This informational guide is mostly for the Golden Gate Estates Area of Collier County.
What type of land can i come across?
The description of vacant land may say it is uplands, wetlands or it could show no determination.
How are uplands classified?
Uplands means that the parcel is dry and buildable without the requirement for build up or any payments to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
How are wetlands classified?
Wetlands are those areas inundated or saturated by surface water or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soils.
If you are looking to build a home on a wetland property an Environmental Resource Permit (ERP) is necessary and additional fees will apply.
More information is available on the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) website.
What does “no determination” mean?
If a property states, “no determination”, that means either no testing has been done for a verification whether it is uplands or wetlands or there is no proof that testing has been done.
How to find out what the subject property is?
Hire a professional environmental consultant like Tropical Environmental Consultants or Florida Wetland Consultants to assist you in determining whether your property or project area contains wetlands or other surface waters.
You can check upfront under Collier County Wetland Determinations whether the parcel has a classification already. If there is no determination yet you will have to get an FDEP report by means of a Request for an Informal Determination of Wetlands. If a determination has been done, contact Collier County staff for a copy of the determination.
You do not need to have a FDEP report in your hand to purchase the subject parcel, however you will need it once you turn in your permit application for the build on the property. It is highly recommendable to request an FDEP Report at the time of placing an offer and making it contingent upon the results of a determination. In this instance the inspection and due diligence period should reflect the extended period to get the report so you can buy it with peace of mind and do not have any surprises down the road.
What to do when you have determined wetlands?
If the result comes back as wetlands you will have to obtain a permit for wetland impacts from the FDEP. For questions about wetland permitting and potential fees you can contact them at +1 (239) 344-5600.
If the area that you are building on destroys wetlands or reduces their functionality, an Environmental Resource Permit (ERP) will be required and additional fees such as Wetland Mitigation will apply.