Accessory Structures in Florida (2026)

Cape Coral does not currently permit traditional accessory dwelling units (ADUs) with full kitchens. Under Land…

Coral Gables strictly regulates accessory dwelling units through its Zoning Code and Board of Architects review. ADUs…

Miami Beach restricts ADUs under its Land Development Regulations. ADUs are permitted only in certain single-family…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County allows accessory dwelling units (called Guest Cottages or Servant Quarters) under PBC…

In the City of Satellite Beach, no accessory structure may be built or used as a separate dwelling unit. City Code…

Seminole's land development code restricts accessory dwelling units. Most single-family zones allow only one principal…

Brevard County allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot in unincorporated areas, but only with an approved…

Unincorporated Flagler County does not allow a general accessory dwelling unit; it permits 'guest/servant quarters'…

A garage apartment, an accessory dwelling combining vehicle storage with a separate living unit, is allowed in Port…

Tampa allows an accessory dwelling unit only as a discretionary special use under Sec. 27-132, capping every unit at…

Alachua County permits one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) per principal residence in zoning districts A, RE, RE-1…

Apopka allows accessory dwelling units in certain residential zones subject to lot size, owner-occupancy, and Florida…

Boynton Beach allows accessory dwelling units in select single-family zoning districts as conditional uses. ADUs must…

Broward County permits accessory dwelling units in several zoning districts, typically capped at 800 square feet or 40…

Charlotte County allows one accessory dwelling as a conditional use tied to a single-family home, never as a separate…

Unincorporated Citrus County allows one accessory dwelling unit per residential lot, styled as a guest cottage or…

Clearwater allows one accessory dwelling unit per conforming residential lot under Article 3, capped at 750 square feet…

Collier County permits a detached guesthouse as an accessory use, but renting or leasing it is prohibited. It requires…

Accessory dwelling units in Coral Springs are governed by the city's Land Development Code accessory-structure…

Dade City allows one accessory dwelling unit per single-family lot in residential districts, capped at 33 percent of…

Within Davie's Regional Activity Center districts near Nova Southeastern University and Davie Road, one accessory…

Daytona Beach allows one accessory dwelling unit per single-family lot under Land Development Code Section 5.3.C.32…

Deltona allows accessory dwelling units (granny flats) in A, RE-5, RE-1, R1-AAA, AA, A, and R1 zones under Sec…

Doral permits accessory dwelling units in certain residential zoning districts under its Land Development Code. ADUs…

Escambia County's Land Development Code allows accessory dwelling units on single-family lots in most mainland zoning…

Fort Lauderdale permits an accessory dwelling (granny flat) only as an accessory to a single-family home in specified…

Fort Myers allows one non-commercial guesthouse per single-family lot in RS-E, RS-5, RS-6, RS-7, RS-D, RM-12 and RM-16…

Gainesville allows one attached and one detached accessory dwelling unit per lot, exempt from density calculations…

Hialeah ADU regulations follow Miami-Dade County standards. ADUs permitted in qualifying zones inside the Urban…

Hillsborough County requires accessory dwelling units to sit on a conforming lot of at least 7,000 square feet and caps…

Homestead allows accessory dwelling units (granny flats, in-law suites) subject to zoning and building code…

Jacksonville §656.403 permits ADUs in single-family residential districts. Max size: lesser of 25% of principal…

Jupiter permits accessory dwelling units (guest cottages) in certain residential zones as conditional uses, subject to…

Kissimmee allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot in most residential zoning districts, but the principal home must…

Unincorporated Lake County allows one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) per lot in agricultural and residential districts…

Largo permits accessory dwelling units in certain residential districts when they comply with size, setback…

Lee County allows one accessory apartment or one accessory dwelling unit per principal single-family residence. Living…

Leon County allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot in every zoning district under Sec. 10-6.803(b), capped at 800…

In unincorporated Manatee County, a detached accessory dwelling unit may be placed under the Land Development Code. It…

In unincorporated Marion County, an accessory dwelling unit is regulated as a 'family/guest cottage/apartment' under…

Martin County treats accessory dwelling units two ways. Countywide, LDR 3.51 allows them only as part of a…

Melbourne's zoning code Appendix B, Article VII addresses accessory and temporary uses and structures including ADUs…

Miami allows one ancillary dwelling unit on single-family lots under Miami 21 Section 3.18, capped at two stories (one…

Florida Senate Bill 184 (effective July 1, 2025) mandates all local governments permit at least one ADU per…

Miami-Dade County allows ADUs in AU, EU, and RU districts within the Urban Development Boundary. RU-1 requires minimum…

Miramar allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot as an accessory to a single-family detached home, capping it at…

Nassau County allows one accessory dwelling by right on any residentially zoned lot that permits a single-family home…

New Port Richey allows one accessory apartment per single-family lot, built into the main house and capped at 25% of…

North Port allows one accessory dwelling unit per residential lot, capped at 800 square feet or 65% of the primary…

Ocoee allows accessory dwelling units in certain single-family zoning districts subject to lot size minimums…

Guest houses and garage apartments are permitted accessory dwelling units in every zoning district in unincorporated…

Orange County allows accessory dwelling units on many single-family lots subject to zoning district, lot size, and…

Orlando permits accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in many residential zoning districts under Land Development Code…

Ormond Beach permits one accessory dwelling unit per residential lot under Land Development Code § 2-50. The unit must…

Unincorporated Osceola County allows one accessory living unit (ALU) or guest home per conforming lot. It may be rented…

Palm Bay allows one accessory dwelling unit per single-family lot where the zoning district's Table 173-1 permits it…

Unincorporated Pasco County allows one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) per lot in zoning districts that permit…

Pembroke Pines lets a single-family lot add one accessory dwelling unit under Code of Ordinances § 155.621(A)(7), sized…

Unincorporated Pinellas County caps accessory dwelling units at 1,000 square feet (750 in coastal storm or flood hazard…

Pinellas Park permits accessory dwelling units in eligible residential zoning districts under Land Development Code…

Plantation permits accessory dwelling units by right in single-family, duplex, and PRD districts under Code Section…

In unincorporated Polk County an accessory apartment, garage apartment, or guest house is allowed as an accessory use…

Pompano Beach allows one ADU per single-family lot under §155.4303.A, capped at the lesser of 1,000 sq ft or 25% of the…

Port St. Lucie defines an accessory dwelling unit but does not list one among the accessory uses allowed in…

Safety Harbor regulates accessory dwelling units through its Land Development Code under special regulations for…

Unincorporated Santa Rosa County allows a guest cottage (accessory dwelling / ADU) in every residential district. It…

The City of Sarasota, Florida caps accessory dwelling units at one per zoning lot, 650 square feet of floor area, and…

Sarasota County allows one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) per lot in its RSF and RE residential districts, but caps it…

Unincorporated Seminole County allows accessory dwelling units under Land Development Code Sec. 30.6.1.3, but the owner…

The St. Lucie County Land Development Code has no separate ADU or guest-house use; a second living unit is treated as…

St. Johns County's accessory-dwelling equivalent is the Guest House: a detached unit for a non-paying guest or family…

St. Petersburg permits accessory dwelling units in many residential districts under Land Development Regulations Sec…

Sumter County allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot in agricultural and residential zones. The parcel must be at…

Florida sets no ADU mandate, and Sunrise does not provide for separate accessory dwelling units in single-family…

Tarpon Springs allows accessory dwelling units in certain residential zoning districts subject to size…

Temple Terrace permits accessory dwelling units in limited residential zones subject to lot size, setback…

Titusville's Land Development Regulations govern accessory dwelling units. ADUs may be permitted in certain residential…

Volusia County allows one accessory dwelling unit per single-family parcel in most residential and agricultural zoning…

West Palm Beach allows accessory dwelling units in most single-family zoning districts under City Code §94 (Land…

Winter Haven's zoning code does not carve out a standalone accessory dwelling unit permit process; the one place an…

Accessory dwelling units in Zephyrhills are regulated under LDC Part 7.09.29 (Accessory Dwelling Units). The city has…

Tallahassee allows accessory dwelling units in all zoning districts if every standard in section 10-412 is met. An ADU…

Cape Coral counts a permitted, approved accessory dwelling unit as its own "residential dwelling unit" for impact fee…

Citrus County charges a $2,401.00 impact fee on every new accessory dwelling unit, due at the time a building permit or…

Lake County lets homeowners defer educational impact fees on a new accessory dwelling unit under Lake County Code §…

Miami-Dade County charges its countywide mobility impact fee on every building permit application, including new…

Every accessory dwelling unit approved in Miramar triggers impact fees covering police and fire protection, water and…

North Port has no separate impact fee line for accessory dwelling units: the city treats a new ADU as an added dwelling…

Accessory dwelling units in unincorporated Orange County are charged impact fees at the same rates set in the county's…

Orlando doesn't charge a flat impact fee for adding an ADU -- Sec. 56.06(K) bases the Transportation Impact Fee only on…

Palm Bay charges impact fees on an accessory dwelling unit as if it were a separate mobile home, not folding it into…

An accessory dwelling unit in unincorporated Volusia County can carry its own water, sewer, and electric meters, but…

In unincorporated Flagler County, an accessory dwelling unit only gets its county impact fees waived if it is part of a…

Fort Myers bars renting a registered garage apartment unless the owner lives in the main house as a full-time…

Hillsborough County requires the principal home on any lot with an accessory dwelling unit to be owner-occupied, a…

Kissimmee only allows an accessory dwelling unit where the main house is owner-occupied and holds a valid homestead…

Lake County allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot in Agricultural and residential zoning districts, but only if…

Tampa will only approve an accessory dwelling unit special use permit if the property owner actually resides on the…

Volusia County will only allow an accessory dwelling unit on a lot where the principal single-family home is…

Daytona Beach requires that either the principal house or the accessory dwelling unit on the lot be owner occupied…

Miami requires an ancillary dwelling unit and the main house to stay under the same owner, and the ADU can only be…

North Port requires an accessory dwelling unit and the primary home on the same lot to stay under one owner, unless the…

Orange County Code Sec. 38-1426(2)c.2 requires an accessory dwelling unit and its primary home to stay under single…

Palm Bay requires the property owner to actually live in either the main house or the accessory dwelling unit: you…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County lets homeowners build one Accessory Quarters unit by right, but the code defines it as…

Pinellas County requires that either the primary house or the accessory dwelling unit on a single-family lot be…

Building a new accessory dwelling unit in Sarasota's RSF-E, RSF-1, RSF-2, RSF-3 or RSF-4 zones requires a sworn…

Charlotte County's zoning code lets residents build one accessory guest home beside a single-family house, but the…

Fort Myers bars new garage-apartment rentals in single-family zoning outside the Dean Park Historic District; only…

In unincorporated Highlands County, a guesthouse built as an accessory to a single-family home is allowed only if the…

Renting a Miami ancillary dwelling unit requires a building permit, certificate of occupancy, and an annual ADU…

Orange County bans renting or leasing an accessory dwelling unit for 30 days or less, except in the R-3 zoning…

St. Petersburg bars accessory dwelling units from operating as short-term rentals: City Code § 16.50.010.4 says an ADU…

An accessory dwelling on unincorporated Broward land isn't just a size question, it's a rental-affordability…

If a Daytona Beach homeowner rents out an accessory dwelling unit, the Land Development Code requires a written lease…

In Jupiter's Mixed Use Development District, an auxiliary dwelling unit may be rented out as a separate residence, but…

Accessory dwelling units in unincorporated Miami-Dade County must be rented for at least one month at a time…

If a City of Sarasota accessory dwelling unit in an RSF-E, RSF-1, RSF-2, RSF-3 or RSF-4 zone will be rented, the…

Tampa caps an accessory dwelling unit at two unrelated occupants at any time. Sec. 27-132(d) blocks group-house or…

Miramar's Land Development Code lets homeowners rent out an accessory dwelling unit to anyone, not just relatives, but…

In unincorporated Brevard County, a detached accessory building or shed can't exceed 600 square feet or 50 percent of…

In unincorporated Broward County, accessory buildings like sheds must sit at least 5 feet from side and rear property…

Cape Coral caps accessory sheds and greenhouses at 15 feet in overall height and 200 square feet of floor area under…

Charlotte County requires a building permit for almost every shed: even one 100 square feet or smaller. Only plastic or…

A shed or other accessory structure on Citrus County residential land needs a permit before it goes up, must not sit on…

Cocoa bars sheds and other accessory structures from any required front or side yard, limits them to 24 feet in height…

In unincorporated Collier County, a detached shed or utility building must sit at least 10 feet from the rear lot line…

Coral Gables treats a backyard shed as an accessory structure: in the Single-Family Residential district it must meet…

Sheds and other detached accessory structures in Dade City must sit in the rear yard, at least 10 feet from the rear…

Davie caps unair-conditioned storage sheds at 150 square feet, requires a 5-foot side and rear setback, and mandates…

On single-family lots in Daytona Beach's SFR-5 district, detached sheds and other accessory structures are capped at 20…

Deltona caps residential sheds at 240 square feet each, 15 feet tall, and two per lot on parcels of 20,000 square feet…

A shed or other residential accessory structure in Doral must be subordinate to the house it sits behind: it can't push…

In unincorporated Escambia County, sheds and other accessory structures are limited to side and rear yards and are…

In unincorporated Flagler County, Florida, a detached shed or accessory building is capped at 12 feet in height, must…

Carports in Fort Myers are accessory structures and must meet the same setbacks as the main building, never within the…

A backyard shed or other accessory structure in Gainesville can't be built before the main house exists, can't exceed…

A Gulfport homeowner may put one storage building up to 80 square feet and 8 feet tall in a required rear or side yard…

Hialeah caps a residential utility shed at 100 square feet and 8 feet tall, requires it to sit in the rear yard on a…

A shed or other detached accessory building on a residential lot in unincorporated Highlands County can't sit in the…

Carports in unincorporated Hillsborough County are accessory structures capped at 15 feet high and kept out of front…

Hollywood limits accessory sheds to one per property, capped at 200 square feet, and keeps them out of front yards and…

Homestead limits accessory buildings like sheds and detached garages to 5 percent of the remaining net land area in the…

Garden sheds and toolhouses are permitted accessory structures in Jacksonville but must meet height-based setbacks from…

A backyard shed in Jupiter cannot exceed 144 square feet or eight feet in height, and it must sit at least three feet…

Sheds and other accessory structures in Kissimmee must sit at least six feet from the rear property line, meet…

In unincorporated Lake County, a shed must sit on a lot with a lawful home, stay out of required setbacks and buffers…

In unincorporated Lee County a residential shed must sit at least five feet from the rear property line, and no closer…

Leon County's land development code caps the size of sheds and other accessory structures by zoning district under Sec…

In unincorporated Manatee County, sheds accessory to a home may total up to 400 square feet of aggregate floor area. A…

Martin County caps a residential utility storage shed at 250 square feet of floor area in every zoning district under…

Melbourne caps backyard sheds and other detached accessory structures at 15 feet in height, limits how many a lot can…

Miami classifies a carport as an Ancillary Building, so it must sit within the setback line for ancillary structures in…

Miami-Dade County caps utility sheds at 400 square feet per lot in unincorporated areas, with a relaxed 5-foot setback…

Miramar's Table 505-1 accessory-use standards cap utility sheds at 240 square feet and 10 feet tall, but only in the…

A tool or garden shed in unincorporated Nassau County is an accessory structure, and Land Development Code § 28.15 caps…

New Port Richey limits detached storage buildings and greenhouses to side and rear yards, bars them from any required…

North Port bans carports as the sole parking structure in the R-1 district: a single-family lot there needs an enclosed…

Orange County exempts small, owner-built detached accessory structures like tool sheds, storage sheds and gazebos from…

Orlando scales a shed's rear-yard setback to its size and height under Section 58.901, from zero feet for a small, low…

In unincorporated Osceola County, ancillary accessory structures such as sheds must sit at least 5 feet behind the…

Sheds in Palm Bay can't exceed half the home's living area, and sheds, gazebos or pergolas over 120 square feet need a…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County requires a building permit before you erect a shed of any size: the county's own…

In unincorporated Pasco County, accessory buildings and structures (including sheds) must be set back at least 5 feet…

Pembroke Pines allows one shed per residential lot under Code of Ordinances § 155.620(C)(1), and Table 155.620 caps a…

Unincorporated Pinellas County treats a storage shed as a stand-alone, non-inhabitable structure up to 200 square feet…

Plantation caps utility sheds on single-family lots at 150 square feet of floor area, or 5% of the home's gross floor…

A storage shed in unincorporated Polk County is an accessory structure that must sit in the side or rear yard and meet…

Pompano Beach caps backyard storage sheds at 10 feet in height and limits size to 20% of the principal structure's…

Port Orange, Florida caps a residential storage building at ten feet in height, with a setback that scales by size…

Section 158.217(C)(2)p caps a carport at 200 square feet on lots under 18,500 square feet and 400 square feet of total…

A carport is an accessory structure in the Santa Rosa County LDC. On subdivision lots a detached carport more than 10…

The City of Sarasota, Florida permits garden sheds and tool houses as accessory structures by right in every…

In unincorporated Sarasota County, detached accessory structures such as sheds may not exceed 20 feet in height (or the…

In the City of Satellite Beach, a storage shed or other enclosed accessory building is capped at 400 square feet and 18…

In unincorporated Seminole County, a small shed under 200 square feet and under 12 feet tall keeps your zoning…

In unincorporated St. Lucie County, a storage shed is an accessory structure. Under LDC 8.00.02(B) all accessory…

A carport is an accessory structure in St. Johns County and needs a building permit. It meets the accessory setbacks, 3…

St. Petersburg allows one exempt storage shed per single-family lot: § 16.50.020.4.1 waives architectural-matching…

Sumter County caps a residential storage building at 1,000 square feet and requires a building permit before it goes…

Sunrise requires a city building permit for every new or replacement shed: there is no small-shed exemption. A storage…

A shed or other accessory structure in Tallahassee must sit at least 10 feet from every property line, stay out of the…

A backyard tool or storage shed in Tampa skips a building permit only if it's one story and 120 square feet or less…

Titusville's Land Development Regulations let homeowners across every residential zoning district build a detached…

Volusia County's Code of Ordinances § 72-2 defines a carport as an accessory structure, which pulls a detached carport…

Residential accessory buildings in West Palm Beach, including sheds, are capped at 1,000 square feet or 75 percent of…

Winter Haven allows sheds, detached garages, gazebos and other accessory structures only in the rear or side yard, per…

A single storage shed built for a legal residential use in unincorporated Alachua County doesn't need a building permit…

Hernando County dropped the zoning permit for sheds with impervious roofs of 120 square feet or less under Ordinance…

Unincorporated Marion County allows sheds, storage buildings, and detached carports not exceeding 12 by 12 feet to be…

Okaloosa County lets a storage shed of 200 square feet or less go up without a building permit in any zoning district…

Sunrise prohibits converting an existing garage in a residential district into a habitable room, under LDC Sec…

Fort Myers bars new garage-apartment conversions in every single-family zoning district except the Dean Park Historic…

Cape Coral bars homeowners from converting a required garage or storage area into living space unless a replacement…

Converting a garage into living space in unincorporated Collier County needs a building permit, and adding a kitchen…

Escambia County has no standalone garage-conversion ordinance. Turning a garage into a second living unit is treated as…

Converting a garage to living space in Fort Lauderdale is reviewed under the ULDR accessory-dwelling standards and the…

Garage conversions to ADUs in Hialeah follow Miami-Dade standards. Min 5,000 sq ft lot, 220 sq ft habitable. Building…

Lake County's LDR has no stand-alone 'garage conversion' rule. Converting a garage into separate living quarters is…

Convert a garage and the space follows the rules for the part of the house it belongs to. Attached accessory space…

No Marion County-specific ordinance separately addresses garage conversions; converting a garage to habitable space is…

Miramar lets homeowners convert a detached garage or other accessory structure into an accessory dwelling unit, but…

North Port bars converting a garage to living space in the R-1 zoning district unless a replacement garage is built…

Converting a garage into living space in unincorporated Osceola County is treated as an accessory living unit or added…

Palm Bay lets homeowners convert an attached garage to living area only if replacement parking is provided on-site and…

Unincorporated Palm Beach County lets you convert a garage or carport to living space, but only if you replace the lost…

A garage may be converted to living space in unincorporated Pasco County only as an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) under…

Pembroke Pines lets a homeowner turn an attached garage into a legal accessory dwelling unit, but the Land Development…

Converting a garage into living space or a garage apartment in unincorporated Polk County is treated under the LDC…

Port St. Lucie requires every single-family home to have a garage or carport of at least 200 square feet at certificate…

Converting a detached garage or accessory building into living space in the unincorporated county turns it into a guest…

Converting a garage into living space in Sarasota is allowed as one of four ways to create an accessory dwelling unit…

Converting a garage to living space in unincorporated St. Lucie County is a Florida Building Code change-of-use needing…

Converting a front-facing garage into an ADU or accessory living space is allowed, but City Code § 16.50.010.5.2…

West Palm Beach only allows a detached garage to be converted into a dwelling unit if the resulting unit is a permitted…

Florida Statute 553.73 makes the Florida Building Code the single, uniform construction standard for all permanent…

Port St. Lucie sets a minimum house size in every residential district, so a very small dwelling will not qualify as a…

Palm Bay allows tiny home development only within planned unit developments, letting an all-tiny-home PUD use a…

Unincorporated Pinellas has no general tiny-home ordinance. Tiny homes are permitted only inside a special-exception…

Titusville allows tiny houses, defined as detached homes with less living area than the district minimum, only as…

Unincorporated Brevard requires a permit, engineered anchoring, and utility hookups before a tiny house on wheels can…

Escambia County has no separate tiny-home ordinance. A tiny house on a permanent foundation is a dwelling under the…

Gainesville regulates tiny houses used as single dwelling units under Code § 6-4, capping floor area at 400 square feet…

Lake County has no dedicated 'tiny home' category. A permanent tiny house is treated as a small single-family dwelling…

The Land Development Code has no tiny-home category. A small second unit behind a house is an accessory dwelling unit…

Florida SB 184 (effective July 2025) requires all municipalities to permit ADUs including tiny homes on permanent…

Miramar's Land Development Code defines a tiny home as any residential structure under 600 square feet, then sets its…

Nassau County's Land Development Code § 28.24 creates a tiny home development program for the unincorporated area…

Osceola County has no dedicated 'tiny home' category. A permanent tiny house is treated as a dwelling that must meet…

Palm Beach County allows tiny houses as small as 400 square feet under Florida Building Code Appendix Q, formally…

Polk County has no separate tiny-home ordinance. A tiny house on a permanent foundation must meet the Florida Building…

The Santa Rosa County LDC defines a tiny home as a single-family residential structure under 400 sq ft on a permanent…

St. Lucie County has no tiny-home ordinance. A site-built tiny house on a foundation is a dwelling under the Florida…

North Port's Unified Land Development Code names tiny homes as an allowed housing type in the Residential, Medium (R-2)…