Who do you call in Sebastian? City vs. county for permits, code, water, sewer and trash

You have a question about your house. Maybe you want to add a shed, your neighbor's lawn is a jungle, or the water bill looks wrong. You call City Hall. City Hall says, "That's the county." You call the county. Twenty minutes later you are back where you started.

Sebastian is a city with its own building department, its own planners and its own code officers. But water and sewer come from Indian River County, and garbage is picked up by a private company under a city contract. Here is who handles what.

What the City of Sebastian handles

Building permits and inspections. The city's Building Department does plan review, permitting and inspections for construction inside city limits. It is at 1225 Main Street and the phone is 772-589-5537. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed for lunch from noon to 1 p.m. Permit applications and plans can be emailed to Permits@CityofSebastian.org, and the city uses the MGO Connect online portal.

Zoning and planning. Questions about what you can build where, setbacks, land use and environmental rules go to the Community Development Department, also at 1225 Main Street. The phone numbers are 772-589-5330 or 772-388-8248, with the same hours and lunch break as the Building Department.

Code enforcement. The city's Code Enforcement Division handles complaints like scattered trash and debris, overgrown grass and weeds, noise, sign rules, parking in swales, oversized trailers and RVs, and vacant lots overgrown onto neighboring homes. The hotline is 772-388-4436, option 1. It takes messages 24 hours a day, and officers follow up the next business day. There is also an online complaint form on the city website.

One thing surprises people: the city says Florida law does not allow anonymous complaints. You must give your name and address before an investigation can start.

Swales and driveway culverts. The city says each homeowner is responsible for maintaining the front-yard swale and driveway culvert. To report a swale problem, the city points residents to Code Enforcement at 772-388-4436. Our earlier article on the Sebastian stormwater fee covers swales in more detail.

What Indian River County handles

Water and sewer. These questions go to Indian River County's Department of Utility Services, not the city. Sewer lines in Sebastian are part of the county sewer system; city leaders have described septic conversions here as connections "to the County sewer system." The county has a Sebastian Customer Service Office at 1921 US Highway 1, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The customer service number is 772-770-5300, for billing and everyday questions.

For a water or sewer emergency, such as a main break or sewage backing up from a county line, the county's number is 772-231-7176. For non-emergency problems with county water mains or lift stations, the county has an online form on its utilities page.

Before you call about a leak, a backup or a strange reading, write down the address, what you are seeing and when it started. A clear description helps whoever answers send the right crew.

Garbage, yard waste and bulk pickup

WM (Waste Management) collects garbage for the City of Sebastian. The city made curbside service required for all residences starting July 1, 2023. Each home gets one pickup a week for garbage, one for yard waste and one for bulk waste. For questions about your pickup, call WM's customer team at 772-569-1776. The city says it took over billing for the service starting October 1, 2024.

What to do: save these numbers

1. Building permit or inspection: City of Sebastian Building Department, 772-589-5537.
2. Zoning, setbacks, planning: City of Sebastian Community Development, 772-589-5330.
3. Code complaint or swale problem: City Code Enforcement hotline, 772-388-4436, option 1. Have your name, address and the problem address ready.
4. Water or sewer bill: Indian River County Utilities, 772-770-5300, or visit 1921 US Highway 1.
5. Water or sewer emergency: Indian River County Utilities, 772-231-7176.
6. Missed trash, yard waste or bulk pickup: WM, 772-569-1776.
7. Before you call the city, try to have your property address and, if you have it, a permit or account number handy. It speeds things up.

Tape this list inside a kitchen cabinet. The next time something goes sideways at your house, you will call the right office on the first try.