Local Guides
Remodeling in Florida: county by county
The Florida Building Code applies statewide, but permits and inspections are handled locally: by the county in unincorporated areas and by each city's own building department inside city limits. These pages summarize what each county publishes, in plain English, with links to the official source.
- South Florida
Remodeling in Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade is one of only two Florida counties in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, the strictest part of the Florida Building Code. Roofing, windows, doors and shutters must carry approvals for that zone, which is one reason exterior work here costs more. The county's building department handles unincorporated areas; each city, from Miami and Hialeah to Doral and Homestead, has its own building official.
- South Florida
Remodeling in Broward County
Broward is the other High-Velocity Hurricane Zone county, so exterior products face the same strict approvals as in Miami-Dade. Most Broward cities, including Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines and Coral Springs, run their own building departments. The county's Building Code Division serves unincorporated areas and the cities that contract with it.
- South Florida
Remodeling in Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County's Planning, Zoning and Building department (PZB) handles unincorporated areas, while cities such as West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and Jupiter issue their own permits. Reroofs, aluminum screen work and window replacements are among the most common homeowner permits the county lists.
- Tampa Bay
Remodeling in Hillsborough County
Hillsborough County's Development Services department issues permits for unincorporated areas such as Brandon, Riverview and Lutz through its HillsGovHub portal. The City of Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City have their own building departments.
- Central Florida
Remodeling in Orange County
Orange County's One-Stop Permitting handles unincorporated areas around Orlando, such as Pine Hills, Union Park and much of east Orange County. The City of Orlando and the county's other cities issue their own permits.
- Northeast Florida
Remodeling in Jacksonville (Duval County)
Jacksonville and Duval County share a consolidated government, so the City of Jacksonville's Building Inspection Division handles permits for most of the county. A few smaller cities within Duval County run their own building departments, so check which one covers your address.
- Tampa Bay
Remodeling in Pinellas County
Pinellas is Florida's most densely developed county, with many older homes and a long coastline. The county's Building and Development Review Services handles unincorporated areas such as Palm Harbor, Lealman and East Lake; St. Petersburg, Clearwater and the other cities issue their own permits.
- Southwest Florida
Remodeling in Lee County
Lee County, on the Gulf coast, was among the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Ian in 2022. The county handles unincorporated areas such as Lehigh Acres and North Fort Myers. Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel run their own permitting.
- Space Coast
Remodeling in Brevard County
Brevard County, on Florida's Space Coast, includes Melbourne, Palm Bay, Titusville, Cocoa, Rockledge and West Melbourne on the mainland and beach towns from Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach to Satellite Beach, Indian Harbour Beach, Indialantic and Melbourne Beach. The county's Planning and Development department issues building permits only for unincorporated areas, such as Viera and Merritt Island, through its BASS online system for licensed contractors. Cities such as Melbourne and Palm Bay issue their own permits. Beachfront work seaward of the state's coastal construction control line generally needs state approval, with certain exceptions, and homes on septic in the state's Indian River Lagoon protection area face a 2030 deadline to upgrade or connect to sewer.
- Treasure Coast
Remodeling in Indian River County
Indian River County, on the Treasure Coast, includes Vero Beach, Sebastian, Fellsmere, the barrier island towns of Indian River Shores and Orchid, and unincorporated communities such as Vero Lake Estates, Gifford and Wabasso. The county Building Division issues permits for unincorporated areas and for the City of Vero Beach, which shares the county's building department, through the MyGovernmentOnline (MGO) portal. Sebastian, Fellsmere, Indian River Shores and Orchid run their own building departments. Homes near the Indian River Lagoon also face state septic-to-sewer deadlines.
- Daytona Beach area
Remodeling in Volusia County
Volusia County stretches from Ormond Beach, Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach on the Atlantic to DeLand, Deltona, DeBary and Orange City inland. The county's Building and Code Administration Division issues permits only for unincorporated areas, through its Connect Live portal. Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater, Holly Hill, South Daytona, Daytona Beach Shores, Ponce Inlet and the other cities run their own building departments. Hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022 and Milton in 2024 brought inland flooding and severe beach erosion, so flood zones and coastal permits matter here as much as wind rules.
- Palm Coast area
Remodeling in Flagler County
Flagler County, between St. Johns and Volusia counties, includes Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Bunnell. The county's Building Department, through Central Permitting in Bunnell, handles unincorporated areas and takes applications online. Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Bunnell run their own building departments, so check which office covers your address. Beachfront work also falls under the state's Coastal Construction Control Line program.
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