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St. Petersburg, FL

St. Petersburg Backyard Cottages: Lot Size, District and Plans

Whether a St. Petersburg lot can hold a separate cottage for your parent depends on its zoning district and its size, so check both before looking at designs.

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62The age at least one parent or grandparent must have reached for the living quarters reduction in Florida Statute 193.703
50%Of a structure's market value, the cost at which 44 CFR 59.1 makes an addition a substantial improvement
16 townsCovered across Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties, each with its own local rules set out on its page
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Detached ADUs quote in St. Petersburg

Who the space is for, whether it needs a kitchen, and the address. With those three answers we can say which city or county rules govern the lot before a contractor draws anything.

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Five short questions about who the space is for and what it needs to hold, then where to reach you. Most people finish in about a minute.

Question 1What are you thinking of building?

Pick the closest. If you are not sure yet, that is exactly what we help sort out.

Question 2Who will live in it?

This matters more than it sounds. In Florida the answer can change the property tax on what you build.

Question 3Does the new space need its own kitchen?

In Florida law a space with its own kitchen, bathroom and bedroom is a second dwelling, and each city and county decides whether one is allowed on your lot.

Question 4Is the house in a flood zone?

In a flood zone, a large enough addition can mean the whole house has to meet today's flood rules. Your insurance declarations page or the county flood map will say.

Question 5When does the space need to be ready?
About you, and the house the space would join

Who should we ask for?

How can we reach you?

We call to confirm the details before anyone is sent out.

Where is the property?

The contractor match is by property, not by person, so the street line matters.

Anything else we should know?

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Your details are used only to respond to this request and arrange the service.

Deciding

Plans, elevation and who can build a St. Pete cottage

A new cottage is a new building, and St. Pete asks more of it than of a room added to the house. New buildings in the flood zone must be elevated, and the city's ADU guidance says a new structure needs architectural or engineered plans with energy calculations. It also says a residential or general contractor is generally required unless the owner will occupy the ADU and qualifies as an owner-builder under Chapter 489. For most families building for a parent, that means a licensed contractor from the start.

  1. Find the district on the zoning map

    NT and NS districts carry different lot minimums, and an NS lot may pass through an alley or a corner rather than through size.

  2. Budget for drawn plans

    New structures need architectural or engineered plans with energy calculations, so the design stage comes before any permit.

  3. Plan the floor height early

    In the flood zone the cottage must be elevated, which shapes the steps, any ramp and how your parent gets to the door.

How detached adus works →

Local Detail

St. Petersburg's ADU size, lot and contractor rules

Floor plan drawings for a small home addition beside a tape measure

St. Petersburg (Sec. 16.50.010, amended 7-10-2025) caps an ADU at 800 square feet of gross floor area, with all areas under roof no more than 67 percent of the principal dwelling's floor area. A new ADU needs a lot of at least 4,500 square feet in NT districts, and in NS districts a lot of at least 10,000 square feet, an alley lot of at least 4,500 square feet, or a qualifying corner lot.

Source: City of St. Petersburg (Municode), accessed 2026-09-23

St. Petersburg does not require the main unit to be owner occupied or homesteaded for an ADU; if both units are rented, a Business Tax Certificate is required. Separate meters and a separate address are allowed, and rentals under 30 days are limited to three times in 365 days.

Source: City of St. Petersburg, accessed 2026-09-23

St. Petersburg's ADU guidance says a residential or general contractor is generally required unless the ADU is occupied by the property owner who qualifies as an owner-builder under Chapter 489, and that new structures need architectural or engineered plans with energy calculations.

Source: City of St. Petersburg, accessed 2026-09-23

The City of St. Petersburg's ADU guidance says new buildings in the flood zone must be elevated and remodeling is limited to 49 percent of the value of the home.

Source: City of St. Petersburg, accessed 2026-09-23

Licensed and insured Florida contractorsVetted local contractors licensed by the State of Florida and insured for the work, who price and contract it themselves
The three rules checked for your addressThe kitchen, the flood line and the county tax rule looked at before any contractor is asked for a number
Told when an addition is not the answerIf a first-floor room or a bathroom change inside the house would do, you hear that before anyone draws a suite
In The Field

What detached adus involves in St. Petersburg

Floor plan drawings for a small home addition beside a tape measure
A wide doorway with no threshold and a lever door handle
Local Context

Does your St. Pete lot qualify for a new ADU?

A cottage behind the house gives a parent real independence, and St. Petersburg is more flexible than most about who lives where afterward. The first test is the lot. A new ADU needs at least 4,500 square feet in the NT districts. In the NS districts the bar is higher: a lot of at least 10,000 square feet, an alley lot of at least 4,500, or a qualifying corner lot. The unit itself is capped at 800 square feet of gross floor area, and all areas under roof must stay within 67 percent of the main home's floor area, so a covered porch on the cottage counts against the allowance too.

A quiet Tampa Bay street of single-story ranch houses near a canal
Next Step

Is the St. Pete lot NT or NS?

Send the address. We will check the district, the lot size and the flood zone before a contractor puts a cottage on paper.

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Questions

St. Pete ADU and backyard cottage questions

Do we have to live in the main house to build a St. Pete ADU?

No. St. Petersburg does not require the main unit to be owner-occupied or homesteaded. If both units are ever rented, the city requires a Business Tax Certificate, and rentals under 30 days are limited to three times in 365 days.

Can my mother's cottage have its own address and meter?

Yes, the city allows separate meters and a separate address for an ADU. That is the opposite of its accessory living space rule, which prohibits both, so decide which category you are building before the utilities are planned.

Next Step

A St. Petersburg cottage your parent can call home

Tell us who it is for and where the lot is. We brief a vetted Florida-licensed contractor, who designs and prices it.

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