Brevard County ADU Rules (2026)

Brevard County (Space Coast) ADU rules under Code §62-1903, the conditional-use approval process, and coastal considerations.

By Andy West Updated July 18, 2026

Brevard County ADU Rules (2026) — At a Glance

Maximum ADU size

Zone-dependent; 50% of principal dwelling only as a fallback (§62-1903(d))

Minimum lot size

Not fixed -- must be consistent with your zoning classification's density standards

Short-term rental allowed?

Not addressed by §62-1903 itself -- no rental-term language appears in the ADU ordinance. ADUs are legally distinct from Brevard's older "guesthouse" use (§62-1932, which does bar separate-dwelling rental), so that rule doesn't automatically extend to ADUs. May be imposed case-by-case as a condition of the Board's conditional-use approval rather than a blanket code rule -- confirm with Planning & Development before relying on short-term rental income.

Owner-occupancy required?

Yes

Current ordinance status

Code §62-1903 (adopted Nov. 2024) governs; ADUs require individual Board of County Commissioners conditional-use approval

Typical permit timeline

10–14 weeks for plan review, plus a required BOCC public hearing

Detailed rules

Max ADU size	Zone-dependent; 50% of principal dwelling only as a fallback (§62-1903(d))
Min lot size	Not fixed -- must be consistent with your zoning classification's density standards
Setbacks	Not confirmed -- §62-1903 defers to Code §62-2100.5, verify with Planning & Development
Parking	Not addressed in §62-1903 -- verify with Planning & Development

Permit process

Permit office	Brevard County Planning & Development
Phone	(321) 633-2070
Online portal	https://www.brevardfl.gov/PlanningAndDevelopment
Typical timeline	10–14 weeks for plan review, plus a required BOCC public hearing
Typical fees	$1,700–$3,200 total

Cities in Brevard County ADU Rules (2026)

Incorporated cities may have rules that differ from the county. Click a linked city for its specific ordinance.

Melbourne
Palm Bay
Titusville
Cocoa
Cocoa Beach
Rockledge
Satellite Beach
Merritt Island — Merritt Island is unincorporated but has a distinct community identity.

Brevard County, Florida’s Space Coast, has the clearest economic case for ADUs in our coverage area. The surge in aerospace employment tied to Kennedy Space Center, Blue Origin, SpaceX, and the supporting contractor base has pushed rents and home prices up faster than most Central Florida counties, and workforce housing pressure is an active political concern.

That pressure produced a dedicated ADU ordinance, County Code §62-1903, adopted November 12, 2024 — newer than most Central Florida counties’ rules. The important process detail: an ADU in unincorporated Brevard isn’t a by-right administrative permit. It’s a conditional use requiring individual approval from the Board of County Commissioners, with a site plan, floor plan, and building-materials description submitted as part of the application, in a defined list of residential and agricultural zoning classifications. Budget for a public-hearing timeline, not just a plan-review timeline. Florida’s 2026 ADU preemption bill (SB 48) did not become law, so any further change to Brevard’s rules would come through the county’s own ordinance process rather than state mandate. See the Florida ADU law pillar (or in Spanish) for the statewide legal picture and the SB 48 post-mortem for the legislative record.

Coastal and base-proximity considerations

Brevard’s coastal parcels face the same flood zone elevation requirements as Volusia’s. Patrick Space Force Base and the Cape Canaveral security zones impose additional height and structural setbacks near the coast. For inland parcels in Melbourne, Palm Bay, Titusville, and the unincorporated mainland, ADU construction is substantially simpler.

Palm Bay has seen higher pre-application inquiry volume related to workforce housing. Expect some queue pressure at the permit office, but no state-law-driven deadline is forcing homeowners to act in any particular quarter.