⚠️ Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, professional, engineering, construction, or code-compliance advice. Permit requirements, timelines, fees, procedures, interpretations, and enforcement practices vary by jurisdiction and may change without notice. Always verify current requirements with your local building department and, when appropriate, consult a licensed contractor, architect, engineer, attorney, or other qualified professional before starting any project.
This guide is for Florida homeowners who discover unpermitted work after buying a house. It does not mean everything must be torn out, but approval is not guaranteed: the department may require corrections or removal of part of the work. Start by finding out what is on record. For the full process, read how to fix unpermitted work in Florida.
Where to start
- Request the permit history: Request the permit history from your local building department to see exactly what is on record and what was never finalized.
- Separate open permits from unpermitted work: If you paid for the home in a genuine purchase between independent parties, Florida’s protection for buyers prevents permit denial or penalties solely because a previous owner left a permit open. That does not close the permit, confirm the work is safe, or legalize work that never had a permit. Ask what remains outstanding; the department keeps its remedies against the previous owner and the contractor on the permit.
- Check notices and deadlines: Ask Code Enforcement about violation notices, deadlines, fines, or outstanding liens. Follow any notice’s instructions and confirm extensions in writing.
- Ask about an after-the-fact permit: Ask your jurisdiction (the responsible city or county) whether the work can be legalized and which application applies. Existing-work drawings, documents, and reviews may be needed before a permit is issued. Miami-Dade explains its process as a local example.
- Prepare for inspections: An inspector must verify that the work meets the applicable code, so ask the department which code edition it will use. This may involve temporarily opening walls or ceilings to see hidden systems.
- Understand the costs: Ask for a breakdown of permit and review fees, surcharges, possible fines, and the cost of drawings or repairs. Charges depend on your jurisdiction and case.
- Confirm the whole process is closed: Ask for confirmation that no inspections, documents, payments, or related permits remain outstanding. If there is a Code Enforcement case, separately confirm its resolution and any fines or liens. Permit closeout does not automatically release a lien; see Florida’s fine and lien rules. Save the records.
Your next step: gather the property address, any permit numbers, and a description of what you found. Contact the department and ask: “What do I need to resolve to bring this work and its permits into compliance?”
