Lutz and Odessa Pool Permits: Hillsborough or Pasco?

Lutz and Odessa are two of the few places in Tampa Bay where the first permit question is which county, not which office. The Hillsborough and Pasco county line runs through both communities, and the mailing address does not follow it.

Is Lutz in Hillsborough County or Pasco County?

Lutz is in both. Wikipedia’s entry for Lutz, Florida, describes Lutz as an unincorporated community in Hillsborough and Pasco counties. The ZIP codes that serve Lutz, 33548, 33549, 33558 and 33559, “extend north past the Hillsborough County line to State Road 54” in southern Pasco.

Lutz has no city government on either side of that line. A pool in Lutz is therefore always a county permit. The only question is which county.

Is Odessa in Hillsborough County or Pasco County?

Odessa is split the same way. The community sits on the county line northwest of Tampa, and ZIP 33556 covers ground in both counties. Starkey Ranch, a master-planned community with an Odessa 33556 address at 2500 Heart Pine Avenue, is in Pasco County, while other Odessa addresses in the same ZIP are in Hillsborough.

Like Lutz, Odessa is unincorporated on both sides. An Odessa pool permit comes from Hillsborough County or from Pasco County, never from a city.

Why doesn’t the ZIP code decide which county permits the pool?

ZIP codes are drawn for mail delivery, not for county government, so a single ZIP can cross a county line. Pool Pros’ own Lutz job shows it plainly.

Pool Pros built the amenity pool at Azora at Cypress Ranch, an apartment community at 17583 Bellavista Loop, Lutz 33558. The US Census Geocoder places that street address in Pasco County. The Census point at the center of ZIP 33558 falls in Hillsborough County. The ZIP is the same, and the county is not.

On a Pool Pros build, engineers draw the plans and Pool Pros manages the permitting with local authorities, so for a Lutz or Odessa lot the county has to be settled before anything is filed.

Which office issues the pool permit on each side of the line?

If the parcel is in	Office that issues the pool permit	Apply through	Look up a parcel
Hillsborough County	Hillsborough County Development Services	HillsGovHub	Hillsborough County Property Appraiser property search
Pasco County	Pasco County Building Construction Services	PascoGateway	Pasco County Property Appraiser records search

Both offices cover unincorporated land, which is all of Lutz and all of Odessa. Neither community has a municipal building department to route around.

How do you confirm which county your parcel is in?

1. Check the property tax bill. Florida property taxes are billed by the county, so the bill names the county that levies them.
2. Search the parcel. The Hillsborough County Property Appraiser and the Pasco County Property Appraiser each run an address search that returns the parcel record.
3. Use the closing papers for a new home. The Pasco County Property Appraiser warns that new construction may not appear on its site until after January 1 of the next tax year. The closing documents or the recorded plat name the county in the meantime.

What does each county ask for with a pool permit?

Hillsborough County Development Services issues a Residential Miscellaneous Permit for a pool through HillsGovHub. Hillsborough’s residential pool requirements call for plans digitally signed and sealed by a Florida-registered architect or engineer, and a site-specific pool layout. In a special flood hazard area, the engineer adds a statement that the pool is designed for flood loads under ASCE 24-14. A tree 12 inches or larger in diameter needs its own removal permit.

Pasco County Building Construction Services takes pool applications through PascoGateway. Pasco’s current residential pool checklist, revised November 8, 2025, asks for signed and sealed construction plans, a site plan, a drainage plan, an ANSI form and the pool safety act form. On a lot that sits in two flood zones, the site plan marks the flood zone demarcation line.

What has Pool Pros built in Lutz?

Pool Pros built the resort-style amenity pool at Azora at Cypress Ranch in Lutz, the Pasco-side job described above. The write-up and photographs are on the Azora at Cypress Ranch portfolio page, and the Lutz service-area page lists every Lutz ZIP code Pool Pros serves.

How the engineering and permitting fit into a build is laid out in the Pool Pros build process. To start on a pool for your own lot, request a free pool quote.