Home Improvement Permits in South Florida: What Needs One and Why It Matters

The full picture

Projects that usually need a permit

Florida law says no one may build, alter, repair or demolish a building without first getting a permit, with limited exceptions (section 553.79, Florida Statutes). Across Palm Beach, Broward and St. Lucie, expect a permit for:

• Roofing: re-roofs and replacements. Small repairs may fall under a local exemption with a low dollar cap.
• Windows and exterior doors: they are part of the house’s wind protection, so replacements generally need a permit and products rated for your location. A few local lists exempt narrow cases, such as a door swapped within its frame.
• Air conditioning: replacing a central system needs a mechanical permit; repairing parts usually does not.
• Water heaters: replacement generally needs a permit; Port St. Lucie, for example, has a dedicated application.
• Electrical and plumbing: new circuits, panel changes, rewiring, moving fixtures and re-piping. Swapping a light fixture or faucet in place is often exempt.
• Structural work: removing walls, new openings, additions, and enclosing a porch or garage.
• Kitchens and baths: an exact cabinet replacement alone may not need a permit, but the job usually does once it moves plumbing, adds circuits or opens walls.

What often does not need one, and the new $7,500 rule

Cosmetic finish work is the usual exception. Palm Beach County’s long-standing list of items not requiring a permit includes painting, replacing ceramic tile, and exact replacement of kitchen cabinets with no plumbing or electrical changes. West Palm Beach’s permit FAQ says painting and flooring in a house need no permit, while new flooring in a condo does. Lists vary and change, so confirm locally.

Since July 1, 2026, state law requires building departments to exempt single-family owners, or their contractors, from a permit for work valued under $7,500 (section 553.79(1)(g)). The exemption excludes electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical and gas work and any property partly or entirely in a flood hazard area. Projects cannot be split to stay under the limit, and you must submit a written request with documents showing the work’s nature and value.

Local application varies. In a June 2026 memo, Palm Beach County’s building official wrote that because the whole county is designated a flood hazard area, the exemption does not apply there. Some cities in the county, including West Palm Beach, have published their own request process, so ask your city directly. Fort Lauderdale takes requests online, requires written approval before work starts, and lists window replacement as ineligible. As of October 2026, confirm any exemption in writing first.

Who issues home improvement permits in South Florida

The building department with jurisdiction over your address issues the permit: usually the city inside city limits, or the county in unincorporated areas. In Broward, some cities contract with the county for permitting.

• Palm Beach County: the county Building Division handles unincorporated areas; cities such as Boca Raton and West Palm Beach run their own.
• Broward County: the county Building Code Division covers the unincorporated Broward Municipal Services District and contract cities; Fort Lauderdale and many others issue their own.
• St. Lucie County: the county permitting office covers unincorporated areas; Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce and St. Lucie Village set their own requirements.

All of them enforce the statewide Florida Building Code, currently the 8th Edition (2023), plus local amendments. As of October 2026, the 9th Edition (2026) is scheduled to take effect December 31, 2026, so if you apply near that date, ask which edition will govern your plans. Zoning rules and HOA approvals are separate from the building permit.

Broward’s High-Velocity Hurricane Zone

The Florida Building Code defines a High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) made up of Broward and Miami-Dade counties; Palm Beach and St. Lucie are outside it. Inside it, stricter code chapters apply, and windows, doors, shutters and roofing products generally need approvals that cover HVHZ use. Statewide wind standards are still demanding, so in any county, ask the contractor for the product approval and check it in the Florida Product Approval system.

Notice of Commencement and the lien law

Florida’s Construction Lien Law can let unpaid subcontractors and suppliers claim a lien on your property even when you have paid your contractor. The Notice of Commencement, recorded in county records, identifies the property, owner, contractor and any lender. Permit cards must warn that skipping it can mean paying twice for improvements.

• When: the lien law generally covers direct contracts over $2,500 (section 713.02). When the direct contract exceeds $5,000, the permit applicant must file a copy of the recorded notice with the building department before the first inspection, except for heating or air-conditioning repair or replacement under $15,000 (section 713.135). Follow your local checklist.
• How: only the owner may sign it. It is recorded with the clerk before work begins and posted at the job site; the statutory form says both must happen before the first inspection (section 713.13).
• How long: it is void if work does not begin within 90 days of recording, and it runs one year unless it states a different period.
• Final payment: when final payment is due, the contractor must give you an affidavit stating that everyone who served a notice to owner has been paid, or listing who has not (section 713.06).

Licensed contractor or owner-builder

Most homeowners hire a licensed contractor, who pulls the permit. Before you sign, check the license on the state’s license search. A certified contractor may work anywhere in Florida; a registered contractor only where registered (section 489.105). If a contractor takes more than 10% of the price up front on a residential job, it generally must apply for any required permits within 30 days and start within 90 days after they issue, unless there is just cause or you agreed in writing to longer (section 489.126).

Owners may act as their own contractor on a one- or two-family home for their own use, not offered for sale or lease (section 489.103(7)). You must personally appear and sign the permit application and a state-required disclosure statement, directly supervise the work onsite, and not hire an unlicensed person to act as your contractor. Selling or leasing within one year after completion creates a presumption that you built for sale or lease. Some cities add limits: Boca Raton and West Palm Beach, for example, do not allow owner-builder permits on property titled to a company or rented out, which matters if you hold a home in an LLC.

Open or missing permits when you sell

Permits are public records, and buyers, lenders and title companies often search them. A permit never closed with a final inspection, or work done without one, can delay a closing or reopen negotiations. Some departments, including West Palm Beach and St. Lucie County, let a permit expire after 180 days without an inspection and charge a multiple of the normal fee for work started without one.

• Closing an old permit: an owner can close an open permit even if someone else pulled it, by keeping the original contractor, hiring another licensed contractor, or acting as an owner-builder (section 553.79(16)).
• Finished but expired: a department may close an expired permit whose work is substantially complete without a new permit, and may close a permit six years after issuance without a final inspection if it finds no apparent safety hazards.
• Buyer protection: a department cannot deny a permit to, cite or fine an arm’s-length buyer solely because a prior owner’s permit was never closed (section 553.79(17)). The department keeps its remedies against the owner and contractor on that permit, which may still need to be closed.