Do I need a permit?
If it changes structure, or touches electrical, plumbing, gas or mechanical systems, assume yes. a permit is required to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building, or to install or alter any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system†. The code is statewide but the Florida Building Code is statewide but each local building department administers it, sets fees and may adopt stricter local amendments† — so the only authoritative answer comes from your own building department, and getting it takes one phone call.
Ring your city or county building department, describe the work in one sentence, and ask whether it needs a permit. They answer this question all day. Nothing on any website — including this one — overrides what they tell you about your address, because local amendments and coastal requirements vary and they are the ones who will inspect it.
Almost always yes
- Roof replacement, and most roof repair beyond a very small area.
- Windows and exterior doors — and in the Wind-Borne Debris Region and the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone† the product itself must qualify.
- Any structural change: removing a wall, altering a load path, an addition, a deck.
- Electrical work, including a panel change or a new circuit.
- Plumbing re-pipes, water heater replacement, sewer or septic work.
- Air conditioning replacement, and most ductwork.
- Pools, spas, and the barriers around them.
- Sheds above a modest size, fences in many jurisdictions, seawalls and docks.
- Anything that changes the occupancy or use of the building.
Usually no
- Painting, wallpaper, flooring over an existing subfloor.
- Cabinets and countertops, where the plumbing and electrical are not moved.
- Like-for-like fixture swaps — a tap, a light fitting in an existing box.
- Landscaping that does not alter drainage or grade.
The pattern is legible once you see it. Cosmetic work is generally free of permits; anything affecting structure, safety systems or how the building behaves in a storm is not. A kitchen refit that keeps every service where it is may need nothing, and the same refit moving a sink and adding two circuits needs both a plumbing and an electrical permit.
Two thresholds people confuse
The contractor licence threshold is $2,500†, above which the work must be done by a licensed contractor. That is a different question from whether a permit is required — some work under the threshold still needs a permit, and some work over it does not. The deposit rules are different again: taking more than 10% of the contract price† obliges a contractor to apply for permits within 30 days† and start within 90 days†.
There is one notable carve-out worth knowing: repair or replacement of air conditioning equipment below $15,000† falls outside part of the licensing requirement. It does not follow that the work escapes the permit or the inspection.
Pulling it yourself
an owner may pull a permit for work on their own home without a contractor licence, but must personally supervise the work and the property generally may not be sold or rented for one year afterwards†. That last condition is the one people discover too late — the owner-builder exemption is designed for people improving a home they intend to keep, and it interacts badly with a plan to renovate and sell.
A licensed contractor pulls permits in their own name. Being asked to pull it as owner-builder for work someone else is doing means either they are not licensed for it, or they want the liability on you. Either way it is the single clearest warning sign in Florida home improvement, and it costs nothing to walk away from.
The part that actually matters: closing it
a permit is not closed until the final inspection is approved — passing earlier inspections is not enough†, and a permit typically expires after 180 days without an approved inspection†. An open permit is not a paperwork nuisance. It surfaces at sale, it complicates insurance, and it is far cheaper to close while the contractor is still on site and the work is still visible.
- Get the permit number when the work starts, not at the end.
- Look it up on the building department’s portal a fortnight after completion.
- Confirm the status reads finalled or closed, not issued or expired.
- Hold final payment until it does. This is the only leverage that reliably works.
- Keep the record with your insurance documents. Your buyer’s inspector will look eventually.
Related
Common questions
What work needs a permit in Florida?
Constructing, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving or demolishing a building, changing its occupancy, or installing or altering any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system. Cosmetic work generally does not.
Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in Florida?
Almost always yes — it is plumbing and often electrical or gas work. Your local building department gives the authoritative answer for your address in one phone call.
Can I pull my own building permit in Florida?
An owner may pull a permit for work on their own home without a contractor licence, but must personally supervise the work, and the property generally may not be sold or rented for a year afterwards.
Is a $2,500 job exempt from permits in Florida?
No — $2,500 is the contractor licensing threshold, which is a different question. Some work below it still requires a permit, and some work above it does not.
How long does a Florida building permit last?
Typically 180 days without an approved inspection, after which it expires. A permit is not closed until the final inspection is approved — passing earlier inspections is not enough.
Permit requirements come from the Florida Building Code, adopted statewide under §553.79 and administered by each local building department, which may adopt stricter amendments. Contractor licensing and the owner-builder exemption sit in Chapter 489. Confirm your specific work with your building department.