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PermitBase

Residential Building Permit in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

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

Reviewed 2026-09-23 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Constructing, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving or demolishing a building or structure
  • Changing the occupancy or occupant content of a building or structure, or of any outside area used as part of the building's designated occupancy
  • Erecting, installing, enlarging, altering, repairing, removing, converting or replacing any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system regulated by the technical codes
  • Causing any such work to be done — the city's rule reaches the person who commissions the work, not only the person performing it

Required documents

Check off what you have — your progress is saved on this device.

Fee schedule

Filing fee
Not published — contact the department

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Residential Building Permit permit actually take in Fort Lauderdale?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

    Tips

    • The city's rule reaches 'any owner, authorized agent, or contractor' and expressly includes causing the work 'to be done', so commissioning unpermitted work is inside the requirement rather than outside it.
    • TWO NUMBERS SERVE DIFFERENT PURPOSES: the 'DSD Customer Service call center' on 954-828-6520, Option 1, and a 'Permit Solutions Team' on 954-828-3160.
    • The requirement covers a change of occupancy even where no construction happens — changing what a building is used for can need a permit on its own.

    Frequently asked questions

    Fort Lauderdale requires a residential building permit for: Constructing, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving or demolishing a building or structure; Changing the occupancy or occupant content of a building or structure, or of any outside area used as part of the building's designated occupancy; Erecting, installing, enlarging, altering, repairing, removing, converting or replacing any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system regulated by the technical codes; Causing any such work to be done — the city's rule reaches the person who commissions the work, not only the person performing it. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Building Services division at 954-828-6520 before starting work.

    Fort Lauderdale does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Building Services division at 954-828-6520 for current turnaround.

    Depending on your project, Fort Lauderdale may also ask for: Notice of Commencement; Owner/Builder Affidavit Form; Zoning Affidavit. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through Building Services division at 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.. Official information: https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/Government/Departments/Development-Services/Permitting-Services.

    Fort Lauderdale, Florida has adopted: Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023) — adopted statewide under s. 553.73(6), Florida Statutes, without any act by the city.. Local amendments apply — see the Fort Lauderdale overview page for the full list.

    Sources & verification

    Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-23.

    Department & other records

    Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Fort Lauderdale building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

    Fort Lauderdale's permit history isn't searchable here yet

    This page covers what the permit requires. What we don't have for Fort Lauderdale yet is the record of permits actually issued — the history you'd search by street address. That is a gap in our coverage, not a statement about any particular property.

    Your email, and the place — never an address. We only use it to tell you when Fort Lauderdale lands. Privacy.

    Residential Building Permit in other cities

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