Where Can You Build an ADU in Tampa Bay?
Can you even build an ADU on your lot? It depends on where the lot is. Tampa Bay ADU works in four places, and each one treats accessory dwelling units differently: some allow them almost everywhere, some only in specific neighborhoods, and one requires a special permit no matter what. Here's how it breaks down, city by city.
ST. PETERSBURG
ADUs are allowed as an accessory use in every NT (Neighborhood Traditional) and every NS (Neighborhood Suburban) zoning district in the city, not just a handful of them. That covers most single-family neighborhoods in St. Petersburg. Check your property's zoning district on the city's zoning map before assuming yours qualifies.
A few things the code is specific about:
1
The ADU can't be rented out as a short-term or transient rental. It has to be a longer-term living arrangement.
2
Detached ADUs in NS districts carry their own side-yard setback rule, separate from the standard district table (more on that in the setbacks guide).
3
Minimum lot sizes apply: generally 4,500 sq ft in NT districts, 10,000 sq ft in NS districts (4,500 sq ft if the lot is alley-accessed).
UNINCORPORATED PINELLAS COUNTY
If your property is in unincorporated Pinellas County (not inside a city's limits), an ADU is allowed as an accessory use on any single-family lot, in any residential zoning district. There's no separate list of eligible zones to check against, which makes this the most straightforward of the four.
The county's ADU rule does come with one condition worth knowing early: either the main house or the ADU has to be owner-occupied. That requirement can be waived if both units are deed-restricted as affordable housing for 20 years, but for a standard family ADU, plan on someone living on-site.
TAMPA
Tampa is the most restrictive of the four. A full ADU requires a special use permit, and it's only available in designated neighborhoods: Seminole Heights, Lowry Park (including Lowry Park Central), East Tampa, Tampa Heights, Sulphur Springs, Temple Crest, Wellswood, and part of Riverside Heights. If your property isn't in one of those areas, the city only allows a smaller "Extended Family Residence," which is capped at 600 sq ft and can only be occupied by a family member, not rented to anyone else.
CLEARWATER
Clearwater allows one ADU per parcel in its residential zoning districts (LDR, LMDR, and MDR), attached or detached, as long as the property stays within that district's overall density limit.
Source: Clearwater Community Development Code, Article 2 (district regulations) and §3-203 accessory use standards, current through Ord. No. 9758-24 (2024 text amendment).
THE BOTTOM LINE
If you're in unincorporated Pinellas County, you're in the best position; almost any single-family lot qualifies. St. Petersburg is close behind. Clearwater works the same way in its residential districts. Tampa is the one where the neighborhood you're in decides the outcome before anything else does.