ADU Pass
Escambia County
ADU Pass helps homeowners in Escambia County, Florida navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. We cover 6 cities and 18 ZIP codes in this county.
Map
County ADU details
County ADU ordinance
Escambia County (Florida's westernmost Panhandle county) regulates accessory dwelling units on parcels in the unincorporated county through the Escambia County Land Development Code (LDC), which addresses 'Accessory Dwelling Units,' 'guest houses,' and 'caretaker residences.' Escambia is the Pensacola area's county — the Panhandle's largest metro and home to Naval Air Station Pensacola (the 'Cradle of Naval Aviation') and the large Pensacola Naval Complex (NAS Pensacola, NAS Whiting Field in Santa Rosa, Corry Station, Saufley Field). Florida has no mandatory statewide ADU preemption — § 163.31771 Fla. Stat. is permissive only. As of 2026-04-20, Escambia County permits one ADU per single-family parcel in most residential zoning districts (LDR, MDR, HDR, AG, Commercial-Residential) subject to size caps (typically 750 sqft or 40% of primary, whichever is less), setback conformance, height limits, and utility-sharing requirements. The coastal Perdido Key, Pensacola Beach (incorporated as the Santa Rosa Island Authority jurisdiction), Gulf Breeze (in Santa Rosa County), and the broader Pensacola Bay / Escambia Bay / Perdido Bay frontage are hurricane-surge-exposed. Hurricane Sally (Sept 2020) delivered catastrophic surge and rainfall flooding to Escambia; Hurricane Ivan (2004) was the major prior event. Ongoing post-Sally rebuild dominates the coastal permit pipeline. Pending 2026 state legislation (SB 48 / HB 313) would preempt sub-1,000-sqft caps — Escambia's 750-sqft cap requires upward adjustment.
Code citations:
- Escambia County Land Development Code — ADU and accessory-use provisions
- Escambia County Comprehensive Plan — Future Land Use and Coastal Management Elements
- Escambia County Board of County Commissioners — agenda archive
State-floor overlay: Florida has no mandatory statewide ADU preemption. § 163.31771 Fla. Stat. is permissive only. Pending 2026-session SB 48 / HB 313 would preempt sub-1,000-sqft caps and single-family-zone bans effective December 1, 2026 if enacted. Escambia's 750-sqft cap requires upward adjustment. Live Local Act applies to commercial / industrial / mixed-use. Florida HOA / condominium / cooperative statutes (Ch. 720, 718, 719) do NOT preempt association-level ADU restrictions — Escambia has extensive HOA / condominium jurisdiction on Perdido Key (condo-dominant), and in mainland master-planned communities (Nature Trail, Hidden Creek, Kingsfield Lakes, Scenic Highway bayfront communities) where covenants commonly bar ADUs.
Adopting body: Escambia County Board of County Commissioners
County permitting (unincorporated parcels)
Escambia County Development Services Department is the combined planning / zoning / building / floodplain permit authority for parcels in the unincorporated county. Unincorporated Escambia covers approximately 555 square miles (about 87% of the 656 sqmi total land area). Incorporated municipalities are Pensacola (county seat, dominant city) and Century (small town in far north Escambia). Principal unincorporated communities include Myrtle Grove, Warrington (Navy-base-adjacent), Ferry Pass, Brent, Pensacola Beach (actually Santa Rosa Island unincorporated — governed via Santa Rosa Island Authority), Perdido Key (unincorporated), Cantonment, Beulah, West Pensacola, Bellview, and rural north Escambia. Escambia is a CRS Class 6 community for NFIP. All of Escambia County is WBDR at 150-mph-ultimate inland / 160-170-mph-ultimate on barrier islands (Pensacola Beach / Perdido Key) and immediate coastal. Development Services operates one-stop permit intake. Naval Air Station Pensacola's Air Installations Compatible Use Zones (AICUZ) overlay covers substantial fringe parcels and requires Navy-coordinated review.
Process overview: ADU approval in unincorporated Escambia County is a combined zoning / building / floodplain / AICUZ review. Typical sequence: (a) confirm parcel zoning, FLU, CHHA, FIRM, AICUZ (NAS Pensacola) via Escambia Property Appraiser and Development Services GIS; (b) submit Building Permit through portal with site plan, floor plans, elevations, FBC compliance (150-170 mph ultimate per location), flood compliance for SFHA, Northwest Florida Water Management District (NWFWMD) stormwater compliance, DOH septic for on-site septic parcels; (c) zoning review; (d) building plan review; (e) Escambia County Fire Rescue access/water review; (f) Navy AICUZ coordination for parcels in AICUZ zones; (g) permit issuance, construction, inspections, CO.
Impact fees: Escambia County imposes limited impact fees — among the lighter Florida county impact-fee schedules. Total county impact fees for a typical ADU run approximately $5,000-$9,000 (as of 2026-04-20). Water/sewer connection fees through Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) in served areas add $3,000-$6,000. (schedule)
County assessor
Escambia County Property Appraiser maintains parcel-level assessment records for all Escambia real property. Florida Save Our Homes (§ 193.155) / 10% non-homestead cap apply. ADU treated as new construction added to just value at completion-year fair market value; primary's SOH base not reset. Post-Sally (Sept 2020), Property Appraiser issued extensive § 197.319 prorated tax refunds on destroyed coastal residences. Escambia's military-heavy demographic (NAS Pensacola active duty + substantial retiree population drawn by Navy retirement benefits) drives distinctive assessment patterns including VA-exemption filings.
Assessment policy: New-construction additions occur at annual roll-over following CO. Typical 600-800 sqft ADU in unincorporated Escambia adds $75,000-$140,000 just value, yielding supplemental annual tax of $1,300-$2,500 at aggregate millage ~1.7-1.85%. Pensacola Beach / Perdido Key barrier-island ADUs at higher end of construction-cost range. Military homestead (active-duty-deployed) and Disabled Veteran exemptions apply distinctly here versus non-military counties.
County overlays (7)
Escambia County administers or co-administers overlays materially affecting ADU siting: (1) FEMA SFHA covering Perdido Key, Pensacola Beach, Pensacola Bay frontage, Escambia Bay frontage, Perdido Bay frontage, and inland along the Escambia River / Perdido River corridors; Escambia is CRS Class 6 giving 20% NFIP discount; post-Sally FIRM revisions substantially raised BFEs; (2) Florida Building Code Wind Borne Debris Region at 150 mph inland / 160-170 mph barrier-island; (3) Coastal High Hazard Area (CHHA) — post-Sally tightened; (4) Florida DEP Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL); (5) Naval Air Station Pensacola Air Installations Compatible Use Zones (AICUZ) — extensive overlay covering Navy-adjacent parcels with FAA Part 77 / DoD Instruction 4165.57 safety zones and noise contours; (6) Northwest Florida Water Management District (NWFWMD) consumptive-use and stormwater; (7) Florida Forest Service Firewise zones in rural north Escambia (Blackwater River State Forest — actually in Santa Rosa, but approaches Escambia line); (8) Santa Rosa Island Authority — unique special district governing Pensacola Beach on Santa Rosa Island, operating a 99-year leasehold structure (no fee-simple ownership on most of the barrier island).
- FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) — NFIP (Escambia CRS Class 6, post-Sally FIRM) — Escambia administers FEMA NFIP. SFHA covers all barrier-island and coastal frontage plus river corridors. CRS Class 6 gives 20% NFIP premium discount. Post-Sally FIRM revisions raised BFEs on affected coastal segments.
- Florida Building Code Wind Borne Debris Region (WBDR) — 150 mph inland / 160-170 mph barrier-island and Pensacola Bay immediate coastal. Impact-rated glazing or shutters required.
- Coastal High Hazard Area (CHHA) — Escambia Comp Plan (post-Sally tightened) — Post-Sally, Escambia tightened CHHA intensification policies. ADUs on coastal parcels face intensification review.
- Florida Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL) — FDEP — CCCL along Gulf shoreline. Seaward of CCCL requires FDEP permit.
- Naval Air Station Pensacola AICUZ — DoD airport land-use compatibility — NAS Pensacola AICUZ covers extensive Pensacola-adjacent parcels including Warrington, parts of Myrtle Grove, Pensacola Beach approaches. Safety zones (APZ-I, APZ-II, Clear Zone) limit density and use; noise contours (65-85+ dB DNL) require noise-attenuation construction (STC-rated windows, forced-air HVAC with acoustic treatment). The Navy provides AICUZ comment on county permits in AICUZ. Corry Station, Saufley Field, and NAS Whiting Field (Santa Rosa) have their own AICUZs affecting some Escambia fringe.
- Santa Rosa Island Authority — Pensacola Beach (unique) — Santa Rosa Island Authority is a unique special district governing Pensacola Beach (on Santa Rosa Island, within Escambia County's territorial jurisdiction despite its name). Most Pensacola Beach parcels are held under 99-year leaseholds rather than fee-simple — a distinctive feature. ADU permitting on the island goes through SRIA's land-use review in addition to Escambia County building. SRIA has its own lease-based covenants that effectively bar most single-family ADU additions (the leasehold framework doesn't accommodate second-unit additions in typical terms).
- Northwest Florida Water Management District (NWFWMD) — NWFWMD is Escambia's water management district. Residential consumptive-use exemptions below ~6,000 gpd. Minor-system ERP for ADU additions.
Known county issues (4)
- other — NAS Pensacola's AICUZ covers Warrington, Myrtle Grove portions, and Pensacola Beach approaches. ADUs in Accident Potential Zones may face density denial; ADUs in 65+ dB DNL noise contours require noise-attenuation construction ($5,000-$12,000 premium for STC-rated windows, acoustic HVAC).
- other — Pensacola Beach parcels are held as 99-year leaseholds under Santa Rosa Island Authority, not fee-simple. The leasehold framework does not accommodate second-unit additions in typical terms; most Pensacola Beach parcels are functionally barred from ADU additions regardless of Escambia County zoning.
- other — Sally delivered catastrophic surge and rainfall flooding. FEMA 50%-rule substantial-damage determinations drove years of rebuild. Post-Sally FIRM revisions raised BFEs; coastal ADUs must comply with elevated standards. Citizens Property Insurance premiums for coastal Escambia ADUs run $3,000-$6,500/year.
- policy-review — Escambia's 750-sqft cap requires upward adjustment if SB 48 / HB 313 enacts December 1, 2026.
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.