Florida Building Permit Fees, Explained

A building permit fee is what a city or county charges to review, permit, and inspect construction work. In Florida there is no statewide fee table: every jurisdiction adopts its own schedule, and the same kitchen remodel can be priced very differently one town over. This guide explains who sets the fees, how the common pricing structures work, and what to watch for, so the number on your permit doesn't surprise you.

Who sets permit fees in Florida

Florida's building permit system runs on the Florida Building Code, and Section 553.80, Florida Statutes lets each enforcing jurisdiction charge fees to cover the cost of administering it. In practice that means each city commission or county board adopts a fee schedule by resolution or ordinance, and revises it on its own cycle: some adjust every year with inflation, others leave a schedule in place for a decade.

The jurisdiction that prices your permit is the one that issues it. Inside city limits that is almost always the city; outside city limits it is the county's unincorporated schedule. A few small towns delegate permitting entirely, usually to their county under an interlocal agreement, and in those places the administering government's schedule is the one you pay.

How schedules price a job

Most Florida building permits are priced from the job's construction value: a rate per $1,000 of value, sometimes in tiered bands where bigger jobs earn a lower marginal rate. The jurisdiction, not the contractor, controls what counts as the value. Many use the ICC Building Valuation Data tables (a per-square-foot value by construction type) or your contract price, whichever is greater, so a low bid does not buy a low permit fee.

Trade permits often work differently. Electrical permits may be priced by amperage or circuit count, plumbing by fixture count, mechanical by tonnage, and roofing by the square (100 square feet of roof surface). Some schedules charge flat fees per permit type, and a growing number price by the county-assigned inspection count. Nearly every schedule also sets a minimum permit fee, which means small jobs frequently cost more than the rate table alone suggests.

Surcharges and add-on fees

Two state-mandated surcharges ride on top of nearly every permit in Florida, funding the building-code administration and licensing programs under Sections 553.721 and 468.631, Florida Statutes. Each is a small percentage of the permit fee with a statutory minimum. On top of those, many jurisdictions add their own plan-review fees, application or submittal fees, and technology surcharges. Some are credited back against the permit fee at issuance; others are charged in addition to it. An itemized estimate matters because these lines can add meaningfully to the base permit fee.

What HB 803 changed in 2026

House Bill 803 (chapter 2026-63, Laws of Florida) reshaped how Florida jurisdictions may charge for permits, with the fee provisions effective July 1, 2026. It barred inspection fees based on total project cost (they must reflect the actual cost of inspection), required substantial permit-fee reductions when licensed private providers handle plan review and inspections, and exempted certain small residential jobs from permitting entirely. Many cities and counties are republishing their schedules in response, so a fee schedule that was accurate last year may already be superseded. Always confirm the current schedule with the building department before applying.

Estimating your permit fee

PermitFees.org currently covers 197 Florida jurisdictions across 28 counties, every one sourced from the official adopted schedule with a citation and last-verified date. Start from the free calculator or browse permit fees by county and city. Each jurisdiction page shows the full documented fee schedule, an itemized estimate for your job value, and the official source document, so you can verify every line yourself.