Pasco County requires a site development permit for grading/filling per LDC Chapter 900. Drainage cannot be diverted onto neighbors (common-law nuisance plus code violation). Retaining walls over 4 feet require engineered design and a building permit per Florida Building Code.
Pasco County regulates grading and drainage under Land Development Code (LDC) Chapter 900 and the Florida Building Code (FBC) 8th Edition (2023). Site development and grading permits are required for fill or excavation exceeding LDC thresholds (generally 50 cubic yards or any work altering drainage patterns). Lots must be graded to direct runoff away from structures and away from adjoining properties — diverting stormwater onto a neighbor constitutes both a code violation and a common-law private nuisance under Florida tort law. Retaining walls over 4 feet (measured from bottom of footing to top of wall) require engineered plans signed and sealed by a Florida-licensed professional engineer plus a building permit per FBC §1807. Compaction testing (typically 95% modified Proctor) required for structural fill. Final grade must match the approved plan before certificate of occupancy. Karst/sinkhole-prone sites may require geotechnical evaluation before deep fill. SWFWMD ERP may be triggered for projects altering flow.
Unpermitted grading: stop-work order plus fines up to $500/day under F.S. Ch. 162. Diverting drainage to neighbor: civil injunction risk plus code citation ($250+). Retaining wall over 4 ft without permit: stop-work, retroactive permit fees, possible removal order. Fill in wetland: FDEP enforcement.
Pasco County, FL
Pasco County unincorporated areas generally permit overnight on-street parking on residential roads, though vehicles must not obstruct traffic, sightlines, o...
Pasco County, FL
Pasco County prohibits abandoned, wrecked, or inoperable vehicles on public or private property. Vehicles without current registration or left 72+ hours on p...
Pasco County, FL
Pasco County requires building permits for retaining walls over 3 feet in height or walls retaining surcharge loads. Engineered plans by a Florida-licensed P...
Pasco County, FL
Pasco County Land Development Code permits wood, vinyl, aluminum, wrought iron, masonry, and chain-link fences in residential zones. Barbed wire is prohibite...
Pasco County, FL
Pasco County fire code requires vegetation management around structures, especially in wildland-urban interface areas of east Pasco (Dade City, San Antonio, ...
Pasco County, FL
Florida does not use California-style wildfire hazard zones, but Pasco County has significant wildland-urban interface risk. Florida Forest Service issues bu...
See how Pasco County's grading & drainage rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.