Wakulla County

Permits for ADUs on parcels in unincorporated Wakulla County are issued by the Wakulla County Building Department working with Planning & Community Development on zoning-compliance review. The county has one incorporated municipality, the Town of St. Marks; most of the county is unincorporated. Septic-system permitting for rural parcels is handled through the Florida Department of Health, Wakulla County office.

Process overview: An ADU on an unincorporated Wakulla parcel is permitted as a building permit with zoning-compliance review. Typical workflow: zoning-compliance check, septic permit (if needed) through FDOH, construction-drawing submission under Florida Building Code 2023, plan review, issuance, inspections, and certificate of occupancy. Coastal parcels add FDEP Coastal Construction Control Line review and elevated wind-load requirements (Gulf-coastal Wakulla sits in roughly the 140 mph ASCE 7-22 ultimate design wind-speed zone). Floodplain parcels along the Wakulla, St. Marks, and Ochlockonee Rivers require elevation-certificate review.

Impact fees: Wakulla County's impact-fee schedule is modest relative to metro Florida counties. Transportation, schools, and public-facilities fees are assessed on new residential units but at lower dollar values than coastal growth-counties. Accessory dwellings receive reduced rates in most categories given their smaller demand footprint. (schedule)

The Wakulla County Property Appraiser maintains parcel-level assessment records for all real property in Wakulla County, including parcels within the Town of St. Marks. ADU additions are assessed as improvements to the host parcel; Florida's Save Our Homes 3% cap applies to homesteaded primary residences, with new improvements assessed at just value on completion.

Assessment policy: ADU additions are assessed at just value on completion; the host homestead portion continues under Save Our Homes cap. No county-level ADU abatement or incentive.

Wakulla County administers coastal, floodplain, and wetland overlays. Its Apalachee Bay Gulf coastline (Panacea, St. Marks, Shell Point) places barrier-area parcels in high-risk FEMA flood zones and under the state's CCCL program. Interior parcels along the Wakulla, St. Marks, and Ochlockonee river floodplains face Zone A / AE designations. Much of the county contains karst terrain and jurisdictional wetlands under Northwest Florida Water Management District oversight.

• FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) — Coastal A, VE, AE zones — Wakulla participates in NFIP. Coastal parcels along Apalachee Bay (Panacea, St. Marks, Shell Point, Ochlockonee Bay area) face Zone AE or VE designations. Inland-river parcels face Zone A or AE designations. ADU construction in Zone VE requires pile or column foundations, breakaway walls, and elevated construction — substantially higher cost than inland dry-zone parcels.
• Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL) — Parcels east of the CCCL along Wakulla's Gulf shoreline require FDEP CCCL permits in addition to county permits.
• Northwest Florida Water Management District Environmental Resource Permits — NWFWMD jurisdiction covers Wakulla's wetland and stormwater permitting. Much of the county contains jurisdictional wetlands and karst features; ADU site work often requires wetland delineation and ERP review.
• Hurricane Wind Zone — approximately 140 mph ultimate design wind speed (Gulf coast) — Wakulla's Gulf-coast parcels sit in approximately the 140 mph ASCE 7-22 design wind-speed zone; inland parcels slightly lower (130 mph). Hurricane Helene (2024) and prior storms have driven insurance and construction-cost pressures on coastal parcels.
• Apalachicola National Forest and Wakulla Springs State Park buffers — The Apalachicola National Forest covers much of western Wakulla County; Wakulla Springs State Park occupies the county center. Parcels within or adjacent to federal- or state-managed lands face additional environmental review for water-quality and springshed protection, particularly for septic-system siting on karst parcels.