Mission Statement: To assure the public safety through effective, efficient, quality enforcement of the Florida Building Code through review and approval of construction plans, issuance of construction and other permits, field inspection of construction work and issuance of certificates of occupancy.

CHANGE IN PERMITTING POLICY

For: NEW HOUSES IN UN-PLATTED SUBDIVISIONS

As of October 1, 2006, building permit applications for new developments will not be accepted unless the final plat has been recorded with the Lee County Property Appraisers Office. This requirement includes a final STRAP number for each lot.

Site permit applications for infrastructure, tree removal, and site clearing will continue to be accepted after the preliminary plat has been approved by City Council.

Also, building permits for model homes will be accepted after the preliminary plat has been approved by City Council.

All new construction, additions, alterations, service equipment change outs, and construction in general require a permit prior to commencement of said construction. The only exception to permitting requirements is maintenance or replacement of an existing component, which was lawfully permitted at time of original installation, and in which the valuation of the work is less than $500.00 and no life safety systems are affected.

New Feature! Paying Permit Fees Online

You can now pay for Permit fees using the Automated Inspection Request Line 239-461-4424 (IVR phone line) or you can pay online. Your permit must be in the READY TO ISSUE, INSPECTION or CO status in order to use this credit card payment function. If you are unsure of the status of your permit, you can use Option 4 to identify your permit status. Permitting & Applications website.

Don't get nailed! Many citizens in Florida have fallen victim to dishonest, unlicensed or improperly licensed contractors. Florida Statute 489 requires all construction contractors to hold a valid contractor's license prior to engaging in contracting. Always require that a contractor show you a valid contracting license before you sign a contract. Some indications that a contractor may be unlicensed are: the contractor requests a large deposit or all of the money up front before any work has commenced, the contractor asks you to pull a "homeowner permit", the contractor pressures you to sign a contract "today or I can't give you this special price." To verify licensure of a contractor, you may call the State of Florida Dep't of Professional Regulation at (239) 338-2373. The City requires proof of licensure from contractors who pull permits for properties located in the City, so be sure to require that the contractor pull the permit in his name, not your name.