Tiny home rules in Sarasota, 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.
Florida Statute 553.73 makes the Florida Building Code the single, uniform construction standard for all permanent dwellings statewide, including tiny homes, preempting cities from setting different structural, fire, or life-safety construction requirements.
Under FS 553.73, every permanent residential structure in Florida, including tiny homes built on foundations, must comply with the Florida Building Code, Residential. Appendix Q of the FBC adopts the International Residential Code tiny-house provisions for dwellings under 400 square feet. Park-model RVs and tiny homes on wheels are regulated as recreational vehicles under FS 320 and FS 513 instead. While zoning, minimum dwelling size, and lot rules remain local, the construction code is statewide; no city may approve or deny a tiny home based on alternative construction standards.
Building without code compliance triggers stop-work orders, daily fines, and removal under local code enforcement boards using statewide FBC standards.
See how Sarasota's tiny homes rules stack up against other locations.
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