How to Fill Out a Construction Permit Application in Florida: A Step-by-Step Guide

By Ms. Rossiter · NextPermit.org · Florida Building Code · Permit Process · How-To

The permit application sounds official, but it’s really just the form where you tell the city: “Here’s my house, and here’s what I want to do.” That’s it. Once you know what goes where, it’s a lot less intimidating than it looks.

Here’s how to get through it without guessing.

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Step 1: Make Sure You Actually Need a Permit

Before you fill out anything, confirm your project requires a permit. Since July 1, 2026, Florida HB 803 exempts certain single-family residential projects valued under $7,500. The exemption has important exceptions, including flood hazard areas and work like structural, electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical. Read our full breakdown of HB 803 here.

Not sure where your project falls? A quick call to your local building department will tell you.

Step 2: Find Out Who Handles Your Permit

Your mailing address isn’t always your permitting address. Some homes have a city name in the address but sit on unincorporated county land, which means the county handles the permit, not the city.

The easiest way to check: search your address on your county’s Property Appraiser website and look for the field called Municipality. If it shows a city name, start with that city. If it says Unincorporated, you’ll go through the county.

Step 3: Gather Your Property Information

Most applications ask for the same basic details, and all of them are on the Property Appraiser website. It’s free, no account needed, and takes about two minutes.

You’ll want:

• Property address
• Owner’s name
• Folio number, also called a parcel number
• Building use, present use and proposed use. For most home renovations, all three are the same.
• Legal description or subdivision name. Some counties, like Miami-Dade, often ask for it.

Keep this information handy. You’ll use it again on other forms.

Step 4: Download the Right Form (and Check the Date)

Always download the application directly from your city or county website. Not from a search result, and not from a copy you saved two years ago. Cities update their forms, and using an old version is one of the most common reasons applications get rejected on the first step.

The version date is usually printed at the top or bottom of the form. If it looks old, get a fresh copy.

Every jurisdiction works a little differently. Two examples:

Broward County uses a Uniform Building Permit Application accepted by every city in the county, though each municipality can still have its own submission instructions, additional documents and portal.

Miami-Dade County handles permits for properties in unincorporated areas, while each of its 35 municipalities handles permits within its own boundaries. If your folio number starts with 30, your property is generally in unincorporated Miami-Dade and you’ll start with the county. Otherwise, confirm the exact municipality through the Property Appraiser website and use that city’s current application. If your project needs both city and county approval, always file with the city first, because you’ll need that municipal permit number for the county application.

Step 5: Fill In the Fields

Before you write anything, read the whole form once. Look for anything that could take extra time, like a contractor’s license number, a notarized signature or an engineer’s information.

Most applications ask for the same core fields. Here’s what goes where:

The description doesn’t need to be a novel. The city just needs to understand what’s changing:

“Replace a bathtub with a walk-in shower”
“Replace water heater in garage”
“Add a ceiling fan where there wasn’t one”

Step 6: Identify the Owner and the Person Responsible for the Work

The application generally identifies both the property owner and the person or company responsible for performing the work. If a licensed contractor is handling the project, enter the contractor’s legal business name and license information exactly as registered.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical, structural and fire-safety work generally requires an appropriately licensed contractor, unless the project qualifies for a valid owner-builder exemption. Florida allows homeowners to act as their own contractor on certain projects at their primary residence. It can save money, but it also means you take on the responsibility. If you qualify as an owner-builder, follow your building department’s owner-builder disclosure and identification requirements, and confirm eligibility before listing yourself as the responsible party. See our full guide on owner-builder permits here.

Never sign a blank or incomplete application. Check whether the owner’s signature must be notarized or completed in person before building department staff.

Step 7: Prepare Any Additional Forms

Depending on your city and project, you may also need:

• A short form confirming the estimated cost of the work
• A signed owner statement approving the project
• A Notice of Commencement (NOC), usually for larger or higher-value projects

Depending on the jurisdiction and permit type, the Notice of Commencement threshold you’ll see referenced is either $2,500 or $5,000. Florida law raised the statewide threshold to $5,000 in 2023, but many local forms and checklists still reference the older $2,500 figure. Always check the current form and checklist for the specific building department you’re filing with, not just the general county page.

When required, the NOC is recorded with the county Clerk of Court. The building department may require a recorded or certified copy before inspections can begin, and a copy may also need to be posted at the job site.

If you live in an HOA community, remember that HOA approval is completely separate from the city permit.

Step 8: Attach Plans and Specifications (If Needed)

Some projects need drawings showing what’s changing and where. Specifications tell the city exactly what’s being installed, like the model of an electrical panel or the fixtures in a bathroom remodel.

Simple projects, like a water heater replacement, may accept basic drawings or need no plans at all. Structural work and other regulated projects may require plans signed and sealed by a Florida-licensed design professional.

Step 9: Submit, Pay and Let the Process Work

Once you submit and pay any fees required at intake, many jurisdictions run a quick prescreen to check whether the basic documents are present. Submit the most complete application you can. A prescreen isn’t the same as approval, and it doesn’t prevent later plan-review comments.

What Happens After You Submit

From here, your application generally moves through the same broad stages, though timing varies by jurisdiction: a completeness check or prescreen, plan review, corrections if needed, permit issuance, inspections, and final approval and closeout. Read our full breakdown of what happens after you submit.

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One Call Can Answer Most of This

If this still feels like a lot, a short call to your building department clears up most of it:

“Hi, I’m a homeowner at [your address]. I want to apply for a permit to [brief description of work]. Can you tell me which form I need, how you accept applications, and whether any part of this goes through the county?”

Staff get this question every day. You don’t need to know the technical terms. Just describe what you want to do and ask.