Do You Need a Permit for Home Renovations in Brevard County?

Most renovations in Brevard County that touch the roof, windows and doors, structure, wiring, plumbing or air conditioning need a building permit, and the county also requires permits for new fences, sheds and additions. Who issues it depends on where the home sits: Brevard County Planning and Development covers only unincorporated areas, such as Viera, Suntree and Merritt Island, while Melbourne, Palm Bay, West Melbourne, the beach towns and other cities run their own building departments. Since July 1, 2026, owners can ask in writing to skip the permit for some small jobs under $7,500, but never for structural or trade work or on property in a flood hazard area.

County or city: who issues your permit

Brevard County's Planning and Development department issues building permits for new construction, alterations and additions in the unincorporated parts of the county. If your home is inside a city or town's limits, that city or town handles the permit, with its own forms, portal and sometimes its own rules.

Don't go by your mailing address. Postal names don't always match city limits, and community names such as Viera, Suntree and Merritt Island aren't incorporated cities. If you're not sure which side of a line your home is on, ask the county or your city hall before you apply.

Common projects and the permits they need

Brevard County publishes a separate page, with its own document list, for each residential permit type. This is what those pages say for common projects in unincorporated Brevard, with links to our detailed guides. The county says its pages are a guide that may not cover every situation, and more documents may be needed for your project.

Two notes on the table. The county's generator page says nothing about gas piping or a propane tank, so ask whether that work needs its own permit. And if you own a condo or another unit in a multi-family building, the county has a separate multi-family renovation route for altering a single unit, including a kitchen or bath. A whole-house remodel usually combines several permit types; our whole-house remodel cost guide shows how permits fit into that budget.

Inside a city, use the city's rules. Some differ from the county's, such as Palm Bay's zoning-only fence permits and West Melbourne's 10% roof rule; the city sections below have the details.

What changes the answer

The project type is only the start. These factors can add a permit, a review or an approval from another office:

• Structural work. Removing or changing a load-bearing wall, cutting a new opening or altering roof framing is structural work. It needs a building permit, may need an engineer's design and is excluded from the $7,500 exemption. See removing a wall.
• Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas work. The $7,500 exemption never covers it, whatever it costs, and Brevard County says this kind of work must be done by a licensed contractor, except where Florida's owner-builder exemption applies.
• Flood zones. In a flood zone, a large remodel or storm repair can trigger the FEMA 50% rule: if the cost equals or exceeds half the building's market value before the work, the whole home may have to meet current flood rules. The county's Floodplain Administration page has a flood zone map and keeps elevation certificates for unincorporated areas. Inside a city, ask the city's building department. See the 50% rule.
• Beachfront lots. On the Atlantic coast from Port Canaveral Inlet south to Sebastian Inlet, construction seaward of the state's coastal construction control line, with certain exceptions, needs approval from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection on top of the local permit. Only lots seaward of the line are affected, so check yours on DEP's map. See CCCL permits.
• HOAs. In a planned community, the homeowners' association's architectural committee may also need to approve exterior work. It's separate from the permit, and since July 1, 2026 an HOA can't require a building permit before it reviews your application. See HOA approval.
• The code edition. The 9th Edition (2026) of the Florida Building Code takes effect December 31, 2026, and applications submitted on or after that date must follow it. If your application will go in around then, ask your contractor which edition applies.

The $7,500 permit exemption (HB 803) in Brevard

Florida's 2026 building permit law, HB 803, took effect July 1, 2026. On a written request from the owner or the owner's contractor, local governments must exempt some work valued under $7,500 on a single-family home from building permits. It never covers electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical or gas work, property partly or entirely in a flood hazard area, or a bigger job split into pieces to get under the limit. Zoning, licensing and HOA rules still apply. Our guide to the $7,500 exemption explains the statewide rules.

How it works locally depends on your building department:

• Melbourne treats the request like a permit application. You file it in EnerGov under the "Exemption Request" application type, with property and owner information, a notarized request form, a copy of the signed owner-contractor contract (or documentation of the work's value if you're doing it yourself) and a review fee from the city's fee schedule. The home must be single-family and outside a designated flood hazard area. Don't start until the Building Department approves the request in writing. If it's denied, the fee goes toward a building permit for the same work. Melbourne's ordinance permits for fences, accessory structures, driveways and flatwork aren't affected.
• West Melbourne's Building Department page mentions HB 803 and links to a permit exemption application. Ask the city which work it treats as exempt.
• Unincorporated Brevard. We found no county page or form on the exemption. Ask Planning and Development whether there's a request form, whether it's filed through BASS, whether there's a fee and how the county checks the flood hazard exclusion.
• Other cities and towns. We didn't find their processes. Ask before you count on skipping a permit.

On the barrier island and along the Indian River Lagoon, check your flood zone first. If any part of the lot is in a flood hazard area, the exemption doesn't apply.

Need a contractor for this project?Find a Contractor

Applying in unincorporated Brevard

The county's online system is Brevard's Advanced Service Site (BASS). Licensed contractors use it to apply, upload documents, track a permit, schedule inspections and pay fees at any hour. Online filing is open only to licensed contractors, and state-licensed contractors register their license with the county to use it.

What homeowners should know:

• Owner-builders apply in person. The county requires property owners acting as their own contractor to file in person, citing section 489.103 of the Florida Statutes. The form is the county's Owner Builder Application for Contractor Exemption, and a signed disclosure statement must reach the county before the permit is issued.
• You can still follow your permit online. Anyone can look up permit records in BASS without an account, and the county says homeowners can create an account to schedule inspections.
• Contractors stay within their license. Professionals can pull permits only for work within their license type, and some permit types require the contractor to name subcontractors.
• Fees. Several residential permit pages, including doors, windows and shutters and generators, list a $25 application processing fee due when you apply. Permit fees come on top of that; the doors, windows and shutters page bases its code review fee on the job's value. Confirm current fees with the county.
• No impact fees for remodels. The county's impact fee FAQ says additions, remodels and alterations of an existing home don't require additional impact fees. That's the county's answer; inside a city, ask the city.
• After a storm. The county says that after a declared emergency, it expects to process permits that skip technical review, such as roof repairs or replacing a single window or door, within three business days.

City of Melbourne

Melbourne's Building Section, part of the Code Compliance Division, takes applications and schedules inspections through the city's EnerGov portal, with drawings where applicable and a survey for new construction or additions. Its FAQ lists carports, garages, fences, sheds, re-roofing and window replacement among work that needs a permit, and links to how-to videos for EnerGov.

• Fences are a city ordinance permit, as are accessory structures, driveways and flatwork. Zoning limits fences in the front-yard setback to 4 feet tall and 50% opacity. Toward the rear, they can be 6 feet and fully opaque.
• Fees are set by the city's building permit fee schedule, effective August 7, 2026. Check the current version before you budget.
• Owner-builders should read the city's owner-builder guide before applying.

The city warns that starting work without a permit can lead to higher costs, delays and even removal of what was built. For window projects, see window replacement permits in Melbourne.

City of Palm Bay

Palm Bay's Building Department added the ePermitHub Digital Plan Room in March 2025 for electronic submission and review, though some city pages still point to the older iMS portal, so ask which one to use. Its permit FAQ lists fences, sheds, re-roofing and window replacement among commonly overlooked projects, and the city says work started without a permit can be charged up to four times the permit fees.

• Fences. Since a 2020 ordinance, non-masonry fences that serve a single-family home don't need a building permit, but the city must approve a zoning permit before installation, with no inspections. Pool barrier fences and masonry walls need a building permit, with inspections.
• Sheds. A Florida-approved prefabricated shed of 120 sq. ft. or less needs a zoning permit only. A building permit is required if the shed is larger, has plumbing or electrical work, sits on a concrete slab or is built on site, including kits. Sheds and fences can't go in drainage or utility easements.
• Reroofs. The city's roof permit requirements ask for product approvals for the roof covering and the underlayment, and a recorded Notice of Commencement on jobs over $5,000.
• Contractor registration. State-licensed contractors must register with the city before they pull permits there, so ask any bidder whether they already have.

City of West Melbourne

West Melbourne has accepted all permit applications online since March 5, 2024. Its published requirements include:

• Roofs. A permit is needed when replacing more than 10% of the roof, with a product approval affidavit and a roof nail affidavit. No shingles may go on before the dry-in inspection. Owner-builder reroofs need dry-in and nail-off inspections by city inspectors, and owner-builders can't use a nail affidavit.
• Windows and doors. A product approval affidavit and a drawing of the numbered openings, with a window and door buck affidavit on site at the final inspection.
• Fences. A fence application, a hold-harmless form and a digital survey marking the fence.
• Sheds. A building permit application, a survey showing distances to property lines, and product approvals with installation instructions.

The city's fee schedule lists $110 for a residential fence permit and $110 for a residential re-roof permit, set by Resolution 2026-04. Confirm current fees before you apply.

The beach towns

The barrier island towns each handle permits their own way. Check the flood zone and, on a beachfront lot, the coastal construction control line, as explained above.

• Indian Harbour Beach runs its own Building Department. Registered contractors can apply, upload documents, schedule inspections and pay fees online. Owner-builders apply in person with an owner-builder affidavit and proof of ownership. The city publishes residential permit checklists for additions, reroofs, pools and electrical, plumbing and HVAC work. Its post-storm guide says roof replacements, structural repairs, electrical service, air conditioning work and window and door replacements need permits, while cosmetic repairs and temporary tarping don't.
• Melbourne Beach permits go through the town's Building Official. The town's permit application says contractor licensing and insurance information must be current with Brevard County.
• Satellite Beach. A city contact page directs permit questions to the Community Development Department. We couldn't confirm its process or portal, so ask city hall.
• Indialantic. We couldn't find an official town page on who reviews permits. Ask Town Hall before you apply.

Other cities and towns

• Rockledge asks for a written, detailed narrative of the scope of work with each residential permit application. Projects of $5,000 or more need a Notice of Commencement recorded with the Brevard County Clerk of Courts.
• Titusville uses the BSA Online portal, where permits from 2012 on can be searched.
• Cocoa Beach takes building permit applications through the Development Services Department's OpenGov portal.
• Grant-Valkaria handles all permits at Town Hall, except septic permits, which Brevard County issues.
• Cocoa, Cape Canaveral and Malabar. We couldn't confirm their building departments from official pages. Ask city or town hall.

Owner-builders, the Notice of Commencement and inspections

Owner-builders. Florida lets you act as your own contractor on a home you own and will live in, if you supervise the work yourself, and selling or leasing the home within a year of finishing is presumed to break the exemption. You take on a contractor's legal responsibilities, so read owner-builder permits in Florida first, and be wary of any contractor who asks you to pull an owner-builder permit for work they'll do.

Notice of Commencement. Florida requires a recorded Notice of Commencement before the first inspection when the direct contract is over $5,000. In unincorporated Brevard, the recorded notice is uploaded to the permit and must be approved before inspections can be scheduled. A county document checklist from 2020 still shows the older $2,500 figure, so go by the current statute and your building department. See our Notice of Commencement guide.

Inspections. Unincorporated Brevard schedules inspections through BASS and Melbourne through EnerGov; ask other offices how they schedule. Don't make the final payment until the final inspection has passed, and keep the permit record, because insurers and buyers rely on permit dates. See building inspections in Florida.

Checking a contractor's license

Check every contractor at MyFloridaLicense.com and on Brevard County's Licensed Contractor Search, linked from the county's licensed trades page. The county says a contractor appears there only with a current license, general liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage or an exemption on file. Brevard also says there's no handyman license in the county, so a handyman can only do unregulated work. Local trade licensing has been changing since a 2021 state law, HB 735, so ask the county's contractor licensing office if you're unsure what a trade needs. Our guide to hiring a contractor in Melbourne covers registration, insurance and deposits step by step.

Common mistakes

• Applying to the wrong office. A Melbourne mailing address doesn't tell you whether the City of Melbourne, another city or the county issues your permit. Confirm the jurisdiction first.
• Assuming one city's rule applies everywhere. A fence that needs only a zoning permit in Palm Bay needs a county permit with a survey in unincorporated Brevard.
• Treating the $7,500 exemption as automatic. It takes a written request, Melbourne says to wait for written approval, and we found no county process yet.
• Splitting a job to stay under a limit. The law prohibits it, and a split job can leave the work uninspected.
• Forgetting the flood zone or the coastal line. Beachside and lagoon-front remodels can trigger the 50% rule or a state permit.
• Pulling an owner-builder permit for a contractor. If they'll do the work, they should pull the permit.

Next steps

1. Confirm whether your home is in unincorporated Brevard or inside a city or town.
2. Find your project in the table above, then read the detailed guide for it.
3. Check your flood zone, and on a beachfront lot, where the coastal construction control line falls.
4. Get HOA approval if your community requires it.
5. Hire a licensed contractor, confirm who will pull the permit and in which office, and record the Notice of Commencement before the first inspection.
6. Keep the permit and final inspection records with your home documents.

For the bigger picture, including hurricanes, flood zones, the beachside and septic rules, see our guide to remodeling in Melbourne, Palm Bay and the Space Coast and the Brevard County local guide.