Fort Lauderdale building permits

Building department

Address

700 NW 19th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311

Phone

954-828-6520

Office hours

The page gives '8:00 am and 4:00 pm' for the DSD Customer Service call centre reached on 954-828-6520, Option 1. Those are the call centre's hours as printed; no counter hours are published on the pages read.

Website

Official site

Codes adopted

Florida adopts construction codes statewide under Chapter 553, Part IV, Florida Statutes (the Florida Building Codes Act), administered by the Florida Building Commission. Adoption is automatic rather than local: under s. 553.73(6), F.S., "The initial adoption of, and any subsequent update or amendment to, the Florida Building Code by the commission is deemed adopted for use statewide without adoptions by local government." The edition in force is the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023); the Commission states that its effective date is December 31, 2023. The Code is derived from the International Building Code as a base code, with Florida-specific amendments and supplements, and the Commission is required to update it every three years on a triennial cycle — 2026 Update materials are already being published, so the edition should be confirmed as current. Local variation runs one way only: s. 553.73, F.S. provides that "Local amendments must be more stringent than the minimum standards described in this section and must be transmitted to the commission within 30 days after enactment." Note that DBPR's own guidance describes the filing requirement differently, as submitted via the Building Code Information System "at least 30 days prior to being enforced" — the two sources state different deadlines and neither is restated here as the other. Note also a statewide carve-out on residential fire sprinklers: IRC section R313 sprinkler mandates may not be incorporated into the Code or adopted as a local amendment, except for a local government whose sprinkler ordinance has been in effect since January 1, 2010. Always confirm the edition in force and any local amendment with the jurisdiction issuing the permit.

• Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023) — adopted statewide under s. 553.73(6), Florida Statutes, without any act by the city.

Permit types & fees

• Residential Building Permit

  Fort Lauderdale's Building Services division, part of Development Services, is 'responsible for all permitting efforts in the City'.

  Fee not published→

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