Lot Restrictions for Properties in St Johns County, FL

Ready to transform your vision into a custom house plan? Call me!

(904) 794-4500

What is a Lot Restriction?

Lot restrictions are imposed by municipalities to control the development of property within their borders. Developers must comply with these restrictions, which cover aspects like minimum lot width, minimum lot area, maximum lot coverage (i.e. how much of the lot your building can cover), setbacks, height restrictions, impervious structures, off-street parking and the number of buildings on a lot:

  • Lot Coverage by Buildings: Types of buildings or what constitutes a building is hard to clarify in the St. Johns County Land Development Code; however it is what it says, “by buildings”.
  • Impervious Surfaces: Any Building, concrete, pools, wet retention/detention areas, pavement
    or compacted materials utilized for parking or roadways.
  • Impervious Surface Area (ISA): the sum of all Impervious Surfaces within a portion or portions
    of a proposed Development site or Project.
  • Impervious Surface Ratio (ISR): the ISR shall be calculated by dividing the total Impervious
    Surface Area, exclusive of the surface area of any wet retention/detention areas, by the total area
    of the proposed Development site or Project.
  • Setbacks are imposed by municipalities to indicate how far a property must be from a boundary line or adjacent properties. In other words, you can’t build your home too near the street or your neighbor’s house. How near or far is determined by the setback.
  • Maximum height restrictions refer to the maximum height in feet of the structure to be built, from the peak of the roof to the lowest grade (ground) at a maximum of five feet from the perimeter of house.

Like most municipalities, St. Johns County divides its area into districts or zones. There are many different zone types. Each zone is identified by an abbreviation and subject to various ordinances and restrictions. Single family residential zones are abbreviated to RS-1, RS-2 and RS-3.

Restrictions are subject to change

St. Johns County, Florida Lot Restrictions

Restrictions are subject to change

 Zone Min. Lot Width Min. Lot Area Max. Lot Coverage by Buildings
RS-1 120 F 13,200 S.F. 25%
RS-2 90 F 10,000 S.F. 30%
RS-3 75 F 7,500 S.F. 35%
OR-Single Family 100 1 Acre 35%
 Zone ISA Setbacks Max. Height
RS-1 70% 30F/10S/15R 35
RS-2 70% 25F/8S/10R 35
RS-3 70% 25F/8S/10R 35
OR-Single Family 70% 25F/10S/10R 35

Building Departments

Important Note:
The client is responsible for acquiring property restrictions from the proper building department.
You will need to call the correct building department to find out all the restrictions for your specific lot.

Step Steps to Permit Who Does This
1 House Plans McConnell Custom Design
2 Truss Engineering Contractor or Owner Builder
3 Structural Engineering Contractor or Owner Builder
4 Permitting Contractor or Owner Builder

Creating a House Plan Yourself will NOT get you a Building Permit