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St. Johns County, FL Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

RS-E max coverage
20% on minimum 1-acre lot
RS-2 max coverage
25% on 13,200 sq ft lot
RG-1 single-family max coverage
30%
RG-2 single-family max coverage
35%
Impervious surface ceiling
70%, separate from lot coverage
Zero Lot Line PUD cap
50% (Sec. 6.01.04.B.7)
Enforcing agency
Growth Management, Building Services

Summary

St. Johns County caps building lot coverage by zoning district under LDC Table 6.01: as low as 20% in the RS-E estate district, rising to 25% in RS-2, 30% in RG-1 single-family lots and 35% in RG-2, alongside a separate 70% impervious surface ceiling that also covers driveways and patios. Growth Management enforces both limits on every building permit.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of St. Johns County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

Except as specifically provided elsewhere in this Code, regulations governing the Minimum Lot Width, Minimum Lot Area, Maximum Lot Coverage, Floor Area Ratio, Impervious Surface Ratio, Minimum Yard Requirements, and Maximum Height of Structures shall be established for the districts as shown in the following Table 6.01: ... Zoning Districts / Minimum Lot Widths / Minimum Lot Area / Maximum Lot Coverage by All Buildings / Floor Area Ratio / Impervious Surface Ratio / Min. Yard Req. Front/Side/Rear / Maximum Height of Structures ... RS-E 150 feet, 1 acre, 20%, N/A, 70%, 30/20/20 feet, 35 feet ... RS-2 90 feet, 13,200 square feet, 25%, N/A, 70%, 30/10/15 feet, 35 feet ... RG-1 SF Dwellings 75 feet, 10,000 square feet, 30%, N/A, 70%, 25/8/10 feet, 35 feet ... RG-2 SF Dwellings 75 feet, 7,500 square feet, 35%, N/A, 70%, 25/8/10 feet, 35 feet

Source: Florida StatutesView official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.

Full Breakdown

Table 6.01 in Section 6.01.01 sets a Maximum Lot Coverage percentage for every zoning district in unincorporated St. Johns County, applied on top of, and separately from, a 70% Impervious Surface Ratio ceiling that also counts driveways, walkways, pools and other paved or roofed surfaces. The estate-lot RS-E district allows only 20% building coverage on a minimum one-acre lot with 150 feet of width. RS-2 permits 25% coverage on a minimum 13,200-square-foot, 90-foot-wide lot. RG-1 single-family lots reach 30% coverage on a 10,000-square-foot lot, and RG-2 single-family lots reach 35% coverage on a 7,500-square-foot lot. Multi-family and commercial districts carry their own separate coverage or Floor Area Ratio figures further down the same table.

A separate rule outside Table 6.01 caps Zero Lot Line residential development, permitted only inside Planned Unit Developments under Section 6.01.04, at 50% lot coverage for all buildings under Section 6.01.04.B.7.

Section 6.01.01 is one of the sections the Planning and Zoning Agency is authorized to grant a Zoning Variance from under Section 10.04.02(4), where literal enforcement would create unnecessary and undue hardship and the variance is not contrary to the public interest; the PZA may attach conditions to any coverage variance it grants, and a denied or granted request bars a new petition on the same property for one year. A lot platted before July 29, 1999 with recorded Building Restriction Lines follows those lines for yard requirements, though the district's coverage percentage in Table 6.01 still applies to it.

Violations & Fines

A structure that exceeds its district's Table 6.01 coverage percentage is a Land Development Code violation under Part 10.05.00. The County Administrator issues a notice under Chapter 162, Florida Statutes, specifying the violation and required correction; uncorrected violations may be prosecuted as misdemeanors under Section 125.69, Florida Statutes, or cited under Chapter 162's citation procedure, with each day of continuing violation a separate offense. The Board of County Commissioners may also seek a circuit court injunction and recover its attorney fees from the violator.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the maximum lot coverage allowed in St. Johns County's RS-2 district?
In the RS-2 single-family district, Table 6.01 of LDC Section 6.01.01 caps Maximum Lot Coverage By All Buildings at 25%, on a minimum lot of 13,200 square feet and 90 feet of width. That figure is separate from the district's 70% Impervious Surface Ratio, which also limits driveways, patios and other paved area, so a homeowner must check both numbers before adding a structure.
Does the lot coverage limit include driveways and pools?
No. Lot coverage under Table 6.01 measures only the building footprint. Driveways, pools, patios and other paved or roofed surfaces are governed separately by the district's Impervious Surface Ratio, set at 70% for nearly every residential district in the table, so a lot can be within its building coverage cap and still need to track paved area separately.
Can a property owner exceed the Table 6.01 coverage limit?
Only with a Zoning Variance from the Planning and Zoning Agency under Section 10.04.02(4), granted where literal enforcement of Section 6.01.01 would cause unnecessary and undue hardship and the variance is not contrary to the public interest. The PZA can attach conditions, and a denied or granted variance request bars a new petition on the same property for one year.
What happens if a structure violates the coverage limit after it's built?
Growth Management issues a notice under Chapter 162, Florida Statutes, describing the violation and the required fix. If it isn't corrected in the stated time, the county can prosecute it as a misdemeanor under Section 125.69, Florida Statutes, cite it under Chapter 162, or ask the Board of County Commissioners to seek a circuit court injunction, with each additional day counted as a new violation.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in St. Johns County

All St. Johns County rules

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