| Building Permitting | |||||||||||||
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In the unincorporated areas of Broward County and in those municipalities under contract for building services with the County, a permit is required to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, remove or demolish any building, structure or part thereof. The need for and type(s) of permits required are based on the scope of work. The Permitting, Licensing & Consumer Protection Division is responsible for:
If the building you wish to construct, remodel or repair is located in unincorporated Broward County or a municipality under contractual agreement with the county to provide building services, your first stop before submitting an application for a building permit is to visit or call the Broward County Development and Environmental Regulation Division, located at 1 N. University Drive, Plantation, FL 33317, 954-357-6666. This division ensures that the regional impacts of a proposed development comply with the Broward County Land Development Code and Broward County Natural Resource Protection Code. They also inform you if your project requires any sign-offs from other agencies. NOTE: Many cities in Broward County have their own requirements for permitting, and also issue permits to their residents. Please contact the office of the city where your building is located to determine if your permit can be obtained there. Broward County City Links Although a homeowner may apply for a homeowner-builder permit, doing so places all liability for damages or injury on the homeowner, who is also responsible for making sure the work is done in conformance with the applicable state and local laws and regulations. We highly recommend that you hire a qualified contractor who is licensed by either Broward County or the State of Florida to perform the specific type of work you need. For buildings located in unincorporated Broward County or in a municipality under contractual agreement with Broward County to provide building services, a permit is required for a wide variety of construction, remodeling and repair work, including (but not limited to) the following: Residential Permits Commercial Permits Accessory Permits You may download a permit application by clicking on one of the links below. However, if you have a question, please visit our office at Government Center West, 1 N. University Drive in Plantation, or call 954-765-4400 and press Option 1. Our office hours are 8:00am to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
It is the policy of Broward County that the fees collected for these services shall be so designed as to bear reasonable relationship to the cost of providing building code services. How to Fill Out a Building Permit Application The items listed below correspond to the items listed on the Building Permit Application -- PDF (73 KB).
*Broward County Permitting, Licensing and Consumer Protection Division determines the value of a project based on the estimate provided in the latest edition of RSMeans Construction Cost Data. Your permit application must be submitted to our agency with the following:
For building projects valued at more than $10,000.00, non-refundable fees must be paid when plans are submitted for review. See information above for basis of determining value. We accept cash, checks and credit card (MasterCard, Visa or Discover) payments for any permit transaction. Checks must be made payable to Broward County Board of County Commissioners. If your plans have been certified as “green” by the United States Green Building Council’s LEED or by another agency recognized by the Florida Department of Growth Management, they will immediately be flagged for fast action, starting with a plan review process of less than five business days. Permitting, Licensing and Consumer Protection Division can reduce review time for other large-scale projects with a pre-plan review, for which there is an hourly charge. Some small projects, such as residential re-roofs, air conditioning system change-outs and alarm system installations may not require a review by other agencies. If so, these permit application reviews may be completed by our agency within one to two hours after you submit them. When your permit application is approved, you will receive a permit card which must be posted at the job site. It is the building owner’s responsibility to ensure that the contractor contacts Permitting, Licensing and Consumer Protection to schedule any inspections that are due, that the inspections are completed, and that the work was passed by a qualified inspector. A permit remains valid, provided that work has commenced within 180 days from the date issued, and continues in a substantial manner until completion of the job. A permit will expire if the work does not start within 180 days or if the work starts, and then is suspended or abandoned for a period of 90 days. You must contact Permitting, Licensing and Consumer Protection to ask if you may renew the permit or if you must apply for a new one. Both those actions will require additional fees. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the building owner to make certain the permit is either renewed or that a new permit is applied for. If the work for which the permit was issued is not inspected or does not pass a final inspection, Broward County may place a lien on your property. When a permit is issued, it sets into motion a process that is aimed at protecting the building owner from sub-standard work that may pose a danger to public health and safety. For some work, such as a swimming pool installation, individual inspections of each of the various aspects of the job (structural, electrical, plumbing, etc.) may be required to verify that the work complies with all applicable laws, regulations and rules. A final inspection is required to confirm the job was completed properly. You can choose to have the updates sent directly to your telephone or fax number or to your e-mail address. Contractors with several permits can also request to receive the automated reports on all jobs or just certain ones, and also to have them sent to subcontractors, homeowners and/or agents. The report will provide you with real-time status updates and detailed information all the way through the final inspection on your construction, remodeling or repair project. You may also phone us for permit status at 954-765-4400, Option 1. Notice of Commencement In accordance with Section 713.13 (1) (h) of the Florida Statutes, if the estimated value of a project is over $2,500, or air conditioner replacement projects with an estimated value over $7,500, a Notice of Commencement is required. A Notice of Commencement must be recorded at the Broward County Records Office, located at 115 S. Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33301 prior to commencement of construction of a project. A certified copy or affidavit attesting to the recording of the Notice of Commencement must be submitted to the Permitting, Licensing and Consumer Protection Division, and a second one posted at the job site. This notice contains detailed information about the project such as property owner, financial institution, job site address, contractor, etc., and protects the property owner's title to the property. The Permitting, Licensing and Consumer Protection Division provides these forms to permit applicants, or see links under "New Permits" to obtain a copy. Certificate of Occupancy Certificates of Occupancy for properties are issued by the Building Official, after all final inspections with appropriate approvals have been completed, and all holds from other agencies have been released. Once these actions are completed, and all fees concerning your permits have been paid, your project will be issued a Certificate of Occupancy. Small projects such as air conditioning and hot water tank change-outs/replacements, electrical service upgrades, modifications and repairs, burglar alarm installations, storage sheds, etc., do not require a Certificate of Occupancy. To schedule an inspection, cancel a scheduled inspection or obtain inspection results, call our automated information line, 954-497-1320. You must have the Phone Access Code which is on your permit printout. Inspection requests received by our office before 3:00 p.m. are scheduled for the next workday. If required, you must arrange to allow the inspector to access your property for the inspection. If the inspector cannot inspect the work and a re-inspection must be scheduled, you may be charged an additional fee. If your permit has expired, you must contact Permitting, Licensing and Consumer Protection to apply for a renewal. There is an additional fee for the renewal. If you or your contractor allow the permit to expire and do not apply for a renewal, Broward County may place a lien on your property. If work requiring a permit was performed without first obtaining a permit, the building owner will be liable for paying a fine. In addition, the building owner may be required to pay for the approval of the work by a professional engineer, or pay for having it dismantled/demolished and/or re-done. |
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