# Belleair vs. Belleair Beach vs. Belleair Shore | ABODE Canonical page: https://abodeintlrealty.com/guides/belleair-vs-belleair-beach-vs-belleair-shore/ Last updated: 2026-10-09 Publisher: ABODE International Realty LLC (Real Estate Firm TN 263936; FL Corporation CQ1070640) Pinellas County · Municipality comparison # Belleair vs. Belleair Beach vs. Belleair Shore: four separate governments Where each sits, who issues permits, and which rules to check on a waterfront purchase or sale Belleair, Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore and Belleair Bluffs are four separate Pinellas County governments, each with its own codes. Belleair lists its own building department, Belleair Beach and Belleair Shore point to Pinellas County (Belleair Shore adds a town pre-permit step), and Belleair Bluffs moved permitting to a contractor in August 2025. Confirm the municipality first, then read that government’s rules. In short: Belleair, Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore and Belleair Bluffs are four separate Pinellas County governments with different permitting offices, so confirm the municipality before checking rules. ## How do the four Belleair municipalities compare? The name is shared; the governments are not. Each row below is a separate municipality with its own elected body, as its own pages and plans describe it (Notes 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12, 13). | Municipality | Location as sources state it | Government and incorporation as stated | Who issues building permits | Source | |------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------| | [Town of Belleair](https://abodeintlrealty.com/communities/belleair-florida/) | Pinellas County. The town’s history places the original Belleview Hotel on a high bluff south of Clearwater. Belleair Bluffs’ plan says the town shares “common frontage along Clearwater Harbor” with that city. The sources opened do not describe the town as a barrier-island or Gulf-front municipality. | The town’s FY 2019-20 budget document (a 2019-20 source) says it operates under the council-manager form, with a five-member Town Commission that elects a professional town manager. The town’s Government page says its Mayor and Commissioners are elected on a rotating three-year basis. The town says it was incorporated in 1925. | The town’s own Building Department (901 Ponce de Leon Blvd., per the county’s list); the town says it is now processing permits through an online portal. It is not among the municipalities the county’s page says Pinellas County permits for. | Notes 1, 3, 4, 5, 13 | | [City of Belleair Beach](https://abodeintlrealty.com/communities/belleair-beach-florida/) | Pinellas County. The city’s 2023 comprehensive plan refers to the city’s location on a barrier island, counts 910 acres of water in Boca Ciega Bay and the Gulf of Mexico inside its limits, and says the Belleair Causeway spans the Intracoastal Waterway. The plan names Belleair Shore as a neighbor. | City Council with a City Manager. The council page lists seven people (a Mayor, Vice Mayor and five Council Members), yet its term sentence says “The Mayor and four Council Members are elected for four-year terms,” so the page does not match itself. Incorporation date: not stated in the city sources opened. | Pinellas County Building Services. The city’s permitting page says “The City contracts with Pinellas County for permitting and inspections,” and lists city pre-permit items such as dock and seawall fees. | Notes 1, 6, 7 | | [Town of Belleair Shore](https://abodeintlrealty.com/communities/belleair-shore-florida/) | Pinellas County. The town’s history page describes about one mile of Gulf beachfront, bounded by Gulf Boulevard on the east and the Gulf of Mexico on the west, with Belleair Beach to the north and Indian Rocks Beach to the south. | The town’s home page says a Mayor and four Commissioners serve two-year terms; the cover of its 2024 plan lists a Mayor, a Vice Mayor and one name under Commissioners, and the plan does not state how many commissioners there are, so the sources differ on how many are named. The town says it “was established in 1955” and does not use the word incorporated. | The county’s list tells applicants to contact Pinellas County Building Services. The town also has its own pre-permit process; its building-services page and pre-permit form (dated 2022) send copies to the town clerk and a SAFEbuilt contact, so confirm the current route with the town. | Notes 1, 9, 10, 11 | | [City of Belleair Bluffs](https://abodeintlrealty.com/communities/belleair-bluffs-florida/) | Western Pinellas County; the city calls itself one of the gateways to the Gulf beaches. Its 2024 plan says it lies along the coast, with frontage on Clearwater Harbor and some residential parcels fronting the Intracoastal Waterway. | Mayor/Commission form: a Mayor and four commissioners on two-year terms, with a City Administrator listed on the plan’s cover. The city says it was born at a March 4, 1963 town meeting. | SAFEbuilt, which the city calls its third-party vendor, for permits from mid-August 2025 (the dates differ; see below). Permits already open at the switch stayed with Pinellas County through final inspection, per the city and county pages. | Notes 1, 12, 13 | Location, government and permitting body for the four Belleair municipalities, as each source states it. Where a source does not say, the cell says so. Checked October 9, 2026. The sources give two dates for the Belleair Bluffs switch: the county’s list and the city’s building-permits page say the city transitioned permitting and inspections to SAFEbuilt on August 15, 2025, while the same city page says all permits are issued through SAFEbuilt “as of August 16, 2025,” and the city’s news release gives August 16, 2025 as the date the county stops serving as building official (Notes 1, 12). Hours and contacts also differ between sources (for example, the county lists Belleair’s building office Monday through Friday, while the town’s FAQ says the department is closed on Fridays); confirm with each building office. ## Why do the Belleair names cause confusion? All four are separate municipalities, and the county’s own building-department list names them separately: Belleair, Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore and Belleair Bluffs (Note 1). Pinellas County’s boundary layer describes data for 24 municipalities plus the unincorporated areas (Note 1). A shared word does not mean a shared code, council or building office. **Mailing names.** The sources show how a mailing name can differ from the municipality. Belleair Bluffs’ own information page asks that mail be addressed to “Belleair Bluffs” rather than “Largo” for its ZIP code 33770 (Note 12). Belleair Shore’s pre-permit form gives the town’s address as a PO Box in Indian Rocks Beach, ZIP 33785, while the county’s list shows the town at 1200 Gulf Blvd., Belleair Shore, ZIP 33785 (Notes 1, 11). The county’s list shows Belleair Beach at ZIP 33786 and the Town of Belleair at ZIP 33756 (Note 1). Those are the addresses the governments themselves publish; the sources do not say which ZIP a given home uses, so check a parcel with the Property Appraiser or the county’s My Neighborhood tool, both of which the county page recommends for finding a municipality (Note 1). **Shared meeting places.** Belleair Shore’s 2024 plan says town meetings are held at Belleair Bluffs City Hall, even though Belleair Bluffs is a separate city (Note 10). **The Belleair Causeway.** Belleair Beach’s plan describes the causeway as an east-west bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway that is owned and maintained by Pinellas County (Note 7). Belleair Bluffs’ plan separately designates the Belleair Causeway as a Scenic/Noncommercial Corridor in its own land use plan and says it accounts for most of the city’s coastal high hazard area (Note 13). The sources opened do not say where one city’s limit ends and the other’s begins along the causeway, so a parcel near it needs a municipal-boundary check. For the barrier-island versus mainland distinction, see ABODE’s guide to [Gulf-front versus Intracoastal property in Pinellas County](https://abodeintlrealty.com/guides/gulf-front-vs-intracoastal-pinellas-county/). ## What do the sources say about zoning, flood and shoreline items? Each government publishes its own land use categories, flood statements and shoreline rules. This table reports only what the pages and plans opened say (Notes 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13). | Municipality | Zoning and land use as stated | Flood and coastal-line statements | Docks, seawalls and shoreline | Rentals | Source | |----------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------| | [Town of Belleair](https://abodeintlrealty.com/communities/belleair-florida/) | Not stated in the pages opened. The town’s code page says the Code of Ordinances is available through Municode, which was not read here. | The town’s “CRS And Floodplain Management” page says the town participates in the Community Rating System, points to FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center, and says residents in a special flood hazard area can request an elevation certificate from the Building Department. It gives no zone or elevation rules. | Not stated. The town’s FAQ, building-permits and floodplain pages opened do not mention docks or seawalls. | The town’s FAQ says short-term rentals (less than seven months) are not permitted in Belleair under its Code of Ordinances. | Notes 3, 4 | | Belleair Beach | The city lists single-family homes as RL, District 2, and condominiums as RM, District 1. A city-posted Chapter 94 excerpt gives RL district II as residential use only at 4.0 units per acre and RM district I as multifamily at 15.0 units per acre. The plan says no areas are designated for commercial or industrial development. | The plan (Policy 1.7.2) says the entire community is located within the Coastal High Hazard Area, Coastal Storm Area and 100-year floodplain; its floodplain map legend lists FEMA zones AE, VE and X; and a policy calls for a coastal building setback equal to or landward of the state Coastal Construction Control Line. The city says it does not have elevation certificates for all properties, and for homes built after 1999 it points to the Pinellas County Building Department. | The city-posted Chapter 94 excerpt (created February 27, 2024, Supp. No. 20, truncated) limits waterfront property to one dock or pier, designed for no more than two boats, perpendicular to the rear property line, and prohibits renting docks, dock space or moorings in RL district II except as part of renting the whole property. It also treats the inside edge of the seawall cap as the rear property line on waterfront lots. The permitting page lists dock and seawall among its pre-permit application fees. | In RL district II, the same excerpt requires owners who rent a home to register it at city hall and sets “not less than a three-month occupancy period.” | Notes 6, 7, 8 | | Belleair Shore | The town’s zoning map legend shows one district, Single-Family Residential. The town’s home page says commercial and multi-family high-rise buildings are prohibited. Its plan designates Residential Suburban (single-family primary) and Recreation/Open Space, including three lots that provide Gulf access. | The plan says the entire land area is within the 100-year floodplain (AE and VE zones) and says to continue enforcing the coastal construction setback line set by local ordinance. It says construction seaward of the state line must be consistent with Chapter 161, Florida Statutes. | The words dock and seawall do not appear in the plan text read. The town’s Important Beach Information page refers to property deeds that extend beyond seawalls into the sandy beach area, seawalls deeded to homeowners, and exclusion from publicly funded beach renourishment projects. | Not stated as a rule in the sources opened. The plan’s housing table says there are no renter-occupied dwelling units, which describes occupancy at the time, not a rule. | Notes 9, 10 | | Belleair Bluffs | The plan lists Residential Low, Urban, Medium and High; Residential/Office/Retail; Residential/Office/General; Commercial General; Recreation/Open Space; and Institutional categories. The city site links a Land Use Map that was not read. | The plan maps FEMA zones A, AE, VE and X, says a small area along the coast of the Intracoastal Waterway is in VE or AE, and puts about 12 acres in the coastal high hazard area. It requires floodplain buildings to be elevated to the base flood elevation plus 2 feet or the design flood elevation, whichever is higher. | The plan text read does not mention docks or seawalls (part of the document was cut off). It has a policy on marinas, causeways and dredging that could inhibit tidal circulation, and an 80-foot rear yard setback from top of bank for properties west of Bluff View Drive. | The plan states a minimum three-month term for lease or rental of residential properties (Future Land Use Policy 1.2.8). | Notes 12, 13 | Zoning and land use, flood and coastal-line statements, shoreline structures and rental statements, by municipality, as stated in the sources. “Not stated” means the sources opened did not say. Belleair Beach’s dock, seawall, rental and flood-elevation statements rest on a city-posted Chapter 94 excerpt created February 27, 2024 (Supplement 20) that cuts off mid-section; municipal codes are amended. Read the current text on Municode and with the city before relying on a district, setback, dock or rental rule (Notes 6, 8). ## What does each Belleair municipality say about itself? ### Town of Belleair ABODE has a separate guide to the [Town of Belleair](https://abodeintlrealty.com/communities/belleair-florida/). The town says it was incorporated in 1925 and that the planner John Nolen was hired to lay out the streets that make up most of Belleair today (Note 3). The town’s FY 2019-20 budget document, a 2019-20 source, says the town operates under the council-manager form and describes a Building department (Note 5); confirm current practice with the town. The county’s list gives a town Building Department address and phone and Monday through Friday hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., while the town’s FAQ says the Building Department is closed on Fridays and gives Monday through Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for bringing permit forms to Town Hall, so call before relying on either (Notes 1, 4). The town is not among the municipalities the county’s building-department page says Pinellas County permits for, and it is not named on the county’s milestone page (Notes 1, 2). ### City of Belleair Beach See ABODE’s [Belleair Beach guide](https://abodeintlrealty.com/communities/belleair-beach-florida/). The city’s plan refers to its location on a barrier island and counts about 230 acres of upland, 79 acres of right-of-way and 910 acres of water, no commercial or industrial areas on its Future Land Use Map, and the Belleair Beach Marina (Note 7). Its zoning page separates single-family homes (RL, District 2) from condominiums (RM, District 1) (Note 6). The plan reports about 30 percent of housing units as multifamily (329 of 1,094 in 2020) and says there are few time-share properties designated as multifamily (Note 7). A city resolution called a March 19, 2024 election on a charter amendment moving council terms from three years to four (Note 6). The council page now says four-year terms, but the pages opened do not show the vote or explain why that page lists seven members while its term sentence names the Mayor and four Council Members. ### Town of Belleair Shore See ABODE’s [Belleair Shore guide](https://abodeintlrealty.com/communities/belleair-shore-florida/). The town describes itself as a community of private homes on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Mexico, and a town page quotes Section 46-101 of its ordinances declaring the corporate limits to be the single-family zoning district (Note 9). Its plan says there are no local streets, each property has only a driveway to Gulf Boulevard, and the town has about 31 acres of land. It counts 58 single-family houses in one section and 57 in another and does not reconcile them (Note 10). The words condominium, dock and seawall do not appear in the plan text read, and the plan states no rental rule (Note 10). ### City of Belleair Bluffs See ABODE’s [Belleair Bluffs guide](https://abodeintlrealty.com/communities/belleair-bluffs-florida/). The city’s About page says it is just under half a square mile (Note 12), and its plan reports about 229 land parcel acres and 96.5 acres of water (Note 13). The plan reports multifamily buildings of 20 or more units as the largest share of units (695 units, 46.1 percent) (Note 13). The plan shows a Mayor, four commissioners, a City Administrator and a City Clerk on its cover (Note 13). The city’s government page describes a Mayor/Commission form with the Mayor as the day-to-day administrator, while the plan’s cover and the city site list a City Administrator, so how those roles divide is not stated in the pages opened (Notes 12, 13). ## Which rules can change when you cross a municipal line? These are examples drawn from the sources, not a complete list. A rule that appears in one column may exist in another municipality’s code even where this table says “not stated.” | Item | Belleair | Belleair Beach | Belleair Shore | Belleair Bluffs | Source | |---------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------| | Building-permit office | Town Building Department (county list) | Pinellas County Building Services | County list: Pinellas County Building Services; town pre-permit step | SAFEbuilt since mid-August 2025 | Notes 1, 6, 9, 11, 12 | | Rentals under a stated minimum | Short-term (under seven months) not permitted per the town FAQ | Registration and three-month minimum in RL district II, per the city-posted code excerpt | Not stated | Three-month minimum per plan policy | Notes 4, 8, 13 | | Condominium zoning or uses | Not stated | RM District 1 is the condominium district | Zoning is single-family; multi-family high-rise prohibited | Plan reports large multifamily buildings; zoning not read | Notes 6, 9, 13 | | Condominium milestone reports (county acceptance) | Not among the county’s accepted areas | Named among the county’s accepted areas | Named among the county’s accepted areas | Named on the county page; the city’s 2025 news release says the county no longer serves as its building official | Notes 2, 12 | | Flood-elevation wording | Not stated | RL district II homes comply with base flood elevation, and height is measured from it; RM district I first floor 18 inches above grade | Pre-permit form asks for flood zone, base flood elevation and design flood elevation | Base flood elevation plus 2 feet or the design flood elevation | Notes 8, 11, 13 | | Docks | Not stated in the town pages opened | One dock or pier per waterfront property, designed for two boats at most, per the city-posted code excerpt | Not in the plan text read | Not in the plan text read | Notes 4, 8, 10, 13 | | Beach or shoreline deeds | Not stated | Not stated | Deeds extend beyond seawalls into the beach area, per the town | Not stated | Note 9 | | Election terms | Rotating three-year basis, per the town’s Government page | Four years per the council page; seven people listed | Two years per the town’s home page | Two years per the city’s government page | Notes 3, 6, 9, 12 | Examples of items that differ by municipality, as the sources state them. “Not stated” means the sources opened did not say. The county’s milestone page lists Belleair Bluffs among the municipalities where the county operates as building official, while the city’s August 2025 news release says the county will no longer serve in that role. The milestone page text read shows no year. Ask the city and SAFEbuilt who receives milestone paperwork now (Notes 2, 12). ## What should you verify before you buy or sell in any of them? Start with the parcel, then the municipality, then the building. The checks below come from what these governments publish. | Check | Why it matters | Source | |---------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------| | Which municipality the parcel is in | Mailing names and ZIP codes are not reliable guides: Belleair Bluffs says some systems print “Largo” for ZIP 33770 and asks that mail read Belleair Bluffs, and Belleair Shore’s form uses an Indian Rocks Beach PO Box. Use the county’s Property Appraiser or My Neighborhood lookup | Notes 1, 11, 12 | | Who holds the permit file | Permit history sits with different offices depending on the municipality and date. For Belleair Bluffs, permits open in August 2025 stayed with the county, and later ones are with SAFEbuilt. For Belleair Beach, the city points post-1999 elevation certificates to the county | Notes 1, 6, 12 | | Flood zone and elevation certificate | Zones and elevation vary by address. Look up the parcel on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center and ask for any elevation certificate; Belleair Beach and Belleair Shore describe their whole areas as within the 100-year floodplain | Notes 7, 10, 16 | | Coastal construction control line | State law sets the line county by county and generally requires state authorization for construction seaward of it, with exemptions. Belleair Beach and Belleair Shore plans both refer to it. Confirm a Gulf-side parcel’s position with DEP | Notes 7, 10, 15 | | Rental plans | Rental rules differ by municipality, and a condominium association may add its own. Confirm the current ordinance and the declaration before assuming a rental use | Notes 4, 8, 13 | | Condominium milestone and reserve documents | Florida requires a milestone inspection for condominium or cooperative buildings of three or more habitable stories, at 30 years with a local option for 25. Ask which building office handles the report, then ask the association for the summary | Notes 2, 14 | | Docks, seawalls and beach boundaries | Belleair Beach’s city-posted code excerpt limits docks and treats the seawall cap as the rear property line; Belleair Shore’s town says deeds run past seawalls into the beach. Have a surveyor and title company confirm what a parcel includes | Notes 8, 9 | | Current code and zoning | Municipal codes change. Each government links its code (Municode) and land use map; read the current version and confirm the district, setbacks and permitted use for the parcel | Notes 3, 6, 9, 12 | Checks for a waterfront buyer or seller across the four municipalities. Sourced where noted. This is a checklist, not advice. Confirm each item with the municipality, the county, a surveyor, an insurance agent and your attorney. ## What do the sources not state, and what does this guide not decide? These are gaps in the sources opened on October 9, 2026, not findings that a rule does not exist. - The Town of Belleair’s zoning districts, flood-zone rules, dock and seawall rules, and milestone arrangement are not stated in the town pages opened. Municode, where the town says its code is available, was not read. - Belleair Beach’s incorporation date is not stated in the city sources opened. The sources opened also do not name Sand Key; this guide does not use that name for any municipality. - Belleair Shore’s incorporation, rental ordinance and condominium status are not stated in the sources opened; the town’s history page says it “was established in 1955.” - Where each city’s limit falls along the Belleair Causeway is not stated. - Census and market figures are not used here. The guide makes no statement about prices, sales or demand. - This guide does not decide whether a property is eligible for a use, whether a rule applies, or what insurance, taxes or permits cost. Those turn on the parcel, the current code and your professionals’ advice. See ABODE’s guides on [Pinellas condominium due diligence](https://abodeintlrealty.com/guides/pinellas-condominium-due-diligence/) and [Gulf-front due diligence](https://abodeintlrealty.com/guides/florida-oceanfront-due-diligence/), and the [Pinellas County market page](https://abodeintlrealty.com/markets/pinellas-county-florida/). ## How can an ABODE advisor help sort out the Belleair names? Tell us the address and when your inspection or listing window ends. An advisor can confirm which municipality the parcel is in, which building office holds its permits, and which checks to order first, then work with the surveyor, attorney, insurance agent or engineer you choose. ABODE represents buyers and sellers, and its Florida office is on West Bay Drive in Largo. This guide is general information and does not describe experience in any of these municipalities. [Talk about buying](#contact)   [Talk about selling](#contact) ## Which related guides should you read next? ### [Belleair Beach](https://abodeintlrealty.com/communities/belleair-beach-florida/) A small Gulf-side city on Sand Key, across the Belleair Causeway from Largo ### [Belleair Shore](https://abodeintlrealty.com/communities/belleair-shore-florida/) A very small Gulf-front town zoned single-family, with a few recreation lots ### [Belleair Bluffs](https://abodeintlrealty.com/communities/belleair-bluffs-florida/) An Intracoastal city between Largo and the Gulf beaches ### [Gulf-front vs. Intracoastal in Pinellas County](https://abodeintlrealty.com/guides/gulf-front-vs-intracoastal-pinellas-county/) Beach lines versus seawall, dock and dredging approvals: what differs on each Pinellas shore. ### [Pinellas condominium due diligence](https://abodeintlrealty.com/guides/pinellas-condominium-due-diligence/) Florida milestone inspections, structural reserve studies and five documents to request ### [Florida oceanfront due diligence](https://abodeintlrealty.com/guides/florida-oceanfront-due-diligence/) The state, federal and local lines that cross an oceanfront lot, and the order to test them ### [Pinellas County](https://abodeintlrealty.com/markets/pinellas-county-florida/) County guide to permitting offices, homestead rules, flood and evacuation lookups, and condo inspections ### [Belleair](https://abodeintlrealty.com/communities/belleair-florida/) Town of Belleair: own building department, floodplain and rental rules, town water. ### [Florida condo rental and owner-use rules](https://abodeintlrealty.com/guides/florida-condominium-rental-and-owner-use-rules/) Who sets rental and owner-use rules for a Florida condo, and where a buyer reads them ## Belleair municipalities: frequently asked questions Are Belleair, Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore and Belleair Bluffs the same city? No. They are four separate Pinellas County municipalities, listed separately on the county’s building-department list (Note 1). Each has its own elected body and code. Belleair Beach and Belleair Bluffs call themselves cities, while Belleair and Belleair Shore call themselves towns. Which of them has its own building department? The county’s list shows a Town of Belleair Building Department with its own address and phone (Notes 1, 4). The county’s list tells applicants for Belleair Beach and Belleair Shore to contact Pinellas County Building Services (Note 1). Belleair Bluffs has used the contractor SAFEbuilt since mid-August 2025 (Notes 1, 12). Belleair Shore also has a town pre-permit process (Notes 9, 11). Can I rent out a property in these municipalities? The rules differ. The Town of Belleair’s FAQ says short-term rentals of less than seven months are not permitted under its Code of Ordinances (Note 4). Belleair Beach’s city-posted code excerpt sets a three-month minimum in RL district II and requires registration (Note 8). Belleair Bluffs’ plan states a three-month minimum term (Note 13). The sources opened did not state a rental rule for Belleair Shore. Confirm the current code and any association rules. Which ones are on the Gulf? Belleair Shore’s own history page describes about one mile of Gulf beachfront (Note 9). Belleair Beach’s plan counts water in the Gulf of Mexico and Boca Ciega Bay within its limits (Note 7). Belleair Bluffs’ plan describes frontage on Clearwater Harbor and some parcels on the Intracoastal Waterway (Note 13). Whether a particular parcel is Gulf-front is a parcel-level question. Who handles condominium milestone inspections? Florida law sets a 30-year milestone inspection for condominium buildings of three or more habitable stories, with a local option for 25 years (Note 14). Pinellas County’s milestone page says it accepts reports for unincorporated areas and seven municipalities, naming Belleair Beach, Belleair Bluffs and Belleair Shore but not the Town of Belleair (Note 2). Belleair Bluffs’ 2025 notice says it moved to a contractor, so ask the city (Note 12). Does the Belleair Causeway belong to one of these municipalities? Belleair Beach’s plan says Pinellas County owns and maintains the causeway (Note 7), and Belleair Bluffs’ plan designates it a corridor in its own land use plan (Note 13). The sources opened do not say where the municipal boundary falls along it. Why does Belleair Shore’s mailing address say Indian Rocks Beach? The town’s pre-permit form lists a PO Box with an Indian Rocks Beach city name and ZIP 33785, while the county’s list gives a Belleair Shore street address with the same ZIP (Notes 1, 11). The mailing name is not the municipality, so confirm the parcel’s jurisdiction with the Property Appraiser. Does ABODE International Realty work in these municipalities? ABODE International Realty is a Florida-licensed brokerage with its office at 801 West Bay Drive, Suite 324, in Largo, and it represents buyers and sellers. This guide is general information, not legal, tax, insurance or engineering advice. ## Sources and notes 1. [Pinellas County: Building Departments in Pinellas County](https://pinellas.gov/building-departments-in-pinellas-county/). Source for which office handles permits for each Belleair municipality, the listed addresses, phones and hours, the SAFEbuilt transition for Belleair Bluffs (August 15, 2025 on this page), and the advice to find a municipality by Property Appraiser address search and My Neighborhood. Also, the county’s Municipalities map layer (https://egis.pinellas.gov/gis/rest/services/PublicWebGIS/Municipalities/MapServer/1) describes boundaries for 24 municipalities. Checked October 9, 2026. 2. [Pinellas County: Condo milestone inspections](https://pinellas.gov/condo-milestone-inspections/). Says the county accepts milestone reports only for unincorporated areas and seven named municipalities “of which the county operates as their building official,” including Belleair Beach, Belleair Bluffs and Belleair Shore but not Belleair. The text read shows no year and does not mention SAFEbuilt. Checked October 9, 2026. 3. [Town of Belleair (official site: History of Belleair, Town Commission, Government, Building Permits, Code of Ordinances page)](https://townofbelleair.com/191/History-of-Belleair). Source for the 1925 incorporation statement and the John Nolen sentence (History page), the rotating three-year terms (https://townofbelleair.com/27/Government), the online permit portal (https://www.townofbelleair.com/buildingpermits), the Municode statement (https://www.townofbelleair.com/code), and the floodplain statements (https://townofbelleair.com/340/CRS-And-Floodplain-Management). The Government page does not give the number of commissioners. Town pages not opened are treated as not stated. Checked October 9, 2026. 4. [Town of Belleair: Frequently Asked Questions](https://townofbelleair.com/m/FAQ). Source for the statement that short-term rentals of less than seven months are not permitted under the Code of Ordinances, the Monday through Thursday Town Hall hours for permit forms, and the Friday Building Department closure. Checked October 9, 2026. 5. [Town of Belleair: FY 2019-20 Budget Document](https://townofbelleair.com/DocumentCenter/View/4581/Town-of-Belleair-FY-19-20-Budget-Document). Source for the statements that the town operates under the council-manager form, that its five-member Town Commission elects a professional town manager, and that it was incorporated in 1925, and for the Building department description. A 2019-20 document; confirm current practice with the town. Checked October 9, 2026. 6. [City of Belleair Beach (official site: Permitting & Forms, City Council, Zoning, Floodplain Information, Elevation Certificates)](https://www.cityofbelleairbeach.com/). Source for permitting through Pinellas County (https://www.cityofbelleairbeach.com/node/531), the council listing (https://www.cityofbelleairbeach.com/city-council), RL and RM zoning (node/536), the elevation-certificate statements (node/471 and node/476), and Resolution 2023-13 calling the March 19, 2024 charter-amendment election at https://www.cityofbelleairbeach.com/media/7206. City pages change; confirm current text. Checked October 9, 2026. 7. [City of Belleair Beach: 2023 Comprehensive Plan](https://www.cityofbelleairbeach.com/media/3551). Source for the barrier-island reference, acreage, flood and coastal-line policies, the Belleair Causeway description and multifamily share. Part of the plan text was cut off in the read. Checked October 9, 2026. 8. [City of Belleair Beach: Code of Ordinances Chapter 94 (Zoning) excerpt, Supp. No. 20](https://www.cityofbelleairbeach.com/media/3116). City-posted excerpt created February 27, 2024 (Supp. No. 20), used for district densities, rental registration and minimum term, flood-elevation text, and seawall-cap and dock provisions. It is not the official code, it cuts off mid-section, and the code may have been amended since; confirm the current code on Municode. Checked October 9, 2026. 9. [Town of Belleair Shore (official site: home page, History, Important Beach Information, Building Services, Code of Ordinances, zoning map)](https://belleairshore.com/). Source for the Mayor and four Commissioners statement and the zoning and prohibition language (home page), “established in 1955” and the beachfront description (History), the deed and seawall statements (Important Beach Information), the pre-permit process and SAFEbuilt contact (Building Services), the Section 46-101 quotation (https://belleairshore.com/?p=348), and the Single-Family Residential legend on the zoning map PDF. Town pages change. Checked October 9, 2026. 10. [Town of Belleair Shore: 2024 Comprehensive Plan](https://belleairshore.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Final-and-Adopted-Belleair-Shore-Comp-Plan-2024.pdf). Source for flood-zone statements, land use categories, no local streets, coastal construction setback policies, a policy requiring a contract with a responsible entity for plan review and permits (it does not name the entity), and the cover listing of a Mayor, Vice Mayor and one Commissioner. Checked October 9, 2026. 11. [Town of Belleair Shore: Pre-Permit Application (form dated 3/14/2022)](https://belleairshore.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/BS-PRE-PERMIT-APPLICATION-2.pdf). Source for the PO Box in Indian Rocks Beach, ZIP 33785, the SAFEbuilt submission step (SAFEbuilt’s address on the form is in Redington Shores), and the flood zone, BFE and DFE fields. The form carries a 2022 date; confirm the current process. Checked October 9, 2026. 12. [City of Belleair Bluffs (official site: Building Permits, Important Update notice, City Government and Elections, About, City Information)](https://www.belleairbluffs.org/home-page/page/building-permits). Source for the SAFEbuilt transition (the building-permits page gives both August 15, 2025 for the transition and August 16, 2025 for permits issued through SAFEbuilt), the Mayor/Commission form, two-year terms and Mayor as day-to-day administrator (https://www.belleairbluffs.org/city-clerk/page/city-government-and-elections), the March 4, 1963 town meeting (About page), and the request to address mail to Belleair Bluffs rather than Largo (City Information page). The news release, dated 08-13-2025 and giving August 16, 2025 as the effective date, is at https://www.belleairbluffs.org/residents/page/important-update-belleair-bluffs-residents-contractors-and-developers. Checked October 9, 2026. 13. [City of Belleair Bluffs: Comprehensive Plan (Ordinance 2024-01)](https://www.belleairbluffs.org/media/1611). Source for land use categories, flood zones, the base-flood-elevation-plus-2-feet policy, the three-month rental minimum, Clearwater Harbor and Intracoastal references, and the Town of Belleair coordination. Part of the plan text was cut off in the read. Checked October 9, 2026. 14. [Florida Statutes § 553.899, Mandatory structural inspections for condominium and cooperative buildings (2026)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/553.899). Subsection (3)(a) sets the 30-year timing and subsection (3)(b) the local agency’s 25-year option. The law has been amended recently; confirm the current text. Checked October 9, 2026. 15. [Florida Statutes § 161.053, Coastal construction and excavation (2026)](https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/161.053). Source for coastal construction control lines set county by county and the permit requirement seaward of them, with exemptions. The county’s flood-map site lists a coastal construction control line page at https://floodmaps.pinellas.gov/pages/coastal-construction-control-line, which was not opened. Checked October 9, 2026. 16. [FEMA Flood Map Service Center](https://msc.fema.gov/portal/search). Address search for the applicable flood map. Checked October 9, 2026.