Palm Beach County, FL Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)
Tiny home rules in Palm Beach County, FL, covering tiny houses on wheels (THOWs), park model RVs, and tiny home on foundation builds, determine where they are legal and how they get permitted.
Key Facts
- Max floor area
- 400 sq ft (excludes lofts)
- Min ceiling height
- 6'8" habitable rooms
- Min loft area
- 35 sq ft
- Min loft width
- 5 feet, any direction
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county areas
Summary
Palm Beach County allows tiny houses as small as 400 square feet under Florida Building Code Appendix Q, formally adopted into the county's own building code with reduced ceiling-height, loft, and stairway standards.
101.2.1 Appendices. ... Palm Beach County has adopted Appendix "Q" in the Florida Building Code, Residential Volume: Tiny Houses... AQ101.1 Scope. This appendix shall be applicable to tiny houses used as single dwelling units. Tiny houses shall comply with this code except as otherwise stated in this appendix. ... TINY HOUSE. A dwelling that is 400 square feet (37 m2) or less in floor area excluding lofts.
Full Breakdown
Palm Beach County Code § 7-52 adopts Florida Building Code, Residential, Appendix Q, letting a single dwelling unit as small as 400 square feet of floor area (lofts excluded) meet reduced construction minimums instead of standard code: 6'8" ceiling height in habitable space, lofts of at least 35 square feet with a 5-foot minimum horizontal dimension, and narrower stairway or ladder specs for loft access. It governs unincorporated Palm Beach County and any municipality that contracts with the county's Building Division for plan review; Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and Jupiter run their own building departments and adopt (or skip) Appendix Q on their own.
Violations & Fines
Building or occupying a tiny house without a permit, or below Appendix Q's ceiling, loft-area, or egress minimums, draws a stop-work order and code violation from the PBC Building Division, plus re-inspection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a tiny house in unincorporated Palm Beach County?
Does this apply inside Boca Raton or West Palm Beach?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palm Beach County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Palm Beach County to another location·View the Florida accessory structures overview
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