Highlands County, FL: flood zone, zoning and property lines by address
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Towns in Highlands County: Sebring, Avon Park, Placid Lakes.
Flood zone by address
ParcelSheet reads FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer at the lot: the zone, whether it is a high risk area where lenders ask for flood insurance, and the base flood elevation where FEMA lists one. FEMA's countywide study for Highlands County has 159 FIRM panels, the newest effective November 2015; no coastal V zones are mapped in it.
The official panel and any Letter of Map Amendment are at FEMA's Map Service Center. An elevation certificate for a Highlands house comes from a licensed surveyor and is often on file with the county or city building office.
Property lines
The parcel outline, parcel number and mapped size come from the Florida statewide cadastral (county property appraiser parcels with the Department of Revenue tax roll), so a Highlands lot shows the same lines the property appraiser draws. Highlands County covers about 651,309 acres of land and 56,993 acres of water.
Mapped lines are approximate. The Highlands County Property Appraiser keeps the parcel record; a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
An example from the county's own records: parcel C063529A0003910000 in Sebring, a lot with one house, about 81,863 square feet as mapped, the house built in 1964. Open it to see every card ParcelSheet draws for a Highlands lot.
Zoning
Highlands County zones its unincorporated land, and Sebring, Avon Park each zone the land inside their limits. ParcelSheet shows the use the property appraiser lists for the lot and links Development Services for the district, the uses it allows and the lot size it needs.
ADU and guest houses
Florida Statute 163.31771 lets local governments allow an accessory dwelling unit on a lot with a house. Whether a Highlands lot can add one depends on its district; Development Services has the rule. ParcelSheet shows the mapped lot size and the ground's slope, the first two things the question turns on.
Septic and soil
ParcelSheet reads the USDA soil survey at the lot: the soil's name, its septic absorption rating and whether it is prime farmland. Highlands County is soil survey area FL055, Highlands County, Florida, last updated August 2026, on Web Soil Survey.
A new or changed septic system in Highlands County needs a permit from the Florida Department of Health in Highlands County, which tests the soil on the lot itself.
Setbacks
Setbacks in Highlands County come from the zoning district: the front, side and rear distances a house must keep. ParcelSheet does not draw setback lines; Development Services gives them for the lot's district, and Sebring and Avon Park for land inside their limits.
Hazards that apply
- Sinkholes. The Florida Geological Survey lists 20 subsidence incident reports in Highlands County (the reports). They are reports, not confirmed sinkholes; ParcelSheet does not rate a lot for sinkholes.
- Wind. The Florida Building Code sets the design wind speed for a house in Highlands County; the building office applies it at permit.
- Wetlands and wildfire. ParcelSheet shows the National Wetlands Inventory near a Highlands lot and the Forest Service wildfire hazard rating at it.
Questions
Is my house in a flood zone in Highlands County?
Type the address in the box above and ParcelSheet reads FEMA's flood zone at the lot's center. FEMA's countywide flood map for Highlands County has 159 panels, the newest effective November 2015. A lender or insurer uses the official FIRM panel; FEMA's Map Service Center has it.
How do I find property lines in Highlands County?
Open the Florida map, type the address, and the parcel outline from the county property appraiser shows on the map with its parcel number and mapped size. The Highlands County property appraiser keeps the official record. Mapped lines are approximate; only a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
What is my property zoned in Highlands County?
Zoning in Highlands County is set by the county for unincorporated land and by each city (such as Sebring, Avon Park) inside its own limits. ParcelSheet shows the use code the property appraiser lists and links the office that sets the zoning; the planning office has the final word.
Can I build an ADU in Highlands County?
Florida Statute 163.31771 lets counties and cities allow an accessory dwelling unit, and each sets its own rules. In Highlands County ask the zoning office for the lot's district first; ParcelSheet shows the lot size as mapped so you can see the room you have.
Do I need a septic permit in Highlands County?
Yes. A new or changed septic system in Highlands County needs a permit from the Florida Department of Health in Highlands County. ParcelSheet shows the USDA soil survey's septic rating at the lot, from survey area FL055 (Highlands County, Florida).
Next to Highlands County: DeSoto County, Glades County, Hardee County, Okeechobee County, Polk County.
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