The short version: Howey-in-the-Hills homes are assessed by the Lake County Property Appraiser, billed by the Lake County Tax Collector, and deeds are recorded by the Lake County Clerk. Inside town limits, the Town adopted 6.6250 mills for 2026, down from 6.9900 in 2025, per the Property Appraiser’s final sheet dated October 9, 2026, and Lake County’s fire-rescue assessment also lands on the bill. The Town supplies water from Floridan aquifer wells and lists sewer and garbage charges, but its billing pages do not list electric. For lakefront lots, the Town code allows one dock per lot, set 25 feet off the side lines. No Villages district is in town.
Howey-in-the-Hills at a glance
| County | Lake County |
|---|---|
| Incorporated | May 8, 1925, as “Howey”Renamed Howey-in-the-Hills in 1927, per the Town |
| Town Hall | 101 N. Palm Ave.Open Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; closed Fridays |
| 2026 town millage | 6.6250 mills adopted6.9900 in 2025; 2026 rolled-back rate 6.0974 |
| Fire service charge | Lake County fire-rescue assessment on the tax bill$370 (up to 800 sq ft) or $415 a year for a home on the County’s fiscal 2026 schedule (Oct. 1, 2025 to Sept. 30, 2026, billed November 2025); check the November 2026 bill for the FY2027 rate |
| Water | Town system, Floridan aquifer wells$34.02 minimum for the first 5,000 gallons, plus a 10% utility tax and a $10 monthly water plant expansion fee |
| Sewer and garbage | Residential sewer charges on the Town fee schedule; GFL garbage at $31.86 a month on the water bill |
| Public lake access | Griffin Park boat ramp on Little Lake HarrisAnnual Town permit, $35 |
| Villages district in town | None listed |
From the Town’s own pages, fee schedules and Land Development Code, the Lake County Property Appraiser’s 2026 final millage sheet, Lake County, the St. Johns River Water Management District and the District Government. Checked October 11, 2026.
The 2026 town rate went down while the tax base jumped
The Lake County Property Appraiser’s final millage sheet, dated October 9, 2026, shows the town at 6.9900 mills in 2025, a 2026 rolled-back rate of 6.0974 and an adopted rate of 6.6250. That is 5.22% below last year’s rate but 8.65% above the rolled-back rate (the rate that would raise the same tax dollars from existing property as last year). Town taxable value rose 16.09% on the final roll. At the same $200,000 of taxable value, the town line drops from $1,398 to $1,325; if your taxable value rose, the town line can still go up. The Town’s own property tax page still shows 6.9900 for fiscal 2025-26, so use the sheet for 2026.
Lake County’s Special Assessments page puts its fire-rescue assessment on parcels throughout the Town of Howey-in-the-Hills: $370 a year for homes up to 800 square feet and $415 above that, for October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026. That schedule covered the November 2025 bill; the County had not posted the FY2027 rate on that page when I checked, so read it off the November 2026 bill. It is not based on value, and the County says the homestead exemption does not affect it.
Town water and trash on one account, sewer on the fee schedule
To open an account, the Town’s utility billing page asks for the printed application, the signed closing statement or rental agreement, a photo ID and a deposit at Town Hall. The billing page sets that deposit at $150 for owners and $250 for tenants. Water has a $34.02 minimum for the first 5,000 gallons, a 10% utility tax and a $10 monthly water plant expansion fee, and GFL Environmental’s garbage service adds $31.86 a month. The Town’s fee schedule dated January 12, 2026 lists residential sewer charges of $28.01 per ERU for wastewater processing and $22.00 for town collection infrastructure.
Two cautions. The same schedule lists a non-resident water service charge of 1.25 times the established amount, and the Town’s development report lists projects in unincorporated Lake County with Town water and wastewater agreements, so a Howey water bill does not prove a house is in town. And the billing pages don’t list electric service, so ask who sends the power bill and whether the house is on sewer or septic. The water comes from Floridan aquifer wells, per the Town’s 2025 water quality report, and the April 2026 State of the Town message says a new Water Treatment Plant #3, about $12 million with its connecting main, is due by the end of 2026.
Lawn watering is one day a week for now
The Town’s irrigation page says it follows the St. Johns River Water Management District’s restrictions, but it still shows the normal seasonal schedule (two days a week during daylight saving time, one day in standard time) and the 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ban. When I checked, the District’s watering page showed a Phase III Extreme Water Shortage (order 2026-017) for portions of Lake County within the District, and the Town posted in May 2026 that Phase III applies throughout Howey-in-the-Hills. That means one day a week: Saturday for odd or no addresses, Sunday for even, never between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., with tighter limits on new sod and plantings. Read a tired lawn in that light, and check those limits before re-sodding for listing photos.
Little Lake Harris: one dock, 25 feet off the side lines
Chapter 5 of the Town’s Land Development Code (section 5.01.11) allows no more than one dock, pier or wharf per lot, set back 25 feet from the side property lines. A roof is allowed up to 15 feet above the dock floor if it stays open on all sides and isn’t used as a deck. On a narrow lakefront lot, that side setback can decide whether a new dock fits at all. Docks also need a Town building permit.
Chapter 3 (section 3.02.03) adds a shoreline protection zone: no disturbance within 50 feet of the landward extent of wetlands except pilings for docks or piers, no buildings or pools in that zone, and no septic tanks within 75 feet of the landward extent of wetlands. On a lakefront listing I want the survey and the dock, lift and boathouse permits before I price the frontage. Without frontage, Griffin Park has the Town-operated ramp on Little Lake Harris, open to holders of a $35 annual permit that comes with a key and a trailer sticker.
Permits: a long list, and double fees for starting early
Willdan Engineering runs permitting, plan review and inspections for the Town through an online portal. The Building Services page says changes to an existing property need permits, including window replacement, A/C change-outs, water heaters, re-roofs (repairs under 100 square feet may be exempt), fences, driveways, pools, docks and retaining walls, and HOA approval must be submitted with the application. Work started before a permit is issued costs double the permit fee under the Town’s August 10, 2026 fee schedule. The Town Hall FAQs say removing a tree takes a permit and Planning and Zoning Board approval, except palms, trees on the Town’s undesirable list and trees certified dead or dying. I pull the permit history before photos.
Flood and storm checks for a lake town
Lake County’s Floodplain Management page finds elevation certificates on its interactive map by address or Alternate Key, takes requests for written floodplain determinations, and offers a Lake Harris and Little Lake Harris Stormwater Infrastructure Atlas on request. The County’s Class 7 Community Rating System standing, worth 15% on NFIP policies in Special Flood Hazard Areas, is described as covering unincorporated areas, so ask the insurance agent what applies inside town limits. Inside town limits, confirm the flood zone and any floodplain permit requirements with the Town’s Building Services as well.
For storms, the County’s preparedness page says anyone in a manufactured home or low-lying area should shelter in a safe site-built structure, and its shelter list of public schools notes that not every shelter opens for every emergency. Sign up for AlertLake, Lake County’s emergency notification system, for alerts; the Town posts declarations on its Emergency Orders page. Sellers owe the written flood disclosure at or before contract.
Approved subdivisions shape the comps
The State of the Town message counts more than 2,500 new homes across five new subdivisions and a Publix approved on the north side of town. The Town’s October 2025 Major Development Report lists Lake Hills (up to 780 units, at CR 48 and SR 19), The Reserve/Hillside Groves (638 units), Watermark (290 units) and Mission Rise (410 single-family lots). FDOT is scheduled to begin repaving Palm Avenue (SR 19) in 2027, from Mission Inn to Venezia Boulevard, per the State of the Town message. For a resale seller, builder inventory is part of the competition, so I price an older in-town house against new-construction options, not only other resales.
Records offices and The Villages question
- Lake County Property Appraiser: the parcel record and exemptions. The homestead filing deadline is March 1.
- Lake County Tax Collector: the bill, with the town line and the fire assessment.
- Lake County Clerk of Court & Comptroller, 550 W. Main St., Tavares: deeds, notices of commencement and other official records.
- Town Hall: utility accounts, ramp permits and the zoning inquiry form.
No Villages district is in town. The District Government’s district pages place The Villages’ Lake County land in Fruitland Park, Leesburg, and Lady Lake with part of unincorporated Lake County.
How I’d price and sell a Howey-in-the-Hills home
- Confirm town limits from the tax bill.
The town millage line answers it; the water bill doesn’t.
- Price the frontage with paperwork.
Survey, dock permit, side setbacks and the shoreline zone first.
- Clear the permit file.
Roof, A/C, water heater, windows, fences and dock against the Town’s list.
- Put new construction in the comp set.
Older in-town homes, lakefront lots and new subdivisions are different markets.
- Price from your net.
Start with the seller net sheet, then set the price.
Closed July 22, 2026 for an out-of-state seller. Another Lake County town, the same Property Appraiser, Tax Collector and Clerk. How that sale ran.
Questions people ask about Howey-in-the-Hills, FL
What is the Howey-in-the-Hills town millage for 2026?
The Town of Howey-in-the-Hills adopted 6.6250 mills for 2026, down from 6.9900 in 2025, according to the Lake County Property Appraiser’s final millage sheet dated October 9, 2026. The rolled-back rate was 6.0974. Parcels inside town limits pay it on top of county, school and other levies, and Lake County’s fire-rescue assessment also appears on the bill as a non-ad valorem assessment.
Does the Town of Howey-in-the-Hills provide water, sewer and electricity?
The Town supplies water from Floridan aquifer wells and bills residential garbage on the water account, and its fee schedule lists residential sewer charges. Its billing pages do not list electric service, so confirm which company provides power to the address and whether the house is on sewer or septic.
Can I build a dock on Little Lake Harris in Howey-in-the-Hills?
The Town’s Land Development Code allows no more than one dock, pier or wharf per lot, set back 25 feet from the side property lines, with an optional open-sided roof up to 15 feet high. Docks need a Town building permit, and the code allows only dock or pier pilings within 50 feet of the landward extent of wetlands.
How often can I water my lawn in Howey-in-the-Hills right now?
When I checked on October 11, 2026, the St. Johns River Water Management District’s Phase III Extreme Water Shortage covered portions of Lake County within the District, and the Town follows the District’s restrictions. Under Phase III, homes with odd or no addresses water on Saturday, even addresses on Sunday, and no one waters between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Is Howey-in-the-Hills part of The Villages?
No. The District Government’s residential district pages list no Villages district in Howey-in-the-Hills. They place The Villages’ Lake County land in Fruitland Park, Leesburg and the Town of Lady Lake, plus part of unincorporated Lake County.
Sources
Checked October 11, 2026. Rates, fees and the water shortage order change; I re-check the parcel’s bill, permits, survey and utility account before any number goes in a listing or an offer.
- Town of Howey-in-the-Hills: Howey’s History
- Town of Howey-in-the-Hills: home page (Town Hall address and hours)
- Town of Howey-in-the-Hills: Property Taxes and Assessments
- Town of Howey-in-the-Hills: Utility Billing and Payment
- Town of Howey-in-the-Hills: Billing (deposits, water rates, garbage)
- Town of Howey-in-the-Hills: Solid Waste Services
- Town of Howey-in-the-Hills: General Fees and Charges (January 12, 2026)
- Town of Howey-in-the-Hills: Building Permit Schedule of Fees (August 10, 2026)
- Town of Howey-in-the-Hills: 2025 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report
- Town of Howey-in-the-Hills: Irrigation Schedule
- Town of Howey-in-the-Hills: Building Services
- Town of Howey-in-the-Hills: Town Hall FAQs
- Town of Howey-in-the-Hills: Griffin Park and boat ramp permits
- Town of Howey-in-the-Hills: Land Development Code, Chapter 3
- Town of Howey-in-the-Hills: Land Development Code, Chapter 5
- Town of Howey-in-the-Hills: Major Development Report (October 2025)
- Town of Howey-in-the-Hills: Major Development Summary (PDF, October 2025)
- Town of Howey-in-the-Hills: State of the Town Message (April 2026)
- Town of Howey-in-the-Hills: Phase III Extreme Water Shortage notice (May 2026)
- Town of Howey-in-the-Hills: Emergency Orders
- Town of Howey-in-the-Hills: Zoning Inquiry
- Lake County Property Appraiser: 2026 Final Millage Rates and Values Comparison Sheet (dated October 9, 2026)
- Lake County Property Appraiser
- Lake County Tax Collector
- Lake County Clerk of Court & Comptroller
- Lake County: Special Assessments (fire-rescue assessment)
- Lake County: Floodplain Management
- Lake County: Preparedness and Safety
- Lake County: List of Emergency Shelters
- AlertLake: Lake County emergency notification system
- St. Johns River Water Management District: Watering restrictions and Phase III water shortage
- Florida Statutes 689.302: flood disclosure in residential sales
- District Government: Residential districts
- District Government: Village Community Development District 11 (City of Fruitland Park)
- District Government: Village Community Development District 14 (City of Leesburg)
- District Government: Lady Lake/Lake County