Pinellas County, FL Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Flat roof measured to
- roof surface
- Pitched roof measured to
- peak/eave midpoint
- Chimney/tower allowance
- +20 feet above limit
- Parapet wall allowance
- +4 feet above limit
Summary
Pinellas County measures building height from average existing grade, and lets chimneys, towers and flagpoles rise up to 20 feet above the zoning district's height limit.
(b)Chimneys, water, fire, radio and television towers, smokestacks, flagpoles and similar structures and their necessary mechanical appurtenances, such as elevator shafts, ventilation equipment, etc., may be erected to a maximum of 20 feet above the height limits established in this chapter;(c)Parapet walls constructed on buildings with flat roofs shall be permitted to extend not higher than four feet over the maximum height specified for the zoning district in which the building is located. Portions of the parapet walls, fences, or other building elements that are intended to screen mechanical equipment or similar features shall be exempt from height limits to the extent that they provide screening.(d)The heights of these structures or appurtenances thereto shall in no case exceed the height limitations prescribed by the Federal Aviation Administration within the flight approach zone patterns of airports. Approval by the Federal Aviation Administration of such structure heights shall be required when structures are located within the flight approach zones of airports (see airport zoning regulations).(e)These standards shall not apply to signs, billboards or amateur radio antennas protected under F.S. ch. 125. (Ord. No. 18-36, § 3(Att. B), 10-23-18)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 124).
Full Breakdown
County Code § 138-3501 sets how building height is measured in unincorporated Pinellas County: from the mean existing grade to the roof surface on flat roofs, or to the midpoint between peak and eave on pitched roofs, with base flood elevation substituted in flood hazard areas. The base height limit itself comes from the zoning district's dimensional table, but chimneys, towers, flagpoles and similar mechanical appurtenances may rise up to 20 feet above that limit, and flat-roof parapet walls may extend up to four feet above the district's maximum height. Structures must still clear FAA height limits within airport flight approach zones.
Violations & Fines
Building over the district height limit, or exceeding the 20-foot appurtenance or four-foot parapet allowances, is a building/zoning code violation subject to Code Enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is building height measured in unincorporated Pinellas County?
Can a chimney exceed my zoning district's height limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pinellas County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Pinellas County to another location·View the Florida building setbacks & zoning overview
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