5 rules for unincorporated St. Johns County, Florida.
Verified from official government sources
St. Johns County allows an Accessory Family Unit on a single-family lot. It may not exceed the lesser of 35% of the main home or 2,000 square feet, though it may be at least 800 square feet, and it meets the main home's required yards.
A one-story storage shed of 120 square feet or less needs no building permit in St. Johns County under Florida Building Code Section 105.2, but it must still meet zoning setbacks and be anchored against hurricane wind loads.
Fla. Building Code, Building (8th ed.), §105.2
One-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar uses, provided the floor area does not exceed 120 square feet (11.15 m2).
Converting a garage into living space in St. Johns County requires a building permit under the Florida Building Code. The new room must meet residential egress, light, ventilation, alarm, and wind-load standards, and required off-street parking must be preserved.
A carport is an accessory structure in St. Johns County and needs a building permit. It meets the accessory setbacks — 3 feet from side and rear lines when 10 feet or more from the house — and must be engineered for hurricane wind loads.
St. Johns County, FL — Accessory Use Setbacks
Accessory uses are required to meet the minimum structure setbacks, unless it is separated from the main structure by ten (10) feet or more, then the required setback is three (3) feet from the side and rear lot lines. It cannot be located in any required front yard.
A tiny home on a permanent foundation must meet the full Florida Building Code as a dwelling, and St. Johns County sets no minimum house size beyond code. A tiny home on wheels is a recreational vehicle under Fla. Stat. §320.01, limited to RV parks.
Fla. Stat. §320.01(1)(b)
A recreational vehicle-type unit primarily designed as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel use, which either has its own motive power or is mounted on or drawn by another vehicle.
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