City Building Permits
Orlando, FL Building Permit Guide
How to apply for a building permit in Orlando, Florida. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
All properties within the incorporated City of Orlando.
- Department
- City of Orlando Permitting Services Division
- Address
- City Hall, 400 South Orange Avenue, 1st Floor, Orlando, FL 32801
- Phone
- 407-246-2271
Online Permit Portal
Platform: ProjectDox (digital plans portal after permit intake) • Account required: Yes • Submission: Online only
Additional resources:
Application Process
- Confirm the property is inside Orlando city limits; note that a mailing address of Orlando does not always mean City jurisdiction.
- Use the city's permit guide to identify the permit type, checklist, and required forms.
- Submit the permit application and supporting documents to the Permitting Services Division.
- After intake, use the emailed ProjectDox invitation to upload plans and respond to comments.
- Pay permit fees and satisfy any zoning, engineering, fire, or outside-agency approvals.
- Keep approved plans onsite and schedule required inspections through the city's inspection system.
- Obtain final inspection approval and, if applicable, Certificate of Occupancy or Certificate of Completion before occupancy.
Typical processing time: Varies by project type and complexity; timeline follows Florida law requirements.
General Requirements
Florida law requires permits for most projects, including many small ones.
Required Documents
- Completed permit application
- Site plan
- Construction plans
- Digital plans in ProjectDox format
- Project-specific forms and documents
- Permit validity
- 180-day permit activity framework applies.
- Building code
- Florida Building Code with city-specific amendments
- Owner-builder
- Owner-builders are subject to Florida's owner-builder exemption rules and may face different requirements.
- Contractor requirements
- Contractors must hold appropriate Florida state licenses.
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Contact the City of Orlando Permitting Services Division to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.
Inspections
How to Schedule
- City inspection scheduling system (online)
- 407-246-2271 (phone)
- Text-based inspection requests available (text)
- Scheduling deadline
- Requests must be submitted by specified cutoff times for next-business-day scheduling.
- Inspection hours
- Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Time windows
- AM and PM inspection windows available.
Typical inspection sequence: The city allows inspections to be scheduled online, by text, or by phone. Virtual inspections available for certain residential work.
Virtual inspections may be available for certain residential work types.
Additional Resources
- Building code: Florida Building Code with city-specific amendments
- Verify contractor license: Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation License Search
- Digital Plans Strategy
- License lookup guide: Florida Contractor License Requirements
- Contract template: Florida Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
- Florida hub: Florida Contractor License & Permit Hub
Information on this page was last verified: March 2026. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with the City of Orlando Permitting Services Division before applying.
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