Martin County, FL Hurricane Preparedness: Roof Standards (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Hutchinson Island & Jupiter Island coastal zone
- Wind design
- 140 mph for major structures
- Mobile homes
- exempt from 140-mph rule, other standards apply
- Design pressure range
- 30 psf (0-5 ft) to 137 psf (1,000+ ft)
- Certification required
- FL-licensed architect or engineer
- Governing law
- Code of Ordinances § 21.246
Summary
Within Martin County's coastal building zone, covering Hutchinson Island and Jupiter Island, the coastal construction code requires major structures to be designed to withstand 140-mile-per-hour wind speeds. Mobile homes are exempt from that specific rule but must still meet federal manufactured-housing and flood-elevation standards.
21.246.A.Design and construction. All major structures, except mobile homes, shall be designed to withstand 140 mile-per-hour wind speeds. Major structures, except mobile homes, shall also comply with the applicable standards for construction found elsewhere in the Southern Standard Building Code. ... Coastal building zone shall mean those portions of Hutchinson Island and Jupiter Island within Martin County's jurisdiction.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 62 | Land Development Regulations: Supplement 62).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 246 of the Martin County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 21, Article 24 (Coastal Construction Code), sets the structural wind standard for the coastal building zone, defined in Sec. 244 as the portions of Hutchinson Island and Jupiter Island within Martin County's jurisdiction. Under Sec. 243, the rule reaches new construction and substantial improvement of major structures there, plus shoreline-altering work like excavation, grading and paving; a 'substantial improvement' is any repair or improvement whose cost equals or exceeds 50 percent of the structure's market value.
Sec. A requires all major structures except mobile homes to be designed for 140-mile-per-hour wind speeds and to meet the Southern Standard Building Code's construction standards. Sec. D sets the minimum horizontal wind velocity design pressures used to engineer that rating: the South Florida Building Code table referenced in the section requires at least 30 pounds per square foot for a structure 0 to 5 feet high, rising to 45 psf at 25 to 35 feet, 63 psf at 55 to 75 feet, and 137 psf above 1,000 feet.
Mobile homes are carved out of the 140-mph mandate by Sec. 823, plus the elevation and floodproofing rules of Sec. C, which requires compliance with the National Flood Insurance Regulations in 44 CFR parts 59 and 60 or the LDR's flood provisions, whichever is stricter.
Violations & Fines
This coastal code is enforced through the building permit process: Sec. 21.243.E requires every application for construction in the coastal building zone to be certified by a Florida-registered architect or professional engineer confirming the plans meet the 140-mph and related design criteria before the Building Official can issue a permit. Building without the required design certification, or to a lower wind rating than the coastal code demands, exposes the project to permit denial, a stop-work order, and Martin County's standard code-enforcement fine schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Martin County's 140-mph wind standard apply county-wide?
Are mobile homes required to meet the 140-mph design standard?
Who has to certify that a coastal-zone building meets the wind standard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Martin County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Martin County to another location·View the Florida hurricane preparedness overview
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