Okaloosa County, FL Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Density Bonus Law (2026)
Key Facts
- Max density bonus
- 5% above base zoning
- Max FAR bonus
- 0.20 additional floor-area ratio
- Landscape area reduction
- 15% down to 12%
- Review benefit
- Expedited staff review
- Governing section
- LDC § 3.04.06
Summary
Okaloosa County rewards water-efficient landscape design with real zoning incentives: a development or landscape plan that meets the county's water-efficient standards can earn up to a five percent density bonus, a 0.20 floor-area-ratio bonus, and a cut in the required landscaped-area percentage from 15 percent down to 12 percent, under Land Development Code section 3.04.06.
Any development/landscape plan which incorporates the minimum water-efficient design principles and standards established by this section will be granted special staff consideration and will be expedited through the landscape review portion of the site plan review process. Additional incentives will be granted from density/intensity and reduction in required landscape area percentage where applicant demonstrates compliance with section. Incentives include: - Maximum of five percent density bonus - Maximum of .20 FAR intensity bonus - Reduction of required landscape area percentage from 15 percent to 12 percent.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).
Full Breakdown
06, adopted by Ord. No. 11-01). Any development or landscape plan that incorporates the minimum water-efficient design principles set out earlier in the chapter, planting in water-use zones, limiting high-water-use turf to 50 percent of the landscaped area, capping impervious surfacing at 5 percent, using moisture sensors on automatic irrigation, and preserving native plant communities, qualifies for two layers of benefit. First, the plan receives special staff consideration and is expedited through the landscape review portion of site plan review, ahead of plans that do not demonstrate compliance.
20 in floor-area ratio, and a reduction of the ordinance's baseline 15 percent landscaped-area requirement down to as little as 12 percent of the site. These three incentives can be combined on a single project. 045, covering plant water-use zoning, turf placement, irrigation efficiency, and mulching, so a developer seeking the bonus must document compliance with those specific provisions in the submitted landscape plan rather than simply asserting a water-conscious design.
Violations & Fines
Section 3.04.06 is an incentive, not a mandate, so it carries no separate fine. A plan that claims the density, FAR, or landscape-percentage bonus without demonstrating compliance with the water-efficient design standards in sections 3.04.041 through 3.04.045 simply does not qualify: growth management staff can deny the bonus and require the plan to meet the standard 15 percent landscape-area baseline and the underlying zoning district's density and intensity limits instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much extra density can a water-efficient landscape plan earn in Okaloosa County?
Does the density bonus apply to residential or commercial projects?
Who reviews a landscape plan for the density bonus?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Okaloosa County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Okaloosa County to another location·View the Florida zoning overlays & bonuses overview
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