A custom designed home has many advantages including scaling home to the impact fees (see below).
Although your design should not be compromised, for such a large investment to save $3000 to $5000, it does fit into your overall budget and should be considered. If your a satisfied and ready to start the design process, please start here.

If you’re building your own home in St. Johns County, you’ll be faced with more than the cost of materials and labor. You’ll also be receiving a bill or two from your local government. One significant bill relates to the impact fee to which all developers are subject.

Below is an explanation of this impact fee for residential homes, the main residential lot restrictions imposed by the municipalities of St. Johns County and the City of St. Augustine, and the schedule of fees.

The prices of homes in St. Johns County, Florida, is pretty high compared to most other counties in north-east Florida. That’s not entirely surprising. The county is blessed with A-rated schools, a comparatively low crime rate, the beautiful historic city of St. Augustine, wonderful beaches, and a good road network. Consequently, it’s a popular place to live and work.

However, one other reason for the higher house prices is the impact fee imposed on developers (and then passed on indirectly to home buyers). Surrounding counties have lower or no impact fees, but St. Johns County uses a residential impact fee as a revenue-raising tool. It’s a way of getting builders to pay towards the county’s cost of growth.

Think about it. Each new development has an impact on regional infrastructure and services such as water and sewer networks, police and fire department services, schools and libraries, so it’s only natural that municipalities look for ways to cover the additional cost of having more residents. However, some in the housing industry worry that impact fees will price some homeowners out of St. Johns County.

Residential Impact Fees

Conditioned Square Feet
Fees are subject to change
SJCFL Growth Management Impact Fees

Building Departments

I do the house plans. This is the design. The plans include floor plans and elevations. Engineering structural plans, truss engineering, contracting and building the home is done by others. The home owner, owner builder or contractor must find out all restrictions from the proper building department. Please make sure you call the correct department for your lot location (and please be very patient):

• St Johns County Planning & Zoning
  (904) 209-0675
• City of St. Augustine Planning and Building Department
  (904) 825-1065
• St Augustine Beach Building Department
  (904) 471-8758
• St. Johns County Floodplain Manager
  (904) 209-0627
• St. Johns County Land Development Code
• City of St. Augustine Planning & Building
• St. Augustine Beach Building Department