Belleair vs. Belleair Beach vs. Belleair Shore
Four Belleair governments compared: location, permitting, zoning, flood and rental rules.
Pinellas County · Incorporated town
Belleair, Florida
A town separate from Belleair Bluffs, Belleair Beach and Belleair Shore, with its own building department and floodplain page
The Town of Belleair is an incorporated town in Pinellas County, Florida, and a separate government from Belleair Bluffs, Belleair Beach and Belleair Shore. The town says it was incorporated in 1925. It runs its own building department, and its FAQ says short-term rentals of less than seven months are not permitted under its Code of Ordinances.
In short: The Town of Belleair is an incorporated Pinellas County town with its own building department, separate from Belleair Bluffs, Belleair Beach and Belleair Shore.
Private, strategy-first conversations. Consultation requests do not trigger drip campaigns.
Overview
Belleair at a glance
The Town of Belleair is not Belleair Bluffs, Belleair Beach or Belleair Shore. The county lists all four separately (Note 4). See ABODE’s guide to the four Belleair municipalities.
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Pinellas County, Florida. The county’s building-department list gives the town’s Building Department address as 901 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Belleair, FL 33756 | Note 4 |
| Separate municipality | The county lists the Town of Belleair separately from Belleair Beach, Belleair Bluffs and Belleair Shore, each with its own entry | Note 4 |
| Incorporated | The town says it was incorporated in 1925 (history page; FY 2019-20 budget). Wikipedia says incorporated in 1924 and reincorporated in 1925, so sources differ | Notes 1, 2, 7 |
| History as the town tells it | The town’s history page says the planner John Nolen was hired to lay out the streets that make up most of today’s Belleair, and that the early neighborhood was resisting annexation moves by the City of Clearwater | Note 1 |
| Location as sources state it | Belleair Bluffs’ plan calls the Town of Belleair “adjacent” and says that city coordinates with the town on coastal management policies for their “common frontage along Clearwater Harbor.” The town’s own pages opened do not describe its shoreline | Note 6 |
| Population | 4,273 at the 2020 census, per Wikipedia (a secondary source). The Census page did not load here, and Wikipedia gives two different area figures, so no area is stated on this page | Note 7 |
| Local government | The FY 2019-20 budget says the town operates under the council-manager form, with a five-member Town Commission (a mayor/commissioner, a deputy mayor and three commissioners) elected community-wide. The town’s Government page says the Mayor and Commissioners are elected on a rotating three-year basis | Notes 1, 2 |
| Permitting | The town has its own Building Department and is not among the municipalities for which the county says Pinellas County Building and Development Review Services issues permits | Note 4 |
| Water | The FY 2019-20 budget says the town provides water and solid waste services and owns and operates its water supply and distribution system. Belleair Bluffs’ plan says about 5% of its customers receive water from the adjacent Town of Belleair | Notes 2, 6 |
| Sewer | The town’s FAQ says sewer lines are owned and maintained by Pinellas County Utilities, and the FY 2019-20 budget says wastewater service is provided by Pinellas County | Notes 1, 2 |
The sources opened do not describe the town as Gulf-front or as a barrier-island municipality, and the Census QuickFacts page did not load. Belleair Bluffs’ plan calls the town adjacent; the sources opened do not say whether it borders Belleair Beach or Belleair Shore.
Setting
Where is the Town of Belleair, and what is it not?
A Pinellas County town with its own government, described by the sources through its history page, the county’s list and a neighboring city’s plan (Notes 1, 4, 6).
- It is its own municipality. Belleair, Belleair Bluffs, Belleair Beach and Belleair Shore are four separate governments, each listed separately by Pinellas County (Note 4). A shared name does not mean a shared code or building office. ABODE’s comparison guide sets them side by side.
- The town’s history page says the Belleview Hotel was built “on a high bluff south of Clearwater,” that the planner John Nolen was hired to lay out the streets that make up most of today’s Belleair, and that the early neighborhood was resisting annexation moves by the City of Clearwater (Note 1).
- Belleair Bluffs’ comprehensive plan calls the Town of Belleair “adjacent” and says the city coordinates with the town on coastal management policies “for their common frontage along Clearwater Harbor” (Note 6). The town’s own pages opened do not describe its shoreline.
- The sources opened do not say the town is on the Gulf of Mexico or a barrier island. Whether a particular parcel is Gulf-front, on Clearwater Harbor or on the Intracoastal Waterway is a parcel-level question; see ABODE’s Gulf-front versus Intracoastal guide.
- The county’s list gives ZIP 33756 for the town’s Building Department (Note 4). Mailing names and ZIP codes do not decide the municipality, so confirm a parcel’s jurisdiction with the Property Appraiser (Notes 4, 9).
- The town’s FY 2019-20 budget says fire protection and emergency response were contracted to the City of Largo at that time (Note 2). That is a 2019-20 statement; confirm current arrangements with the town.
Local rules
Who sets the rules in the Town of Belleair?
The town runs its own Building Department, publishes its own floodplain page and Code of Ordinances, and lists its own short-term rental rule.
- The Town Commission governs under the council-manager form, per the FY 2019-20 budget; the Government page describes a Mayor, Commissioners and a Town Manager role (Notes 1, 2). Confirm current practice with the town.
- The Building Department handles permitting and floodplain management; the FY 2019-20 budget lists both among its activities (Note 2). The town’s permit page says permit applications are accepted through an online portal for residents and contractors (Note 1).
- Hours differ between sources. The county lists Belleair’s building office Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., while the town’s FAQ says permit forms can be brought to Town Hall Monday through Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and that the department is closed Fridays. Call (727) 588-1477 before relying on either (Notes 1, 4).
- The FAQ says a permit is needed before an inspection can be requested, and that inspection requests must be made by 4:00 p.m. for the next business day (Note 1).
- The town’s Code of Ordinances and a separate Land Development Code are both referenced on the town’s code-enforcement page. The town says the full searchable code is on Municode, which was not read for this page (Note 1).
- The town amended Chapter 75 (Floodplain Management) by Ordinance 593 and parts of Land Development Code Chapter 66, Article I by Ordinance 594, each described as aligning with the Community Rating System. The pages opened show no adoption or effective dates (Note 3).
- Short-term rentals: the town’s FAQ says short-term rentals (less than seven months) are not permitted in Belleair under its Code of Ordinances (Note 1). The code-enforcement page opened does not mention rentals (Note 1).
- Utilities: the town provides water and solid waste service and bills for them; sewer lines belong to Pinellas County Utilities (Notes 1, 2). Lawn watering is limited to once per week under the town’s code, and stricter Southwest Florida Water Management District rules override it (Note 1).
- Property tax: the FY 2019-20 budget says the Pinellas County Property Appraiser establishes the taxable value of all property in the town (Note 2).
Town pages not opened (including the Building Department page, which could not be read) are treated as not stated. Rules and fees change; confirm with the town.
Due diligence
What should you check before buying in the Town of Belleair?
| Check | Why it matters here | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Which Belleair, and which parcel | The county lists four separate Belleair municipalities. Confirm the parcel is in the Town of Belleair and not Belleair Bluffs, Belleair Beach or Belleair Shore, and confirm the parcel ID and legal description with the Property Appraiser | Notes 4, 9 |
| Flood zone and elevation certificate | The town’s CRS page points to the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and county flood-zone maps and says residents in a special flood hazard area can request an elevation certificate from the Building Department at (727) 588-1477. The page gives no zone or elevation rules, so look up the parcel on FEMA’s address search and ask for any certificate | Notes 1, 8, 10 |
| Substantial improvement (50% rule) | The town pages opened do not state a 50% threshold. Ask the Building Department for the definition in its Chapter 75 floodplain code and any substantial improvement or damage determinations for the parcel. The Property Appraiser’s site links a “Find My FEMA 50% (49%) Value” tool | Notes 1, 3, 9 |
| Open and past permits | The town issues its own permits, so permit history sits with its Building Department, not the county. Ask for open permits, final inspections and any work done without a permit | Notes 1, 4 |
| Short-term rental rule | The FAQ says rentals of less than seven months are not permitted under the Code of Ordinances. Read the current code on Municode and, for a condominium, the association’s declaration before assuming any rental use | Note 1 |
| Zoning and land development code | The sources opened do not state the town’s zoning districts or setbacks. Ask the town for the parcel’s district and read the Land Development Code, which Ordinance 594 amended in Chapter 66 | Notes 1, 3 |
| Docks and seawalls | The town’s FAQ, permit and floodplain pages opened do not mention docks or seawalls. If a parcel has waterfront, confirm with the town what permits and approvals apply and whether existing structures were permitted | Note 1 |
| Coastal construction control line | State law provides for lines set county by county and generally requires state authorization for construction seaward of an established line, with exceptions. The town pages opened do not describe a Gulf-front shoreline or mention the line, so check the parcel on the county map or with DEP rather than assuming either way | Notes 1, 10, 12 |
| Condominium milestone inspection | Florida law calls for a milestone inspection of condominium or cooperative buildings of three or more habitable stories at 30 years, with a local option for 25. The county accepts milestone reports only for unincorporated areas and seven municipalities, and the Town of Belleair is not among them. The town pages opened do not describe a milestone program, so ask the Building Department who receives reports, and ask the association for inspection status and any reserve study | Notes 1, 5, 11 |
| Water, sewer and trash accounts | The town provides water and solid waste and bills for them; Pinellas County Utilities owns and maintains sewer lines. Ask which accounts the parcel has and whether the property is on town water | Notes 1, 2 |
| Evacuation zone | The sources opened do not state which evacuation zone, if any, applies to the town or to a parcel. Ask the town or Pinellas County which zone the parcel is in, and ask your insurer how it treats the property | Note 14 |
| Property tax | The Pinellas County Property Appraiser establishes taxable value in the town. Confirm exemptions, taxable value and tax records for the parcel on the Property Appraiser’s site | Notes 2, 9 |
This is a checklist, not advice. Confirm each item with the town, the county and your attorney.
Comparison
How does the Town of Belleair compare with the other Belleair municipalities?
| Community | Setting | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Belleair Bluffs | Separate city; its plan calls the Town of Belleair adjacent | The county’s list shows SAFEbuilt handling Belleair Bluffs permits since August 15, 2025, while Belleair has its own Building Department. Bluffs’ plan states a three-month minimum rental term; Belleair’s FAQ says less than seven months is not permitted. The county’s milestone page names Belleair Bluffs but not Belleair (Notes 1, 4, 5, 6) |
| Belleair Beach | Separate city | The county’s list tells applicants to contact Pinellas County Building Services, while Belleair issues its own permits. A city-posted code excerpt sets a three-month minimum and a registration requirement in one residential district (RL district II); Belleair’s FAQ says less than seven months is not permitted. The county’s milestone page names Belleair Beach (Notes 1, 4, 5, 13) |
| Belleair Shore | Separate town | The county’s list tells applicants to contact Pinellas County Building Services, and its milestone page names Belleair Shore; neither is true of Belleair (Notes 4, 5) |
| Indian Rocks Beach | Pinellas County city | The county lists Indian Rocks Beach among the municipalities for which it issues permits and accepts milestone reports; Belleair is on neither list (Notes 4, 5) |
Hours, contacts and arrangements differ between sources and change. For a full side-by-side, read ABODE’s Belleair guide; for the county, see the Pinellas County page.
Working with ABODE
How does ABODE help in the Town of Belleair?
ABODE’s Florida office is on West Bay Drive in Largo. We confirm which Belleair a parcel is in, review flood, permit, rental and condominium documents with you, and keep conversations private. We represent both buyers and sellers.
Keep reading
Which related guides should you read next?
Belleair Bluffs
An Intracoastal city between Largo and the Gulf beaches
Belleair Beach
A small Gulf-side city on Sand Key, across the Belleair Causeway from Largo
Belleair Shore
A very small Gulf-front town zoned single-family, with a few recreation lots
Largo
A central Pinellas County city bordering Clearwater, Belleair and Seminole, with causeway access to the Gulf beaches
Indian Rocks Beach
A Gulf-side city with a beachfront business district
Pinellas condominium due diligence
Florida milestone inspections, structural reserve studies and five documents to request
Pinellas County
County guide to permitting offices, homestead rules, flood and evacuation lookups, and condo inspections
Questions
Belleair real estate: frequently asked questions
Is the Town of Belleair the same as Belleair Bluffs, Belleair Beach or Belleair Shore?
No. The county’s building-department list gives each its own entry (Note 4). They are separate governments with separate codes, so confirm which one a property is in. ABODE’s comparison guide sets the four side by side.
What is the Town of Belleair?
It is an incorporated town in Pinellas County, Florida. The town says it was incorporated in 1925, though Wikipedia says it was incorporated in 1924 and reincorporated in 1925 (Notes 1, 7). Its FY 2019-20 budget describes the council-manager form with a five-member Town Commission (Note 2).
Who issues building permits in the Town of Belleair?
The town’s own Building Department. The county’s list gives its address and phone and does not include Belleair among the municipalities the county permits for (Note 4). The town says applications can be made through an online portal (Note 1). Hours differ between the county list and the town FAQ, so call first (Notes 1, 4).
Can I use a home in the Town of Belleair as a short-term rental?
The town’s FAQ says short-term rentals of less than seven months are not permitted under its Code of Ordinances (Note 1). Read the current code on Municode and, for a condominium, the declaration. Other Belleair municipalities have different rules (Notes 6, 13).
How do I find the flood zone for a property in the Town of Belleair?
Use the FEMA Flood Map Service Center address search, which the town’s CRS page links (Notes 1, 8). The town says residents in a special flood hazard area can request an elevation certificate from the Building Department (Note 1). The town pages opened do not state a 50% rule, so ask the Building Department for its Chapter 75 definition (Notes 1, 3).
Does the Town of Belleair provide water and sewer service?
The town’s FY 2019-20 budget says it provides water and solid waste services and owns its water system, while the town’s FAQ and budget say sewer is Pinellas County Utilities (Notes 1, 2). Confirm the accounts for a specific parcel.
Does the county accept condominium milestone reports for the Town of Belleair?
Pinellas County says it accepts milestone reports only for unincorporated areas and seven named municipalities, and the Town of Belleair is not among them (Note 5). Ask the town’s Building Department who receives reports, and read Florida Statutes section 553.899 (Note 11).
Does ABODE International Realty work in the Town of Belleair?
Yes. ABODE International Realty is a Florida-licensed brokerage with its office at 801 West Bay Drive, Suite 324, in Largo. ABODE represents buyers and sellers in Belleair and reviews flood, permit and condominium documents with clients.
Private consultation
Request a private Belleair consultation
Please tell us what you are weighing. An ABODE advisor replies privately. We aim to reply within one business day.
Sources and notes
- Town of Belleair (official site: History of Belleair, Government, FAQ, CRS and Floodplain Management, Building Permits, Code of Ordinances, Code Enforcement). Source for the 1925 incorporation statement, John Nolen, the Clearwater annexation wording and the “high bluff south of Clearwater” wording (History); rotating three-year terms (https://townofbelleair.com/27/Government); the short-term rental, Building Department hours, inspection, sewer, water and trash statements (https://townofbelleair.com/m/FAQ); the CRS, FEMA links and elevation certificate statements (https://townofbelleair.com/340/CRS-And-Floodplain-Management); the online permit portal (https://www.townofbelleair.com/buildingpermits); the Municode statement (https://www.townofbelleair.com/code); and the Code of Ordinances and Land Development Code reference (https://townofbelleair.com/429/Code-Enforcement). The Building Department page (townofbelleair.com/401/Building) returned ROBOTS_DISALLOWED and was not used. Pages not opened are treated as not stated. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Town of Belleair: FY 2019-20 Budget Document. Source for the council-manager form, 1925 incorporation, five-member Town Commission, Building Department activities (permitting, floodplain management), town-owned water system, Pinellas County wastewater service, Largo fire contract and the Property Appraiser statement. A 2019-20 document; confirm current practice with the town. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Town of Belleair: Ordinance No. 593 (Chapter 75, Floodplain Management) and Ordinance No. 594 (Land Development Code). Ordinance 593 amends Chapter 75 (Floodplain Management); Ordinance 594 (https://townofbelleair.com/671/Ordinance-No-594) amends Land Development Code Chapter 66, Article I, Sections 66-4, 66-8 and 66-10. Both pages describe alignment with the Community Rating System and show no adoption or effective date. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Pinellas County: Building Departments in Pinellas County. Lists Belleair (901 Ponce de Leon Blvd, ZIP 33756, (727) 588-1477, Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) separately from Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore (the page’s intro spells it “Belleair Shores”) and Belleair Bluffs, and names the municipalities the county permits for. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Pinellas County: Condo milestone inspections. Says the county accepts milestone reports only for unincorporated areas and seven municipalities “of which the county operates as their building official”: Belleair Beach, Belleair Bluffs, Belleair Shore, Indian Rocks Beach, Oldsmar, Safety Harbor and Kenneth City. The Town of Belleair is not listed. The text read shows no year. Checked October 9, 2026.
- City of Belleair Bluffs: Comprehensive Plan (Ordinance 2024-01). Source for the “adjacent Town of Belleair” water statement, the coordination policy for “common frontage along Clearwater Harbor,” and the three-month rental term in Future Land Use Policy 1.2.8. Part of the plan text was cut off in the read. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Belleair, Florida (Wikipedia). Secondary source, used only for the 2020 population and the 1924/1925 incorporation wording. Its infobox and body give different area figures (2.54 and 2.8 square miles total), so no area is used. The Census QuickFacts page did not load. Checked October 9, 2026.
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Address search for the applicable flood map, FIRMette and related products. Flood zone is parcel specific. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Pinellas County Property Appraiser. Parcel search and a “Find My FEMA 50% (49%) Value” tool; no values are shown on the home page. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Pinellas County Flood Map Service Center. County site for discovering and downloading flood map data. Its home page does not itself describe flood-zone, evacuation-zone or coastal-line lookups; the coastal construction control line page is listed with the statute below. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Florida Statutes, section 553.899 (2026), mandatory structural inspections for condominium and cooperative buildings. Subsection (3)(a) sets the milestone inspection by December 31 of the year a building of three or more habitable stories reaches 30 years of age, then every 10 years; subsection (3)(b) lets the local enforcement agency require it at 25 years based on local circumstances such as proximity to salt water. The law has been amended recently; confirm the current text. Checked October 9, 2026.
- Florida Statutes, section 161.053 (2026), and the Pinellas County coastal construction control line page. The statute states the intent that the department establish coastal construction control lines “on a county basis along the sand beaches of the state,” prohibits structures seaward of an established line except as provided, and in subsection (4) lets the department grant a permit to alter, excavate or construct seaward of it (subsection (4) does not apply where a local government has adopted its own codes under subsection (3)). The county flood-map site has a page on the program (https://floodmaps.pinellas.gov/pages/coastal-construction-control-line) that describes the line as setting an area of jurisdiction where special siting and design criteria apply. Neither page says whether a given parcel is seaward of the line. Checked October 9, 2026.
- City of Belleair Beach: Code of Ordinances Chapter 94 (Zoning) excerpt, Supp. No. 20. City-posted excerpt, not the official code, used only for the Sec. 94-213 three-month minimum and register-at-city-hall statements for RL district II rentals. The code may have been amended; confirm on Municode. Checked October 9, 2026.
- ABODE due-diligence checklist. The evacuation-zone prompt and the plain-language checklist framing are ABODE’s and are not statistics