The Complete Guide to
Building an ADU in New Smyrna Beach, FL

Because most of New Smyrna Beach sits inside the state's coastal construction zone, your ADU plans need a separate Coastal Development Permit review on top of the standard building permit — this typically bolts on another 2-4 weeks and requires elevation certificates showing your finished floor height meets flood zone requirements, which many first-time applicants don't budget for. On top of the city's own fees, Volusia County tacks on its own impact fee (often $8,000+) that catches homeowners off guard since it's billed separately from the City of NSB permit desk and isn't mentioned on the city's own fee schedule page. Also worth knowing: since short-term rentals aren't allowed for ADUs here, if your long-term plan is Airbnb income, you'll want to confirm your lot's actual zoning use restrictions with a planner before you spend money on architectural drawings.

"In my experience, that 4-week plan check figure and the per-square-foot cost are both state-level estimates rather than verified New Smyrna Beach numbers, so I'd call the City of New Smyrna Beach Building & Inspection Department directly and get a couple of local contractor quotes before penciling out your budget. What the data also doesn't show is that your coastal overlay likely triggers a CDP review, which in my experience adds several weeks to a month beyond that initial 4-week window, especially if the drawing set isn't fully dialed in on first submittal."

11 years in residential permitting and ADU documentation across California, Texas, Florida, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, and Colorado. This guide was researched and verified against New Smyrna Beach's building department records and current 2026 Florida's local zoning ordinances.

Permitted on single-family lots in New Smyrna Beach under local zoning ordinances — Florida law (§163.31771) only encourages, but does not mandate, local ADU approval. New Smyrna Beach requires owner occupancy — the property owner must reside in the primary home or the ADU. Review process and timelines are set by local ordinance — confirm the current process with the City of New Smyrna Beach Building & Inspection Department before designing.

Additional ADUs on multi-family and duplex lots may qualify under local zoning ordinances — Florida law (§163.31771) only encourages, but does not mandate, local ADU approval — the exact number and type allowed depends on New Smyrna Beach's local rules. Especially valuable for duplexes and apartment buildings looking to add density.

Approximately 45% of New Smyrna Beach homes are in an HOA. Florida Statute §720.3035 limits HOA control over certain interior changes but does not preempt CC&Rs that ban ADUs outright — Florida HOAs generally retain the ability to restrict ADUs through their covenants. Our drawings include HOA submission formatting.

Properties within New Smyrna Beach's Coastal Overlay Zone require a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) in addition to standard building permits. This adds 2–6 months to the timeline. Our drawings flag coastal requirements and meet both local and applicable state coastal zone management standards.

Yes - in historic districts only

Free — No Obligation

Will New Smyrna Beach Approve an ADU on Your Lot?

Send us the address and we’ll check it against New Smyrna Beach’s current zoning, setbacks, and lot-coverage rules — then tell you honestly whether to proceed. Free, and no payment is taken unless your property qualifies.

• ✓Lot qualification against current New Smyrna Beach code
• ✓Your buildable envelope — setbacks and maximum footprint
• ✓Realistic rental income and payback estimate
• ✓Financing pathways you’d likely qualify for
• ✓A straight GO / NO-GO answer within 48 hours

Your Project

Projected Returns

Walkable downtown NSB employment and restaurant cluster where ADUs can rent to downtown workers, hospitality staff, and short-term visitors year-round.

Master-planned mainland SFH community with 100+ active listings and $2,300+/mo rents, giving built-in family and professional rental demand for detached ADUs.

Mainland SFH corridor minutes from downtown NSB and AdventHealth hospital with older, larger-lot homes ideal for backyard ADUs.

Established mainland SFH neighborhood close to AdventHealth NSB (largest employer) and State Road 44 corridor, supporting strong workforce rental demand.

Mature mainland SFH community with larger lots and proximity to downtown, hospital, and canal retail, ideal for detached ADUs targeting long-term renters.

Mainland SFH area of newer construction with quick highway access to hospital and Daytona colleges, naturally positioning ADUs for commuter tenants.

Larger-lot mainland pocket just west of the beach with strong family-cohort rental demand and space to site a detached ADU behind a principal home.

Beachside SFH pocket with median rent near $3,975/mo and heavy short-term-rental demand, making ADU income strong despite smaller lots.

Beachside SFH area with the highest median rent in NSB ($4,050/mo) and 155 active listings, signaling an active ADU-eligible market with deep rental demand.

Riverside mainland-style island with established SFH homes and $3,300/mo rents, offering a walkable, in-demand location for a backyard detached ADU.

Third-largest credit union in Florida with a confirmed branch at 1701 S Dixie Frwy, New Smyrna Beach; offers construction-to-permanent loans with a single application and one set of closing costs.

Confirmed branch at 2222 FL-44, New Smyrna Beach; offers construction-to-permanent financing that lets you lock in your rate before building, plus Home Equity Loans (Fairwinds pays up to $1,000 in fees).

Has a branch in New Smyrna Beach; offers HELOCs typically $5,000–$100,000 with APRs from 7.24% to 20.94% (with AutoPay), and also offers construction-to-permanent home loans for ADU builds.

Regional bank serving NSB and the Volusia/Flagler region; offers construction & renovation loans with flexible disbursement options, plus a separate HELOC product usable for ADU financing.

Specialty ADU/renovation lender operating in Florida (Tampa-based Sr. Loan Officer Kevin Patterson, NMLS #1802847); partners with credit unions nationwide so homeowners can borrow against after-renovation value—ideal for ADU construction.

Hire a Local Architect

$3,000 – $8,000

• ·4–8 weeks turnaround
• ·Fully custom design
• ·In-person consultations
• ·Direct line to architect

Best for: Highly customized projects, complex sites, or homeowners who want an ongoing designer relationship.

Build With A Plan

Quoted on your free call

• ✓10 business days turnaround
• ✓Permit-ready, CA-code compliant
• ✓Same documents your building dept needs
• ✓14-day money-back guarantee

Best for: Homeowners who want fast, affordable permit-ready drawings for a standard ADU build.

• ✓Site plan
• ✓Floor plans
• ✓All 4 elevations
• ✓Electrical plan
• ✓Florida energy code form
• ✓PDF + DWG delivery
• ✓10 business day turnaround

• ✓Everything in Starter
• ✓Structural plans (stamped)
• ✓Cross-section details
• ✓Window & door schedules
• ✓Material specifications
• ✓1 round of revisions

• ✓Everything in Standard
• ✓3D rendering
• ✓Garage conversion alt plan
• ✓HOA submission package
• ✓Coastal Zone supplement
• ✓2 rounds of revisions
• ✓Priority 5-day turnaround

We won't even take your money unless your property qualifies.

Submit Your Project

Share your property address, lot dimensions, and ADU type. We'll confirm your order and assign your project coordinator.

We Draft Your Drawings

Our team designs your permit-ready drawing set — engineered for New Smyrna Beach's building department requirements and FL code. Delivered in 10 business days.

Submit to Your City

Download your complete drawing package and submit directly to City of New Smyrna Beach Building & Inspection Department. We support corrections at no extra charge.