LAST UPDATED IN 2025
First, this is general information. If you really want to know for certain then call the Palm Beach county Planning & Zoning Department (561.233.5200) with your parcel ID and speak to the “planner on call”, then hire an engineer ot architect, then a builder. Use this link to get the zoning information for your property and jot it down (zoning, future land use, use and flood zone) or print it out. Tired of dealing with Realtors who don’t know details like this? Call Chris Ryder at 561-626-8550.
ALL of Palm Beach Country Estates is an ‘Exurban’ Tier, outside of the Urban Services Tier or ‘U/S Tier’. Generally speaking lots with a house on them are zoned AR or Agricultural Residential zoning district. (FYI houses in this designation have the use restrictions generally noted as being for a ‘residentially zoned’ districts). The Future Land Use is Rural Residential with one house per 2.5 acres or RR 2.5 and PBCE does NOT have a “Neighborhood Plan” like Jupiter Farms does. Note that a “conforming lot” in the AR zoning district is 300′ x 300′ or a little over 2 acres. Thus, if you are on a typical PBCE lot of 1.15 Acre lot then you are on an “existing non-conforming” lot. Thus, for most reading this, the information below asumes you are on a NON conforming lot.
The short answer: Yes, in Palm Beach Coutry Estates, and in fact now in ANY residentiall zoned property in Palm Beach County, one may have what is termed an “Accessory Quarters” BY RIGHT. For lots in unincorporated Palm Beach County that are over 1 acre in size one may build a mini house that is not separtely metered for electric from the main house, having under 1000 SF of air conditioned living space PLUS an additional 500 SF of area “under roof” like a garage, front or back COVERED porch being allowed. This must be built to correct elevation, being 2.5′ above the adjacent road for the homes in PBCE outside the Special Flood Hazard Area. They must be under 25′ in height, and must be built with at least 25′ set backs from the side and rear property lines and 100′ from the front property line. Yet, there is a possibility to build it in the front of the house though not “by right.”
The long answer. The residential properties in PBCE are MOSTLY AR (AR-2.5) zoned. ALL of PBCE is a ‘Exurban’ Tier, AND outside of the Urban Services or ‘U/S Tier.’ The Agricultural Residential zoning district is a residential district which, FYI, includes it in the use restrictions generally noted as being for a ‘residentially zoned’ districts and the use is residential.
Next we need to know the “Future Land Use” which for MOST of PBCE is Rural Residential 2.5 or “RR 2.5.” Thus the nomenclature on the Tables in the code of “AR- RR 2.5”. Armed with this we look at the Unified Land Development Code and the Palm Beach County Amendments to same.
Acessory uses are covered in Article 5. And for Residential Districts, like the AR and RE found in PBCE, we note that…
Residential Districts
Accessory structures shall be allowed subject to the requirements below, provided they are not located in an established easement or required landscape buffer unless exempted by Art. 5.F.2.A, Easement Encroachment.
a) Accessory Living Quarters
Accessory dwellings, such as Guest Cottages, Grooms Quarters, and other Accessory Quarters, shall meet the minimum setback in Table 3.D.1.A, Property Development Regulations, with the exception of properties with an RR FLU designation (Like the RR-10 in Jupiter Farms and PBCE) which shall be subject to a 25-foot side or rear setback. The front set back is 100′ and there IS a method to have one in the front yard of a property…
Table 3.D.1.A covers the required setbacks for MOST buildings…
But one must lok at the ever important foot notes…
Actually, first we must check that we can do ANYTHING because there are “max building coverage” requirements in the code which we see in the above Table is 20%.
So let’s look at an example. A lot that it 210′ wide X 240′ deep. This is 1.15 Acres and smaller than 300’x300′ and thus an ‘existing non conforming’ lot. Let’s assume it has a descent sized 4,000 sf house on it. This is the total size of the building(s) (ALL BUILDINGS) but would not include a pool or a screen enclosure UNLESS it has a solid roof. But if you have other structures on the lot, like a barn, with a solid roof then theese WOULD BE included in the lot coverage.
Looking at Table 1.F.2, we see that lot coverage must be less than 20%, so 0.2*210*240 = 10,080 sf. Hmm, that’s alot. In this example we could have an accessory builging that’s 10,080 – 4000 = 6,080 SF. HUGE! A good sized barn but we want to know about ADU’s now that we know we have over 4k SF of have lot coverage to use! Looking at table 4.B.1.D we see that for a Single Family Principle Use one may have BY RIGHT AN Accessory Quarters, Estate Kitchen, or a Guest Cottage…
What we are looking for is the “Accessory Quarters”…
Accessory Quarters
a. Definition
A complete, separate living facility equipped with a kitchen and provisions for sanitation and sleeping, located on the same lot as the owner-occupied principal dwelling.
b. Building Area
The use shall be subject to the following:
1) On less than one acre: a maximum of 800 square feet.
2) On one acre or more: a maximum of 1,000 square feet.
3) The floor area calculation shall include only the living area of the Accessory Quarters under a solid roof.
4) Additional floor area under a solid roof that is utilized as a porch, patio, porte-cochère, carport, or garage shall not exceed 500 square feet.
So, for our example one may have a 1,000 SF of living area (air conditioned building space) plus another 500 SF of porch, patio, porte-cochère, carport, or garage (non AC space) and it must be placed at least than 25′ from the both the rear and side property lines.
An “Estate Kitchen” is “A second kitchen located within a principal Single Family, Zero Lot Line, or Farm Residence.”
A “Guest Cottage” is much like an Accessory Quarters BUT it is intended only for sleeping and is WITHOUT a kitchen.
Last FYI is that the accessory building MAY NOT have separate utilities and that you will be charged Impact Fees in addition to the building permit fees.
