How to Schedule and Pass Your Construction Inspections in Florida: A Step-by-Step Guide

⚠️ 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.

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

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Getting the permit issued is only the beginning. From there, your project moves forward one inspection at a time, and skipping or mishandling any one of them is what turns a straightforward job into a stalled one.

Here’s how the inspection process actually works, and how to get through it without losing time.

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Step 1: Know Your Inspection Sequence Before You Start

Inspections happen in a set order because each one has to verify work before it gets covered up. Once drywall goes up or concrete is poured, an inspector can’t see what’s underneath anymore.

The table below is an overview, not a complete inspection checklist. Required stages and their order depend on your project and the issuing department. For an official local example, see Palm Beach County’s administrative code, section 110.3 (local requirements; not a checklist for every Florida jurisdiction).

Stage	When it happens
Foundation / footing	After excavation and forms are set, before concrete is poured
Rough-in (electrical, plumbing, mechanical)	After systems are run, before they’re covered by walls
Framing	After framing is complete and required rough-in inspections are approved, before insulation
Insulation	After framing is approved, before drywall
Final	After all work required by the permit is complete; occupancy or use may require a separate certificate

Not every project needs every stage. Ask the building department for the inspection checklist for your permit, and compare it with the permit card and online record. Do not cover work or continue past a required inspection stage until the applicable approval is recorded.

If your work may qualify for a permit exemption under HB 803, confirm it with your building department before starting. The exemption covers eligible work valued below $7,500 on an owner’s single-family property. It excludes electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, and gas work, and does not apply if any part of the property is in a flood hazard area.

To request the exemption, you or your contractor must submit a written request with documents showing what the work involves and how much it is worth. Even if you do not need the permit, that does not mean every part of the project is approved or that the local government has the same duty to review exempted work. See Fla. Stat. § 553.79(1)(g) and our HB 803 guide.

Step 2: Keep Your Permit Card Posted (and the NOC, If Required) at the Job Site

Keep the permit documents accessible at the job site. If your project requires a Notice of Commencement (NOC), record it and post a copy at the site (Fla. Stat. § 713.13(1)(a)). When the direct contract exceeds $5,000, give the department proof of the NOC before the first inspection. You can provide a certified copy, a notarized statement that it was filed for recording together with a copy, or the information identifying the document in the clerk’s official records (Fla. Stat. § 713.135(1)(e)).

Without that proof, subsequent inspections cannot be performed or approved until you provide it. Confirm that the department received the document before requesting the visit to avoid a delay (Fla. Stat. § 713.135(1)(e)1).

There is an exception for separate permits or inspections for temporary electrical or other utility service, land clearing, and other preliminary site work: these can proceed without giving the department a copy of the NOC. If you are starting with one of those tasks, ask whether the exception applies to your permit (Fla. Stat. § 713.135(1)(e)4).

Keep the approved plans accessible too. Inspectors compare the work with those documents and the applicable code. Florida law allows site plans and building permits to be kept at the worksite in their original form or as an electronic copy (Fla. Stat. § 553.79(23)). In practice, some inspectors still expect a printed set. Keeping one at the job site is the easiest way to avoid a wasted visit. Before the visit, confirm how the inspector will access your approved plans.

Step 3: Learn How Your Jurisdiction Schedules Inspections

Florida law requires local enforcement agencies to allow inspection requests electronically, such as by email, a website form, or an app; nonelectronic requests may also be accepted at the building official’s discretion (Fla. Stat. § 553.79(1)(d)). Confirm the current request method for your permit and inspection type. Submitting a request does not itself confirm that the inspection has been scheduled: check the portal or obtain confirmation from the department.

Normally, you need to request the inspection before a cutoff time the day before, and you get a time window rather than an exact appointment time. Cutoffs and ways to check the inspector’s arrival vary by department, so check the portal’s instructions before scheduling.

Before requesting a visit, confirm:

• The request cutoff, available dates, and the correct inspection code
• Whether the department provides a time window, an inspector’s contact number, or another way to check the route
• Who will provide safe access and which documents must be available

If you hold the permit as an owner-builder, Florida’s exemption requires direct, onsite supervision of work not performed by licensed contractors (Fla. Stat. § 489.103(7)(a)). Confirm with the department who must attend the inspection and provide access. Read our owner-builder guide.

Step 4: Prepare the Site Before the Inspector Arrives

A failed inspection because the work wasn’t ready costs you a trip and, in many jurisdictions, a re-inspection fee. Before you schedule:

• Confirm the specific work for that stage is actually finished
• Don’t cover or conceal anything that inspection needs to see
• Make sure the permit card, approved plans, and any required product approvals are on site
• Check that basic life-safety items are in place, like smoke and CO alarms, GFCI or AFCI protection, and required egress

Step 5: Know What the Inspector Is Checking

Inspectors compare the work in front of them to the approved plans and the applicable code, not to general good practice. Common items that get flagged include work that doesn’t match the approved drawings, missing product approvals for windows or doors, and life-safety items that were skipped or installed incorrectly.

If you’re not sure whether something is ready, ask your contractor before scheduling. It’s a shorter conversation than rescheduling.

Step 6: If an Inspection Isn’t Approved

A failed inspection isn’t the end of the project. It just means something needs to be corrected before you can move forward. The inspector will typically note what needs to change. Fix it, then schedule a re-inspection.

Many jurisdictions charge a re-inspection fee, depending on the jurisdiction and the reason the inspection failed, so it’s worth getting it right the first time when you can.

There’s also a right worth knowing: if work fails an inspection and the inspector doesn’t give you a reason based on the Florida Building Code, the Florida Fire Prevention Code, or a local ordinance within 5 business days, the building department must refund 10% of your permit and inspection fees (Fla. Stat. § 553.79(7)(a)).

Step 7: Track Permit Activity and Expiration Separately

Along with the expiration date, check how long your permit can go without an approved inspection. The Florida Building Code (section 105.4.1.3) treats an approved inspection within 180 days as active progress. You can see that provision in Palm Beach County’s official administrative code as a local example. Requesting the inspection is not enough: it needs to be approved. Confirm with the department which activity, abandonment, and extension rules apply to your permit.

For a building permit issued by a local government for a single-family dwelling, Fla. Stat. § 553.79(1)(c) specifies expiration one year after issuance or on the effective date of the next Florida Building Code edition, whichever is later, and allows the local government to extend the permit. HB 803 took effect July 1, 2026 (official bill record).

Check the status and expiration date in the portal and confirm any uncertainty with the department. The statute permits, but does not require, an expiration notice at least 30 days in advance. Request any needed extension before your deadline and keep written confirmation. If the permit has expired, ask what renewal or closeout process applies before continuing work.

Step 8: Schedule Your Final Inspection and Confirm Your Permit Is Closed

The final inspection is a key step, but it isn’t always the last one. Under Florida law, a permit is closed when all of its requirements have been satisfied (Fla. Stat. § 553.79(16)(a)3). Depending on your project, that can include other inspections, required documents, fees, and any Certificate of Occupancy or Certificate of Completion.

After your final inspection is approved, log in to your jurisdiction’s portal and confirm that every inspection shows as approved and that the permit status says closed (some systems use a different term, like “finaled”). If anything is still pending, call the building department and ask what’s missing.

Don’t skip this step even if the project feels finished. An open permit shows up in public records and can complicate or delay a future sale. Florida law does provide some special paths, like closing an expired permit when the work was substantially completed, or a building department closing a permit 6 years after issuance if it finds no apparent safety hazards, but those options require the department’s determination; they do not close your permit automatically (Fla. Stat. § 553.79(16)(b)–(c)). See our full breakdown of what happens after you submit, including closeout, here.

One Call Can Answer Most of This

If you’re not sure which inspections apply to your permit, or how your jurisdiction schedules them, a quick call clears it up:

“Hi, I have permit number [your permit number] for [brief description of work]. Can you tell me which inspections are still required, what else is needed to close the permit, and how I request an inspection?”

Building department staff answer this exact question every day.