What you want to build and how you want to live?

A property with room for a home, a barn and a few animals can be easy to fall in love with. You may already be imagining where the garden will go, how the driveway will curve through the land and what it would feel like to have more space around your family.

Before buying acreage in South Florida, however, look beyond the listing photos. The important question is not simply how much land you are buying, but whether that land can support what you want to build and how you want to live.

Through ADM Farm Living, a specialized service of ADM Home Services, we help property owners connect their ideas with the practical requirements of construction. Whether you are considering a hobby farm, a custom home with a workshop or a barndominium on acreage, these are the questions we recommend addressing before committing to a property.

1. Confirm the Jurisdiction and the Uses Allowed on the Property

Start with the property address and parcel identification number, then identify the planning and building departments responsible for that specific location. In Palm Beach County, for example, the Property Appraiser directs owners to the municipality for properties within city limits and to the county for properties in unincorporated areas. The community name used in a listing should not replace that verification.

Next, ask whether your intended use is permitted. Zoning regulates more than the type of home you can build; it can also establish requirements for setbacks, building height, lot area and open space. Miami-Dade County’s zoning resources illustrate how these requirements differ among districts.

Be specific when describing your plans. A residence with a private workshop, a home with livestock and a property intended for commercial animal boarding are different proposals. Getting an answer about your actual project is more useful than asking whether the property is simply “agricultural.”

2. Check Whether the Animals You Want Are Allowed

If animals are central to your plans, make them part of the property search from the beginning. Ask the local zoning department about the species, number of animals, intended use and any approval process that may apply. Davie, for example, publishes a dedicated Hobby Farm checklist through its planning resources.

Explain whether you want a few chickens for your household, goats, horses or a larger operation. Also ask about the associated structures and activities, including shelters, feed storage, waste handling and any plans to sell products or offer services.

Then consider the practical side. Think through feeding, cleaning, deliveries, animal separation and access during bad weather. A property should accommodate the daily routine, not just provide enough room for the animals to stand.

3. Review the Survey, Setbacks and Recorded Restrictions

The acreage advertised in a listing is not the same as the area available for construction. Review the property boundaries, applicable setbacks and easements before deciding where the home, barn or driveway should go. Palm Beach County’s development standards, for example, address access, utility and drainage easements and restrictions on construction within them.

Obtain a boundary survey and ask whether additional elevation information is needed for planning. Have your title professional or real estate attorney review recorded restrictions alongside it, rather than relying only on a fence line or online parcel image. The Florida Bar recommends reviewing surveys, encroachments and restrictions affecting the intended use during a property purchase.

The goal is to establish a realistic building area before paying for a detailed design. A barn that fits comfortably within the property lines may still need to move once the full site constraints are considered.

4. Understand Flood Risk and Required Building Elevations

Check the property’s current flood mapping, but do not treat a lower risk designation as a guarantee against flooding. The National Flood Insurance Program explains that even areas classified as lower risk can experience flooding and local drainage problems.

Ask the local floodplain administrator and your design professionals what elevation requirements apply to the proposed construction. Elevation documentation can become part of the permitting process, so it is worth understanding these requirements before choosing a foundation or assuming a standard building package will fit the site.

For a hobby farm, consider more than the finished floor of the house. Discuss how the proposed elevations would affect barn entrances, animal areas, driveways and the routes you would use to move equipment around the property.

5. Investigate Drainage and Environmental Conditions Before Clearing

A dry visit to a property is a useful observation, not a complete drainage assessment. Ask how the site handles rainfall, where runoff goes and whether previous drainage plans, environmental reviews or permits are available.

Do not assume that low areas can simply be filled or that a ditch can be relocated to make room for a building. Florida’s Environmental Resource Permitting program regulates activities affecting surface water flows, including certain construction, grading, dredging and filling activities. Wetland impacts can also require review.

When concerns arise, involve the appropriate engineer or environmental specialist before changing the land. Resolving those questions early allows the property layout to respond to actual site conditions instead of depending on an improvement that may not be feasible.

6. Verify Water, Wastewater and Electrical Service

Treat “utilities nearby” as a starting point for questions, not a completed part of the project. Contact the relevant providers to confirm service availability, connection locations, capacity, possible extension work and estimated timing.

Where a septic system is proposed, Florida’s permitting process includes a site plan, building information and a site evaluation by a qualified professional. That evaluation helps determine whether the property conditions are suitable and what the system will require. New wells also require construction permitting through the responsible water management district or delegated agency.

Plan beyond the residence. A workshop, barn, irrigation system and animal watering areas may all need infrastructure, so include those intended uses when discussing electrical and water requirements. Ask for written information where available and carry any unresolved items into the preliminary budget.

7. Check Access for Construction and Everyday Use

Have the appropriate professionals confirm the property’s legal access and identify any access easements affecting the proposed layout. Palm Beach County’s development standards distinguish legal access requirements from the physical improvements used to serve a property.

Then walk through the practical route from the road to the future building site. Consider delivery trucks, concrete equipment, trailers and the space needed to turn around without crossing animal areas or damaging completed work.

Ask who approves the driveway connection, whether drainage crossings need attention and who maintains any shared or private road. A long entrance may be an attractive part of the property, but include its construction and upkeep in the planning rather than treating it as leftover space.

8. Verify Barns, Accessory Buildings and Existing Permit Records

An existing barn or workshop may look like a valuable head start. Before counting on it, request available permits, approved plans and completion records, and investigate any open permits or violations with your purchase team. The Florida Bar specifically identifies unpermitted work and open or expired permits as issues to address before closing.

For new structures, confirm the proposed use and approval requirements before ordering a kit. Do not assume that calling a property a hobby farm establishes eligibility for an agricultural building exemption. Palm Beach County has a specific review process for qualifying agricultural improvements and notes that applicable floodplain requirements remain in effect.

Agricultural tax classification is another item to verify separately. The Palm Beach County Property Appraiser explains that it applies to qualifying commercial agricultural activity and that a new owner must reapply for the following year. It should not be treated as a permanent benefit that automatically follows the purchase.

Our guide to building a barn on residential property in Florida explores the construction questions in more detail.

9. Test the Layout Against Your Future Plans

Before choosing a final building location, sketch how the property would function as a whole. Include the home, barn, workshop, animal areas, fencing, garden, storage, utilities and vehicle routes, even when some of those improvements belong to a later phase.

For example, imagine placing the home near the center of the property for privacy. Now test how a feed delivery truck would reach the barn, where a future workshop could fit and whether the driveway would divide the animal areas. This simple exercise can reveal conflicts before they become part of the construction drawings.

A preliminary layout is a planning tool, not an approval. Use it to ask better questions and guide the professional design. Our article on planning a hobby farm in South Florida offers a broader look at organizing the home, animals and outdoor spaces together.

10. Compare the Complete Project Budget, Not Just the Land Price

When comparing properties, prepare a preliminary budget that includes the land and the work needed to make it usable for your plans. Allow for professional services, site preparation, drainage, access, utilities, permits and construction, along with fencing and any immediate repairs to existing improvements.

Consider two otherwise similar properties. One has a lower purchase price but requires a long driveway, substantial site work and new utility connections. The other costs more initially but may require less infrastructure. Compare the combined project scenarios rather than assuming the less expensive parcel produces the less expensive finished property.

Keep confirmed costs separate from allowances and unresolved items. A preliminary budget should make uncertainty visible, with an appropriate contingency developed around the project rather than a promise that every cost is already known.

For readers considering a combined residence and workshop, our South Florida barndominium cost guide explains why the building shell is only one part of the investment.

Give the Property Review Enough Time

These questions are most useful while you still have time to investigate them. Ask your real estate attorney to address the inspections, access, contingencies and deadlines needed for your particular purchase agreement; the contract determines the rights and obligations involved.

You do not need a complete set of construction drawings to begin a conversation with a contractor. An address or parcel number, the listing, an available survey and a clear description of your intended use can help establish what needs further review.

The objective is not to eliminate every uncertainty before buying. It is to identify the important ones early enough to make an informed decision.

How ADM Farm Living Helps Connect the Property to the Project

ADM Farm Living is part of ADM Home Services, bringing our construction services into projects centered on acreage, animals and outdoor living. Our family’s own experience with farm living also shapes the questions we ask, from convenient feed storage to the way people and equipment move around the property.

Depending on the scope, we can help organize a preliminary construction review, develop the project requirements and coordinate with the architects, engineers, surveyors and other professionals needed. As the project moves forward, that coordination can extend to permits, licensed trades, construction and inspections. Property approvals and specialized technical determinations remain with the responsible authorities and professionals.

Our approach emphasizes clear communication, documented decisions, organized work areas and respect for the property. For owners living outside Florida, photographs, video walkthroughs and regular updates help keep them involved while our team coordinates the work locally.

To hear directly from people who have worked with ADM Home Services, watch our first client testimonial, second client testimonial and third client testimonial.

Considering Acreage in South Florida?

Send us the property address or listing, your survey if available, and a brief description of what you would like to build. Contact ADM Home Services to discuss your acreage project through ADM Farm Living before investing in detailed plans or construction.

Discuss Your Property With ADM Home Services

ADM Farm Living by ADM Home Services
Call: (954) 422-7089
Florida Certified General Contractor CGC1537357.

This article provides general planning information, not a determination of buildability or legal, tax or engineering advice. Requirements vary by property, intended use and jurisdiction. Confirm the applicable conditions with the responsible authorities and qualified professionals before purchasing land or beginning work.