Daytona Beach Shores, FL Zoning, Building Permits & Septic

Daytona Beach Shores, Florida (Volusia County) has its own zoning, adopted in Chapter 14 of the city's Land Development Code¹. Building permits come from the city's Building Division, not the county². Septic permits come from the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County³. Living in an RV on a residential lot is prohibited inside city limits⁴.

At a glance

Zoning: Yes. The city adopts its own zoning (Land Development Code Chapter 14)¹
Building permits: Issued by the city Building Division, under the Florida Building Code²
Septic permits: Florida Department of Health in Volusia County³
RV living: Prohibited on residential lots⁴
Minimum home size: 1,000 sq ft in RSF-1 and RSF-2⁵⁶
Minimum lot (RSF-1 / RSF-2): 10,000 sq ft / 7,500 sq ft⁷⁸
Owner-builder: Florida allows owners to act as their own contractor on a one- or two-family home for their own use⁹
Property tax (Volusia County): 0.8% effective rate¹⁰

Who to call

Building permits

City of Daytona Beach Shores Building Division

Building permit applications, plan review, inspections and certificates of occupancy inside Daytona Beach Shores

386-763-5377

2990 S Atlantic Ave Daytona Beach Shores , FL 32118

Building permits

City of Daytona Beach Shores Building Department (work that requires a permit)

The city's list of repair and remodeling work that needs a permit, and the penalty for starting without one

Septic permits

Florida Department of Health in Volusia County – Environmental Public Health

Environmental public health contact for Volusia County's onsite sewage (septic) permitting program, which covers addresses inside cities too

386-274-0694

volusiahealthfacilities@flhealth.gov

P.O. Box 9190, Daytona Beach, FL 32120

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

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Does Daytona Beach Shores have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The incorporated area of Daytona Beach Shores is divided into zoning districts under the city's own Land Development Code¹. The residential districts we reviewed are RSF-1 and RSF-2 (single-family) and RMF-2 and RMF-3 (multi-family); the full district list was not reviewed¹¹.

In RSF-1, a lot needs at least 10,000 square feet and 85 feet of width⁷. In RSF-2, the minimum is 7,500 square feet and 50 feet of width⁸. A home in either district must have at least 1,000 square feet of floor area⁵⁶, so a small tiny home does not fit these districts as a dwelling.

RSF-1 setbacks are 30 feet in front, 25 feet in the rear and 10 feet on an interior side, with waterfront side yards of 25 feet on the river and 50 feet on the ocean¹². Buildings in both districts top out at 35 feet¹³¹⁴, and structures may cover no more than 35 percent of the lot¹⁵¹⁶.

Do you need a building permit in Daytona Beach Shores, and who issues it?

The City of Daytona Beach Shores Building Division processes building permit applications, issues permits, performs inspections and issues certificates of occupancy under the Florida Building Code². Inside city limits, the city handles building permits; Volusia County's permit center serves unincorporated land only.

The city's permit list is wide: remodels, roofing, fences, sheds, signs, demolition and electrical or plumbing changes all need one. Work started before a permit is issued is charged double fees plus a $100 penalty, and every permit ends with a final inspection¹⁷. We could not confirm the new-home permit steps or fee schedule on the city's pages, so call the Building Division at 386-763-5377 before you plan a build².

Florida lets an owner act as their own contractor on a one- or two-family home for their own use, with direct onsite supervision of unlicensed work; the home cannot be offered for sale or lease⁹.

How do septic permits work inside Daytona Beach Shores?

Septic permits for Volusia County addresses, including those inside cities, are issued by the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County, applied for separately from the building permit³. Florida requires a permit to install, modify, repair or abandon an onsite sewage system, and a site evaluation to judge whether the lot suits one¹⁸.

Soil is a real constraint across Volusia County: only 2.6% of soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system¹⁹. Florida also requires an existing septic system to connect to public sewer once one becomes available²⁰. We could not confirm whether a given lot in Daytona Beach Shores is on city sewer, so ask the Building Division before you rely on a septic design.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Daytona Beach Shores?

Not on a residential lot. City code says no recreational vehicle may be used for living, sleeping or housekeeping when parked or stored on a residential lot or any location not approved for that use⁴. Separately, parking a motor vehicle or trailer in the city at night to sleep in or camp is unlawful²¹.

RVs over 18 feet may not sit on a residential lot except in a carport, an enclosed building or behind the nearest part of a building to the street, with parking allowed up to 24 hours for loading, unloading or maintenance⁴.

We did not find a city rule specific to tiny homes. The 1,000 square foot minimum floor area in RSF-1 and RSF-2 is the practical limit on small dwellings⁵⁶. Ask the Building Division about any other structure.

Building a home in Daytona Beach Shores: the steps, in order

Confirm the zoning district, lot size, setbacks and the 1,000 square foot minimum floor area for your lot with the city¹⁵.
Check flood status. Development in flood hazard areas needs a floodplain development permit or approval and is inspected²².
Settle sewer or septic. If the lot needs septic, apply to the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County first³.
Apply for the building permit with the City Building Division, which processes applications and inspects the work².
Pass the final inspection and get a certificate of occupancy from the same division².

What to check before you buy property in Daytona Beach Shores

Ask the city which zoning district a parcel is in, since lot size, setbacks and waterfront yards differ by district¹¹. Waterfront side yards run 25 feet on the river and 50 feet on the ocean in RSF-1¹². Flood-zone work gets its own permit and inspections²².

County-level numbers: Volusia County's effective property tax rate is 0.8%¹⁰, and the median bill is $2,179 a year²³. A typical home insurance premium in the county is about $2,843 a year²⁴. For land outside city limits, see the Volusia County page.

Watch-outs

Volusia County's permit and zoning counters in DeLand serve unincorporated land; inside Daytona Beach Shores, building permits come from the city Building Division at 386-763-5377².
Work started before a city permit is issued costs double fees plus a $100 penalty¹⁷.
We could not confirm the city's new-home permit fees, its building code adoption article, or whether a given lot is on city sewer; call the Building Division before you buy².
RV living on a residential lot is prohibited, and sleeping in a parked vehicle or trailer at night anywhere in the city is unlawful⁴²¹.

Sources

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Daytona Beach Shores publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Volusia County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Daytona Beach Shores, Florida