ADU Pass
Cross City
ADU Pass helps homeowners in Cross City, Dixie County, Florida navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. This area covers 1 ZIP code.
Map
ADU details
ADU legality: with-restrictions
Cross City is the Dixie County seat (population approximately 1,700) on the US 19 / US 27 corridor in the rural Big Bend. There is no separate-kitchen ADU land-use category; an accessory structure must be permitted under accessory-building or guest-quarters provisions and used by family/caretaker, or the parcel must qualify for two-family/multi-family zoning. The legacy Putnam Lumber Company sawmill heritage and surrounding cypress and pine flatwoods give Cross City an unusually deep mix of large rural lots that physically accommodate detached secondary structures even where the rule framework is restrictive.
Cost scenarios
| Scenario | Sq ft | Permit | Build | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| minimum | 400 | $1,850 | $64,000 | $65,850 |
| 600 | 600 | $2,150 | $96,000 | $98,150 |
| midpoint | 700 | $2,350 | $112,000 | $114,350 |
| maximum | 900 | $2,700 | $144,000 | $146,700 |
Fee breakdown (as of 2026-04)
Permitting process
- Zoning verification with Dixie County (~7d)
Submit Zoning Verification Request to zoning@dixiecounty.us (Jason Jean, Zoning Officer) confirming the parcel can host an accessory structure with separate kitchen / bath / sleeping area, or whether two-family rezoning or variance is required. - Septic / well permit (Florida DOH Dixie County) (~21d)
If parcel is on septic, file Florida Department of Health Dixie County Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System (OSTDS) application; existing septic must be re-sized when bedroom count increases. Well permit through SRWMD if no public water. - Building permit application to Dixie County BD (~1d)
Submit paper application packet (includes BD-1 Building Permit Application, signed Subcontractors Application, site plan with setbacks, structural / wind-load drawings, FBC 2023 energy compliance worksheet, recorded NOC) at 387 SE 22 Ave or by mail. Reviewed twice daily at 9am and 3:30pm. - Plan review (~21d)
Building Official Leon Wright reviews structural / 130 mph wind / energy / Chapter 64E-6 septic stamp. Common comments: missing wind-uplift connector schedule, missing site-plan setbacks, missing energy form. - Fee payment and permit issuance (~3d)
Building permit issued after corrections cleared and fees paid. Most fees collected at issuance; payment by check or in-person card at 387 SE 22 Ave. - Construction inspections
Required inspections: setback / form-board, slab, framing, sheathing nail-pattern (wind compliance), rough MEP, insulation, final. Inspection requests by phone to 352-498-1236. - Certificate of occupancy (~5d)
Final inspection sign-off triggers CO; structure may be occupied for permitted use.
Viability (permitted uses)
- Long-term rental: with-restrictions Long-term rental of an accessory unit only authorized where the parcel zoning permits two-family use; otherwise the unit must be occupied by a family member or caretaker.
- Short-term rental: with-restrictions (Florida Statutes Chapter 509 (vacation rental licensing); Dixie County tourist development tax) Florida DBPR vacation rental license required. Modest STR demand: Suwannee River paddle / kayak corridor, scallop season, hunting camps, and proximity to Steinhatchee draw seasonal visitors.
- Office rental: no Detached commercial-tenant office on residential parcel not a permitted accessory use.
- Home office: yes Home occupation permitted with limits on signage, employees, and customer traffic per county LDR.
- Studio / workshop: yes Personal artist / shop / workshop is a permitted accessory residential use.
- Agriculture: yes Cross City is surrounded by silviculture (cypress / yellow pine) and rural ag; A-1 / RES districts permit farming-related accessory uses.
- Relative support: yes Family-occupancy (granny-flat) is the principal practical pathway; pairs with Florida Statutes § 193.703 assessment exemption if county has opted in.
Incentives
- State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) - Dixie County allocation — Varies (typically rehab / owner-occupied repair grants $5,000-$30,000) (Income-qualified Dixie County homeowners; subject to annual SHIP allocation)
- Granny Flat assessment limitation (Florida Statutes § 193.703)
Contacts
Staff: Leon Wright (Building Official), Jason Jean (Zoning Officer) zoning@dixiecounty.us, Steve Freeman (Code Enforcement Officer), Town of Cross City Town Hall (Municipal corporation (no internal building dept))
Utilities
- Water: Town of Cross City Water (inside town); private well on Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) permits outside town · 30d connect · $3,500
- Sewer: Town of Cross City Sewer (inside town, limited service area); on-site septic via Florida DOH Dixie County (Chapter 64E-6) elsewhere · 45d connect · $8,500
- Electric: Central Florida Electric Cooperative (CFEC) - principal Dixie County provider; Duke Energy Florida limited footprint · 21d connect · $1,800
- Gas: No piped natural gas service in Cross City; propane via local distributors (Suburban Propane, AmeriGas) · 14d connect · $1,200
Property values & taxes
Market rent by ADU size
| Sq ft | Rent |
|---|---|
| 400 | $650/mo |
| 600 | $850/mo |
| 800 | $1,025/mo |
| 900 | $1,100/mo |
Construction timeline
Realistic total: best 9mo · typical 14mo · worst 22mo
Hurricane Idalia (Aug 2023) reset the contractor backlog; rebuild work and insurance-claim repairs absorbed regional capacity through 2025. Cross City's GC pool draws from Gainesville / Chiefland / Perry; on-site supervision adds windshield time.
Modular pathway Florida DBPR Manufactured Buildings Program (modular insignia) · inspectors are occasional with modular
US 19 / US 27 / SR 51 corridors handle full modular module width; rural county roads east of Cross City have low-clearance bridges. Permit-load supervision for >12 ft modules required.
Financing
State ADU loans:
- Florida Housing Finance Corporation - SHIP (passed through Dixie County) (Florida Housing Finance Corporation) up to $30,000
- USDA Rural Development Section 504 Home Repair Loan & Grant (US Department of Agriculture Rural Development (Cross City qualifies as rural)) up to $40,000
Insurance impact
Florida wind-pool (Citizens Property Insurance) writes most of the Big Bend coast; Cross City inland exposure modest but post-Idalia carrier pull-back has tightened market. Expect $850-$1,200/yr ADU premium delta.
HOA prevalence & preemption
Cross City is dominantly fee-simple lots with minimal HOA / deed restriction coverage. Florida has not enacted state preemption of HOA ADU bans (unlike California Civil Code 4740/4741).
Regulatory overlays (5)
- wind — Cross City sits in the ASCE 7-22 130 mph ultimate wind-design contour (FBC 2023 wind-borne debris region begins at the coast) · +7d · +6% cost
Hurricane straps, continuous load-path, wind-rated openings; impact glazing only required at the immediate coast (does not apply at Cross City inland). (map) - flood-zone — Most of incorporated Cross City is FEMA Zone X (minimal hazard) but Suwannee River tributary parcels carry AE designations; FIRM panels updated post-Idalia · +7d · +4% cost
FEMA elevation certificate required for AE parcels; finished-floor at or above BFE. (map) - wildfire — Big Bend cypress / pine flatwoods; Dixie County is Florida Forest Service high-priority WUI district · +2% cost
Defensible-space recommended; Florida Forest Service prescribed-burn zones common around town. (map) - septic-overlay — Suwannee River Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) - DEP springs protection rules require enhanced nutrient-reduction OSTDS in portions of Dixie County tributary to Manatee Springs / Lower Suwannee · +14d · +8% cost
BMAP areas require advanced-treatment OSTDS adding $4,000-$8,000 vs conventional system. (map) - rural-agricultural — Surrounding Dixie County dominantly silvicultural (cypress, yellow pine, slash pine) - Putnam Lumber Company legacy; Cross City lots commonly large enough for accessory structures
Rural character supports detached secondary structures, but absence of public water/sewer drives septic-sizing constraints. (map)
Technical envelope (climate & building code)
Climate & energy code
Building code
Amendments:
- Florida Building Code 8th Edition (2023) - Residential — Statewide code in effect since Dec 31, 2023; supersedes 7th Edition. Includes 130 mph ultimate wind-design at Cross City.
- Dixie County local amendments (Code Chapter 8 - Buildings and Building Regulations) — Local administrative amendments around permits, NOC, inspections, and septic coordination.
Contractor market (aggregate)
Legal history (timeline)
Current ordinance: Dixie County Code of Ordinances - Appendix A Land Development Regulations, Article 4 (Zoning); Town of Cross City Code adopting county provisions, adopted 1992-01-01, last amended 2024-06-01
- 1921-04-25 — Dixie County created from southern Lafayette County (other)
Florida Legislature created Dixie County (named for the South) with Cross City as the county seat.
Effect: Established the Dixie County governance and permitting framework that today administers building rules in Cross City. - 2007-07-01 — Florida Statutes § 163.31771 (Accessory Dwelling Units) (state-law)
Florida codified an enabling statute permitting (not requiring) local governments to authorize ADUs in single-family zones tied to an affordability finding.
Effect: Gave Dixie County and Cross City discretionary authority to allow ADUs but did not change the county's restrictive accessory-building treatment. - 2023-08-30 — Hurricane Idalia landfall (Keaton Beach, ~25 miles south of Cross City) (other)
Category 3 hurricane made landfall in Taylor/Dixie County coastal area on Aug 30, 2023.
Effect: Damaged a substantial share of Cross City and unincorporated Dixie housing stock; saturated regional contractor capacity for 12-18 months and pushed county building-department turnaround above pre-storm norms. - 2023-12-31 — Florida Building Code 8th Edition (2023) effective date (state-law)
FBC 8th Edition (2023) replaced 7th Edition (2020) as the binding building code statewide.
Effect: All Cross City permit applications submitted on or after Dec 31, 2023 are reviewed against FBC 2023, including 130 mph ultimate wind-design and Climate Zone 2A energy provisions. - 2026-12-01 — Florida HB 313 / SB 48 (2026 session) - Statewide ADU mandate (proposed) (state-law)
Pending 2026 legislation would require every county and municipality to adopt an ordinance allowing ADUs by-right in any single-family zone by December 1, 2026.
Effect: If enacted, would force Dixie County and the Town of Cross City to adopt by-right ADU provisions and replace the current restrictive accessory-building framework. Status pending as of April 2026.
Known issues (2)
- construction-capacity (since 2023-08) — Expect 6-9 month contractor lead time; framing crews drive in from Gainesville / Perry / Chiefland. (source)
- ordinance-gap (since 2007) — Without a two-family rezoning or variance, ADU rental is limited to family / caretaker occupancy. Pending 2026 statewide ADU bill would resolve. (source)
Dixie County — county ADU rules and overlays
County ADU ordinance
Dixie County (Cross City; Gulf-coastal rural; ~16,000 residents) has no standalone ADU ordinance. Accessory dwelling rules sit inside the Dixie County Land Development Regulations administered by the Board of County Commissioners. Rural residential and agricultural districts permit one accessory dwelling subject to lot size, setback, and family-occupancy constraints. Florida F.S. § 163.31771 applies.
County regulatory overlays
Florida state — ADU law and programs
State ADU law
Florida does NOT currently have a statewide ADU preemption law in effect. Florida Statutes § 163.31771 (enacted 2004, last amended 2020) is permissive — it authorizes local governments to adopt ADU ordinances but does not require them to. ADU rules are therefore set municipality-by-municipality: Miami-Dade, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Tampa, and a growing set of Florida cities have their own ordinances; many smaller counties and cities still prohibit or restrict ADUs by default. A preemption bill (SB 48 / HB 313) is pending in the 2026 legislative session and is likely to pass given that its 2025 predecessor cleared the Senate 37-0 and House 97-10 before dying on a procedural amendment dispute.
- Florida Statutes § 163.31771 — Accessory dwelling units — Permissive (not mandatory) statute. Defines an ADU as 'an ancillary or secondary living unit, that has a separate kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping area, existing either within the same structure, or on the same lot, as the primary dwelling unit.' Authorizes — but does not require — local governments to adopt ordinances allowing ADUs in single-family residential zones. Contains no size caps, no owner-occupancy rules, no HOA preemption. All substantive rulemaking is local.
State financing programs
Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) does not operate an ADU-specific state loan or grant program. FHFC's primary affordable-housing lever at the ADU tier is the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP), which distributes state documentary-stamp-tax revenue to all 67 counties and 52 entitlement cities for locally-administered housing programs — some of which may fund ADU construction at the local level (notably Orange County's Affordable ADU Loan Program, run through the Orange County Housing Finance Trust). FHFC's FL Assist down-payment programs and HFA Preferred / HFA Advantage conventional loans apply to ADU-eligible primary residences but do not single out ADUs. Proposed CS/SB 1440 would create a state property-tax exemption of up to 100% of assessed value for an ADU rented at affordable rates.
State housing programs
Florida does not currently operate a statewide pre-approved ADU plan catalog (unlike California or Washington). State-level ADU implementation is driven by (a) the permissive § 163.31771 which lets willing jurisdictions adopt ordinances, (b) SHIP pass-through funding to local ADU programs (Orange County's Affordable ADU Loan Program is the model), and (c) the affordable-housing property-tax exemption under the Live Local Act (SB 102 / SB 328). The Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) — now reorganized as the Department of Commerce — provides technical assistance to local governments but no statewide ADU-specific mandate or program. Major counties (Miami-Dade, Orange, Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Broward) have published their own ADU ordinances and guidance documents.
Federal (United States) — ADU-relevant rules and programs
Federal ADU law
The United States has no federal statute that directly regulates accessory dwelling unit entitlement or design. Land-use authority over ADUs resides with states and local governments under the traditional police power. Federal engagement is limited to financing (Fannie/Freddie/FHA/VA/USDA), flood insurance (FEMA/NFIP), and discretionary housing programs (HUD), which are recorded in sibling sections of this file.
Federal financing programs
Federal housing-finance agencies and GSEs set nationwide underwriting rules that govern whether an ADU can be financed, appraised, and counted toward mortgage qualifying income. The relevant actors are Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA (HUD), VA, and USDA Rural Development.
Federal tax credits
There is no ADU-specific federal tax credit. ADUs may incidentally qualify for existing federal energy-efficiency and clean-energy tax credits when the ADU construction includes qualifying measures.
Federal housing programs
HUD administers several discretionary programs that can fund ADU-related activity at the grantee's election, but none is an ADU-specific program.
ZIP Code
- 32628
Post Office
- 151 SW Cedar St, 32628