equipment parked on a residential lot.4

At a glance

Building permits
City Building Department; applications and plans uploaded to Accela1
Zoning
City zoning and Official Zoning Map apply inside Mulberry2
Septic permits
DOH-Polk issues installation and repair permits3
RV living
Prohibited in recreational equipment on residential lots or unapproved locations4
Owner-builder
State exemption is conditional; building permits and code compliance still apply5
Wells
Well-construction applications go to SWFWMD6
City water
Individual connections and meters are the city’s policy preference for residential unit projects7

Who to call

Building permits

City of Mulberry Building Department

City building permit applications and new-construction plan requirements

863-425-1125 x 420

400 North Church Avenue

Online permits →

Planning & zoning

City of Mulberry Planning & Zoning Department

City zoning approval applications; confirm parcel-specific district standards and application fees

(863) 425-1125, extension 251

P.O. Box 707

Septic permits

Florida Department of Health in Polk County (DOH-Polk), Environmental Public Health

Septic (OSTDS) permitting, site evaluation and inspection for Polk County; permits are issued at the Bartow Environmental Public Health Office

863-519-8330

polkcommunications@FLHealth.gov

2090 E. Clower St

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 Mulberry means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Mulberry, FL?

Plan on a building permit for covered construction in Mulberry: Florida law generally requires a permit before construction, alteration, repair or demolition, unless another law provides an exception.8 Mulberry’s Building Department directs applicants to upload new-construction plans and building permit applications into Accela.1 Ask the city Building Department to classify your exact project and identify exemptions, fees and required inspections before work begins.1

Florida’s owner-builder exemption allows qualifying homes for the owner’s own use and occupancy, with direct onsite supervision and a personally signed application; the exemption does not remove building permit or code requirements.5

Who issues building permits in Mulberry, and where do you apply?

Use the City of Mulberry Building Department for city building permit applications, with plans uploaded through the city’s Accela portal.1 New-construction applicants must provide plot plans showing existing and proposed structures and setbacks from every property line; the city may also require a survey.1 The city requests complete construction plans covering foundations, wall and roof sections, room dimensions and uses, and electrical, mechanical and plumbing details.1 Heated or cooled structures need signed Florida Energy Efficiency Calculations, and the new-construction checklist also requests engineered truss details.1 Applicants for other work must describe the intended scope to the Building Department.1

Does Mulberry have zoning, lot-size rules and setbacks?

All land inside Mulberry is subject to the city’s land-use provisions and Official Zoning Map.2 Mulberry’s residential district provisions cross-reference district-specific dimensional standards rather than supplying a single citywide lot size or setback.9 Ask the city Planning & Zoning Department for the parcel’s district and the applicable lot size, setbacks, height, lot coverage and dwelling-size standards before selecting a house plan.10

For zoning approval, Mulberry directs applicants to choose the appropriate city application and submit it with the applicable fee to the Planning & Zoning Department.10 For property outside city limits, use the Polk County guide for the county’s unincorporated-area zoning answer.11

How do septic permits work inside Mulberry?

Septic installation and repair inside Mulberry require a permit from DOH-Polk, rather than a city building permit alone.3 DOH-Polk evaluates, permits and inspects new and repaired septic systems, and septic tank permits are available through the Bartow Environmental Public Health Office.1213 Registered septic tank contractors or licensed plumbers may perform septic work; a homeowner may make repairs only at the homeowner’s personally occupied residence.3

Polk County’s soil data rates only 1.6% of soils “not limited” for conventional septic drain fields; that countywide rating calls for a site evaluation and potentially an engineered system, rather than proving septic is impossible on a Mulberry lot.14

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Mulberry?

Mulberry prohibits living, sleeping or housekeeping in recreational equipment parked or stored on a residential lot, or anywhere in the city not approved for that use.4 Mulberry allows RV parks through special-exception approval in the MH district and RV campgrounds through special-exception approval in the OR district.4 Buying a residential lot therefore does not provide an RV living option while a house is built.4

We could not confirm Mulberry’s classification or occupancy rules for tiny homes or accessory dwellings; ask the city Planning & Zoning Department to classify the proposed dwelling before buying or ordering it.10

Building a home in Mulberry: what are the steps, in order?

  1. Ask Mulberry Planning & Zoning to confirm the parcel’s district and the zoning approval application needed for your proposal.210
  2. Resolve wastewater approval with DOH-Polk if the home will use septic; installation requires a septic permit and evaluation.312
  3. Prepare the plot plan and complete construction plans required by Mulberry’s new-construction checklist, including energy calculations where the structure will be heated or cooled.1
  4. Upload the building permit application and plans into the city’s Accela portal, and ask the Building Department for the project’s inspection and occupancy requirements.1
  5. If acting as an owner-builder, arrange the required direct onsite supervision and satisfy the local permitting agency’s owner-builder requirements.5

What should you check before buying land in Mulberry?

Ask Mulberry’s utilities office how the proposed home will receive water and wastewater service: the city prefers individual water connections and meters for living units in residential projects, with master meters allowed only under the stated discretionary conditions.7 Well-construction applications for Mulberry go to the Southwest Florida Water Management District.6

Mulberry’s flood-hazard rules require manufactured homes to meet foundation, anchoring, elevation and installation standards.15 Temporary RV placement in a flood-hazard area must meet the duration or highway-ready conditions, but those conditions do not override the city’s residential-lot occupancy prohibition.154 Before assuming a parcel can be divided, note that Mulberry regulates subdivision lots crossed by rights-of-way and requires the applicable lot-size standard to be met on at least one side.16

Watch-outs

  • Mulberry’s flood-hazard provisions for temporary RV placement do not authorize RV living on a residential lot.154
  • We could not confirm Mulberry’s driveway approval process or off-grid sanitation options; ask the city Building Department and DOH-Polk before designing access or wastewater systems.113
  • Florida’s nonresidential farm-building exemption excludes residential dwellings and urban agriculture, and floodplain rules remain applicable.17

Sources

  1. City of Mulberry Building Department (cityofmulberryfl.org)
  2. Mulberry Unified Land Development Code, Article 2 general provisions (Mulberry), quoted and re-checked
  3. Florida Department of Health in Polk County, Septic Tanks—Onsite Sewage Treatment & Disposal Systems (Mulberry), quoted and re-checked
  4. Mulberry Unified Land Development Code, 3.08.01.02 Recreation Vehicle Parks and Campgrounds (Mulberry), quoted and re-checked
  5. 2026 Florida Statutes § 489.103, Exemptions (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  6. Southwest Florida Water Management District permitting staff (Mulberry), quoted and re-checked
  7. Mulberry Code of Ordinances, Sec. 19-26 Connections (Mulberry), quoted and re-checked
  8. F.S. 553.79 — Permits; applications; issuance; inspections (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Mulberry Unified Land Development Code, Article 2 general provisions (Mulberry), quoted and re-checked
  10. City of Mulberry Planning & Zoning Department (cityofmulberryfl.org)
  11. 2018 Eloise Community Redevelopment Plan Update, quoted and re-checked
  12. Florida Department of Health in Polk County, Septic Tanks—Onsite Sewage Treatment & Disposal Systems (Mulberry), quoted and re-checked
  13. Florida Department of Health in Polk County (DOH-Polk), Environmental Public Health (polk.floridahealth.gov)
  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. Mulberry Manufactured Homes (Mulberry), quoted and re-checked
  16. Mulberry Unified Land Development Code, 2.02.05 Requirements for Lots Divided by a Right-of-Way (Mulberry), quoted and re-checked
  17. Florida Statutes § 604.50, Nonresidential farm buildings; farm fences; farm signs (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

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 Mulberry

Mulberry’s own rules

  • InspectionsLimited

    Projects inside Mulberry city limits using a private provider for building-code inspection services.

    • Applies to private-provider inspection reports; the source does not establish the complete inspection schedule for all projects.
    • The City will not accept an inspection report that is required but not completed or signed.
    “All inspection reports shall be completely filled out and signed by the Private Provider or Duly Authorized Representative”
  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    Projects inside Mulberry city limits using a private provider.

    • For a private-provider project, a final private-provider certificate of compliance is submitted as the request for a certificate of occupancy.
    “Final - Private Provider Certificate of Compliance (request for Certificate of Occupancy)”
  • Local zoningPresent

    All land inside Mulberry city limits; the city administers land-use districts and the Official Zoning Map.

    “All land in Mulberry shall be subject to the provisions of this section, and shall be shown on the Official Zoning Map as provided in section 8.05.00.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts and the Official Zoning Map inside Mulberry city limits.

    • The code identifies R-1L, R-1H, MH, P-I, and O-R district provisions in the opened sections; district-specific dimensional standards are cross-referenced to section 2.04.01(B).
    “All land in Mulberry shall be subject to the provisions of this section, and shall be shown on the Official Zoning Map as provided in section 8.05.00.”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    RV parks and campgrounds inside Mulberry city limits.

    • RV parks require special-exception approval in the MH district.
    • RV campgrounds require special-exception approval in the OR district.
    “RV parks shall be permitted with special exception approval in MH district. RV campgrounds will be permitted with special exception approval in OR district.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured-home parks inside Mulberry city limits.

    • Parks may be permitted only in MH and P-I districts.
    • A site development plan is required.
    • The section's standards supersede normal residential-district development standards.
    “Manufactured (mobile) home parks may be permitted in MH and P-I districts with a site development plan.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater (with conditions)

    Residential-unit projects and mixed residential/nonresidential-unit projects connecting to the City of Mulberry water utility.

    • The quoted provision is a city commission policy preference, not a general availability-and-distance mandate.
    • Transient-type service residential-unit projects are excepted.
    • The utilities department may permit a master-meter system in its discretion.
    “have an individual connection to the city water utility and individual meter for service.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision plats inside Mulberry city limits that include a lot divided by a right-of-way.

    • The lot must meet the applicable size requirement on at least one side of the right-of-way.
    “No subdivision plat that includes a lot divided by a right-of-way shall be approved unless such lot meets the applicable size requirement”
  • Building in a floodplainLimited

    Manufactured homes, recreational vehicles, and park trailers placed or improved in flood-hazard areas inside Mulberry city limits.

    • Manufactured homes require licensed installation, permanent reinforced foundations, anchoring, elevation, and Florida Building Code Residential Section R322 compliance.
    • Temporary RV or park-trailer placement must be fewer than 180 consecutive days or meet the fully licensed, highway-ready, quick-disconnect and no-permanent-attachment exception.

    temporary placement duration: < 180 consecutive days (Alternatively, the RV or park trailer must be fully licensed and ready for highway use with quick-disconnect utilities and no permanent attachments.)

    “Recreational vehicles and park trailers placed temporarily in flood hazard areas shall: (1) Be on the site for fewer than 180 consecutive days; or (2) Be fully licensed and ready for highway use, which means the recreational vehicle or park model is on wheels or jacking system, is attached to the site only by quick-disconnect type utilities and security devices, and has no permanent attachments such as additions, rooms, stairs, decks and porches.”

Rules another office applies inside Mulberry

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

  • Who permits septicState (with conditions)

    Onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems inside Mulberry city limits, in Polk County.

    • The Florida Department of Health in Polk County administers permitting and inspection locally as part of the state health department.
    • DEP has been in charge of enforcing Florida laws and rules about OSTDS since July 1, 2021.
    “If you live outside these 16 counties, your local county health department will still handle septic system permitting and inspections.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Installation or repair of onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems inside Mulberry city limits.

    • Permits must be obtained from the health department to install or repair the system.
    • A homeowner may make repairs only on the homeowner's personally occupied residence.
    “Permits must be obtained from the health department to install or make repairs to these systems.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    New and repaired septic systems inside Mulberry city limits.

    • Owners or contractors with owner authorization may hire a private provider to perform OSTDS inspections starting July 1, 2022.
    “The Florida Department of Health in Polk County (DOH-Polk) inspects, evaluates, and permits the installation of all new and repaired septic systems in the county.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Use of onsite septic sanitation inside Mulberry city limits.

    • A health-department permit is required to install or repair an onsite system.
    • Only registered septic tank contractors or licensed plumbers may work on OSTDS, except the stated homeowner repair allowance.
    “Only Registered Septic Tank Contractors or Licensed Plumbers are permitted to work on Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems (OSTDS).”
  • Well permitRequired

    Well construction inside Mulberry city limits and Polk County.

    • SWFWMD is the permitting body identified for well-construction applications.
    • District applications may be submitted to any District Service Office; Polk County is served through the Bartow regulation office.
    “District applications for water use, well construction, and environmental resource permits may be submitted to any District Service Office.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — New residential construction inside Mulberry city limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Mulberry city limits.
  • Building code adopted — Building construction inside Mulberry city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family residential districts inside Mulberry city limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Single-family residential districts inside Mulberry city limits.
9 more unanswered
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals

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

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