Carports in unincorporated Palm Beach County require a building permit under FBC and must meet ULDC Article 4 setback requirements. Open carports must comply with FL Building Code wind load standards and may not be enclosed without a separate permit.
PBC Building Division requires a permit for any carport regardless of size because of FBC structural and wind load requirements. Open carports must be designed for ASCE 7 ultimate wind speeds (170 mph eastern PBC, 160 mph western PBC) with appropriate anchoring and connections. Setbacks under ULDC Art. 4 follow the principal structure setback in most residential districts; attached carports follow the side setback of the home. Front-yard carports are restricted in many districts and may require a variance. Aluminum and engineered fabric carports must carry Florida Product Approval. Enclosing an open carport (adding walls) converts it to garage or habitable space and requires a new permit and ULDC parking analysis. HOAs frequently prohibit carports in master-planned communities.
Unpermitted carport: stop-work, permit-after-the-fact at 4x fee, possible removal if FBC non-compliant. Front-yard violation requires variance or removal.
Palm Beach County, FL
Continuous or habitual barking that disturbs neighbors for 20 minutes or more is a code violation in unincorporated Palm Beach County under PBC Animal Care a...
Palm Beach County, FL
Aircraft noise from Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), Lantana Airport, and North County General Aviation is regulated by the FAA and is preempted from ...
Palm Beach County, FL
Palm Beach County ULDC §6.D.1 prohibits parking on unimproved surfaces in residential zones. No overnight street parking on county roads from 2 AM to 6 AM in...
Palm Beach County, FL
Palm Beach County permits residential Level 2 EV chargers as ordinary electrical work under the Florida Building Code. New commercial parking lots over 50 sp...
Palm Beach County, FL
Palm Beach County ULDC §14.B and FL §715.05 allow tagging of abandoned vehicles after 72 hours on public ROW or 48 hours on private property without owner co...
Palm Beach County, FL
Palm Beach County ULDC §6.D.1.A.4 limits RV and boat storage in residential zones to side or rear yards behind the front building line, screened from view. M...
See how Palm Beach County's carport rules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.