What can I build on my lot in South Florida?

Zoning is local

Every city in South Florida writes its own zoning code. If your lot is outside any city, the county code applies. Two lots of the same size, one mile apart, can allow very different things.

The names change from place to place. The City of Miami uses a code called Miami 21, with zones such as T3-R or T4-L. Miami-Dade County uses districts such as RU-1 for single-family homes, RU-2 for two-family homes and RU-TH for townhouses. Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach each have their own names.

So the first step is always to find which city your lot is in, and which code it carries.

Find it in three steps

1. Look up your lot in the county property record. Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach each have a free property appraiser search. It gives you the parcel number, the lot size and the city.
2. Open the zoning map of that city. Most cities publish one online. Find your lot and write down the code.
3. Read the section of the zoning code for that district. The city publishes the code online too.

Or enter your address in our Land Check. It shows the area, the zoning and the flood zone of your lot from the same public sources.

Five lines to read

A zoning district says many things. Five of them decide what your lot can hold.

• Permitted uses. Single-family home, duplex, townhouses, apartments, shops.
• Density. How many homes are allowed on the lot, or per acre.
• Minimum lot size and width. A wide lot can often hold two homes where a narrow lot of the same area holds one.
• Setbacks. How far the building must stay from the street and from the neighbors. What is left is the area you can build on.
• Height and lot coverage. How tall the building can be, and how much of the ground it can cover.

Parking rules matter too. On a small lot, the number of parking spaces can limit the number of homes before anything else does.

What zoning leaves out

Zoning tells you what is allowed on paper. Other rules decide what really fits.

• Flood zone. It sets how high the first floor must be. See flood zone AE: can I build, and how high?
• Sewer or septic. A lot without a sewer line can hold fewer homes. On one lot we studied, the zoning allowed six townhouses and the septic rules brought it down to four.
• Trees. Many cities protect large trees. Removing them needs a permit and can cost money.
• Easements and the plat. A utility line or an old plat note can remove part of the area you can build on.
• Historic districts. In some neighborhoods a board reviews the design, and demolition can be limited. We are working in one now: the design goes to a historic board before any permit.

Can the zoning change?

Yes, but do not count on it. A rezoning or a variance goes through public hearings. It takes months, it costs money, and the answer can be no.

A buyer who offers a price “subject to rezoning” is asking you to wait while he tries. Ask how long, and what happens to your land if he fails.

What to do with the answer

Once you know what the lot can hold, you can compare your options properly. We explain them in sell your land or build on it?