Screen a Pasco County business location on 7 checks: permitted use, access and traffic, utilities, flood zone, fees, incentives, and total occupancy cost. Most can be started from public records before a tour. FDOT's 2021 to 2025 traffic estimates for 8 comparable segments of SR 52 and SR 54 in East Pasco rose on 6 and fell on 2.
Key takeaways
- Seven checks decide whether a site works: permitted use, access and traffic, utilities, flood zone, fees, incentives, and total occupancy cost.
- Start with the public records. They cost little and can end a deal before you pay for plans or a lease review.
- FDOT's estimates for 8 comparable segments of SR 52 and SR 54 in East Pasco: higher in 2025 than 2021 on 6, lower on 2, median change +12.5%. Look up the segment in front of the site, not the corridor.
- County incentives can require an application before you pick a location or hire. Ask before you sign.
The 7 checks
A site can look right on a tour and fail on a record nobody pulled. Each of these checks can end a deal. The first five can be started from a desk, so run them before you spend money on plans, a lease review, or a purchase contract.
| Check | What it decides | Where to look | Red flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permitted use | Whether the business can operate at the site | The planning staff of the jurisdiction where the parcel sits. The Pasco County Property Appraiser says zoning and future land use are managed by that jurisdiction, which may be the county or a city | The use needs a rezoning, conditional use, special exception, or variance. Pasco County lists each as a separate application |
| Access and traffic | Whether customers, employees, and trucks can reach the site | FDOT traffic estimates for the road segment in front of the site. On a state road, FDOT's connection permit rule (Rule 14-96) governs driveways | No permitted driveway, or a count on that segment far below what the business needs |
| Utilities | Development cost and timing | Pasco County Utilities has an Availability of Service form for specific parcels. The owner, developer, or engineer completes it | Service is not confirmed in writing, or lines are far from the site |
| Flood zone | Insurance cost, lender requirements, and usable area | The FEMA flood map for the parcel. Zones beginning with A or V are high risk | The building or the parking sits in a high-risk zone |
| Fees | Cost before the doors open | Pasco County's mobility fee chart and the utility service connection application, which calculates connection fees | No fee estimate before you sign |
| Incentives | Cash and fee relief that depend on timing | Pasco County's Office of Economic Growth and the Pasco Economic Development Council | You signed or hired before you applied |
| Total occupancy cost | What the space costs each month and over the term | The lease or purchase terms. See the NNN and buy-or-lease guides | Comparing base rent alone |
Traffic: what FDOT's estimates show on SR 52 and SR 54
Pasco County grew an estimated 20.0% from April 2020 to July 2025, to 674,516 residents (U.S. Census Bureau). Growth brings vehicles, and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) measures them. FDOT collects traffic data through the year, from about 300 continuous monitoring sites and thousands of short-duration counts, and posts annual statistics by April of the following year.
The figure to look up is annual average daily traffic, or AADT: FDOT's estimate of average vehicles per day on a road segment. It is an estimate built from sample counts, and FDOT flags each value. In FDOT's published metadata, flags C and F mark final values, S marks an interim value, and X marks a cross-reference. The table keeps only segments where both the 2021 and the 2025 value carry a final flag.
| Road | Segment (FDOT description) | FDOT site | 2021 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SR 52 | CR 577 (Curley Road) to CR 579 (Prospect Road) | 140092 | 13,200 | 9,500 | −28.0% |
| SR 52 | CR 579 (Prospect Road) to VFW Road | 145121 | 10,300 | 11,600 | +12.6% |
| SR 52 | VFW Road to CR 41 (N 21st Street) | 140033 | 10,600 | 12,700 | +19.8% |
| SR 52 | CR 41 (N 21st Street) to N 7th Street | 145003 | 8,500 | 7,900 | −7.1% |
| SR 54 | Allen Road to milepost 19.3 (FDOT lists no end street) | 145104 | 16,900 | 19,000 | +12.4% |
| SR 54 | Milepost 19.3 to US 301 (FDOT lists no start street) | 145105 | 12,700 | 14,600 | +15.0% |
| SR 54 | 16th Street to Lumberton Road | 146027 | 10,800 | 11,500 | +6.5% |
| SR 54 | Lumberton Road to US 98 | 149080 | 5,800 | 7,000 | +20.7% |
Source: FDOT Florida Traffic Online, AADT layer, retrieved October 24, 2026. Segments are those FDOT lists on SR 52 and SR 54 east of CR 577 (Curley Road) with the same limits in 2021 and 2025 and a final flag (C or F) on both values. Of the 12 segments FDOT lists in that area, 4 are excluded: one was split into shorter segments in 2024, and three have a 2021 or 2025 value that FDOT does not flag as final. The 2025 values match in two FDOT data services.
Between 2021 and 2025, AADT was higher on 6 of the 8 segments and lower on 2. The median change was +12.5%. SR 52 between Curley Road and Prospect Road fell 28.0%, from 13,200 to 9,500. The largest increases were 20.7% on SR 54 between Lumberton Road and US 98 and 19.8% on SR 52 between VFW Road and CR 41. FDOT's data does not say why a count moved.
In 2025 these segments ranged from 7,000 to 19,000 vehicles per day, and the range inside one corridor is wide. A corridor average hides the segment you care about. Look up the count for the stretch in front of the site, and check the trend over several years. Traffic counts show vehicles passing. They do not show who stops, so also check turn lanes, driveway access, parking, and visibility at the site itself. For what is being built on SR 52, see SR 52 corridor projects. For population and income by city, see East Pasco growth by the numbers.
Fees and incentives to ask about before you sign
Pasco County publishes a mobility fee chart. It also has a reduced-rate program for locally owned small businesses in qualifying retail, recreation, and institutional projects, and the county judges eligibility when the building permit is submitted. Ask what applies to your project before you sign a lease or a contract. Utility connection fees are calculated on the county's service connection application. Ask the seller or landlord which fees have already been paid on the building.
Incentives carry a timing risk. Pasco County's Office of Economic Growth lists a Job Creation Incentive for companies in target industries that add at least 10 new full-time jobs in the county within one year of project completion. The county's page says the application goes to the Pasco Economic Development Council before a company makes a location decision or hires new employees. The county's definition of a primary target industry excludes retail. Confirm eligibility with the Economic Development Council before you commit to a space.
Score the shortlist
Treat permitted use as a pass or fail gate before you score. A site that fails it is out. Score the sites that pass on the other checks, with weights that reflect how the business makes money. A restaurant weights access and visibility heavily. A distributor weights truck access and building specifications.
| Criterion (1 to 5) | Weight | Site A | Site B | Site C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access and traffic | 25 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| Building and utilities | 20 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Flood zone and site risk | 15 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| Total occupancy cost | 25 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Fees and incentives | 15 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Weighted score (out of 5) | 100 | 3.55 | 3.80 | 3.50 |
Illustrative example. Hypothetical numbers picked to show the math. Your numbers will differ.
Each weighted score is the sum of weight times score, divided by 100. Site B ranks first at 3.80 even though Site C has the best access, because Site C carries flood and site risk. Change the weights and the ranking can change, so set them before you tour.
Order of work
- Write the must-haves. Permitted use, truck access, parking, power, signage, and a maximum monthly cost. A site that misses a must-have is out.
- Run the desk checks. Ask the planning staff in writing whether your use is allowed, pull the flood zone, look up the FDOT count for the segment, and have the owner request utility availability from the county.
- Ask about fees and incentives. Do this before you sign anything, because some programs require an application first.
- Tour with the documents and score. Compare what you see to the plans, inspection records, and expense history, then score each site that passes the use gate. The checklist for warehouse, flex, office, and retail lists what to ask for.
- Compare total occupancy cost. Base rent is one line. See NNN versus gross leases and buy or lease commercial property. For the state tax on commercial rent, see the Florida repeal guide.
If the site is vacant land, use the land due diligence checklist for the full set of checks.
Common questions
Where can I find traffic counts for a road in Pasco County?
FDOT publishes annual average daily traffic through its Florida Traffic Online map and as a data layer, with annual statistics posted by April. Look up the segment in front of the site and compare several years.
What does AADT mean?
AADT is annual average daily traffic: FDOT's estimate of average vehicles per day on a road segment. It is built from sample counts, and FDOT flags each value as final, interim, or a cross-reference.
Who decides whether my business can operate at a site?
The planning staff of the jurisdiction where the parcel sits. The Pasco County Property Appraiser says zoning and future land use are managed by that jurisdiction. Ask in writing, and do not rely on the seller's or landlord's description.
When should I ask about county incentives?
Before you sign a lease or hire. The county's page says the Job Creation Incentive application goes to the Pasco Economic Development Council before a company makes a location decision or hires new employees.
Sources
- FDOT Transportation Data and Analytics, Traffic data (collection programs and annual statistics)
- FDOT Florida Traffic Online, AADT layer (annual average daily traffic by segment, 2021 to 2025)
- Florida Geographic Data Library, AADT metadata (AADT flag definitions)
- Florida Department of Transportation, Access management (Rule 14-96, State Highway System connection permits)
- FEMA FloodSmart, Flood map zones (zones beginning with A or V are high risk)
- Pasco County Property Appraiser, Frequently asked questions (zoning and future land use are managed by the jurisdiction where the parcel is located)
- Pasco County Planning and Development, Documents and forms (rezoning, conditional use, special exception, and variance applications)
- Pasco County Utilities, Documents and forms (Availability of Service and service connection applications)
- Pasco County Building Construction Services, Mobility fee (fee chart and small-business reduced rate)
- Pasco County Office of Economic Growth, Business incentives (Job Creation Incentive)
- U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Pasco County, Florida (population, Vintage 2025)
Sources retrieved October 24, 2026. FDOT traffic figures are agency estimates that change each year. County programs and fees change. Confirm current terms with the agency.
General information, not legal, tax, accounting, or investment advice. FDOT traffic figures are agency estimates, and fees and incentive terms change. Confirm current requirements with the agency before you rely on them. Examples marked illustrative use hypothetical numbers.