To fill out the Broward County Uniform Building Permit Application, download the current version from the Broward County Building Code and Permits page or pick one up at your local municipal building department, then work through it page by page: project data on page one, notarized signatures on page two, and the owner affidavits and acknowledgment pages at the back.1Broward County. Building Code and Permits The form is maintained by the Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals as an appendix to the Florida Building Code, Broward County Edition, and older versions are not accepted.2Broward County. The Florida Building Code Broward County Edition Make sure you have the current one in front of you before writing anything.
What to Gather Before You Start
The application pulls information from four places: the property record, the contractor’s license file, the design professional’s seal, and the project scope itself. Having all of it in hand before you sit down is the difference between a 20-minute task and three trips to the counter.
The single most important identifier is the Tax Folio Number, which Broward County uses to track every parcel. Look yours up on the Broward County Property Appraiser’s site by address, owner name, or subdivision.3Marty Kiar – Broward County Property Appraiser. Broward County Property Appraiser – Property Search The owner name and mailing address on your application should match the Property Appraiser’s records exactly. Any mismatch creates delay.
You will also need the legal description (lot, block, and subdivision), the total floor area of the existing structure, and the property’s flood zone designation and Base Flood Elevation if the parcel sits in a flood hazard area. Each has a dedicated field.
For the contractor section, you need the contracting company’s name and address and the qualifier’s state or local license number. Florida law requires that contractors hold a valid license through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation or a local competency card issued through Broward County.4The Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 489.127 – Penalty for Violations If an architect or engineer prepared the plans, their name, license number, and contact information go in a separate section. Additional fields cover the bonding company, the fee simple titleholder (if different from the owner), and the mortgage lender.
Page One: Project Details
Start at the top of the form by selecting the trade: Building, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, or Other. Each trade is a separate permit. A kitchen renovation that involves structural changes, new plumbing, and new electrical work could mean three separate applications.
Fill in the job address, the city, and the Tax Folio Number. Then move into the project-specific fields, where accuracy matters most:
- Job Value. The total estimated cost of the work, labor and materials included. This figure drives your permit fee. An artificially low number can trigger penalties or require a revised application later.
- Building Use, Construction Type, and Occupancy Group. These classify the structure under the Florida Building Code. Your architect, engineer, or contractor should know the correct designations. Wrong entries route your application to the wrong reviewer.
- Present Use and Proposed Use. If the use is changing, say from warehouse to restaurant, the proposed use triggers a different set of code requirements and may require a new Certificate of Occupancy.
- Description of Work. Check the box that fits (New, Addition, Repair, Alteration, Demolition, Revision, or Other) and write a clear scope. Vague entries like “general remodel” invite reviewer questions that slow everything down.
Below the project section, enter the property owner’s name, phone, email, and mailing address, followed by the contractor and design professional information you already gathered.
Page Two: Signatures and Notarization
This is where most applicants get tripped up. The Florida Building Code, Broward County Edition, does not require dual signatures from both the owner and the contractor. A Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals advisory opinion clarified that the application may be signed by the owner, the qualified contractor, or an authorized agent. Any one of those is sufficient.5Broward County. Advisory Opinion as to Requirement for Owner Signature on Permit Application
That said, the form provides separate notary blocks for the owner/agent and the qualifier, and many building departments prefer both signatures as a practical matter. Check with your local department’s intake staff before submitting.
Whoever signs must do so before a notary public or other officer qualified to administer oaths. The Broward County edition of the code states: “The permit application shall be signed in a space provided, before an officer duly qualified to administer oaths.”5Broward County. Advisory Opinion as to Requirement for Owner Signature on Permit Application Skipping notarization is one of the fastest ways to get your application rejected.
Affidavits and the Inspection Checklist
The form includes a Permit Affidavit page where the homeowner certifies information about the homeowners association, if applicable, and an Owner’s Acknowledgment page. Both need notarized signatures. The last page is an inspection tracking checklist covering structural, zoning, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, and final inspections. You do not fill this one out at submission; it travels with the permit and gets marked up by inspectors as the project moves.
Supporting Documents You Submit With the Form
The application alone will not get you a permit. Three things need to come with it, or shortly after, for the file to be complete.
Construction Plans
Most projects require scaled architectural or engineering drawings signed and sealed by a Florida-licensed professional. Plans should include site plans showing setbacks, floor plans, structural details, and any mechanical, electrical, or plumbing layouts relevant to the scope. Florida law requires local building departments to accept electronic submissions.6Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 553.79 – Permits; Applications; Issuance; Inspections
Notice of Commencement
For any project where the direct contract exceeds $5,000, you must file a recorded Notice of Commencement with the building department before your first inspection. The Notice is a separate legal document that gets recorded with the Clerk of Courts. It protects subcontractors and material suppliers by setting the window during which they can file liens. You do not need it in hand to receive the permit itself, but no inspections will happen without it. The owner name, contractor name, and property address on the Notice of Commencement must match the permit application. The building department checks for consistency.7Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 713.135 – Notice of Commencement; Applicability of Lien
Workers’ Compensation Proof
Every contractor applying for a building permit must show proof of workers’ compensation coverage. Florida law accepts three forms: a certificate of coverage from the insurance carrier, a valid exemption certificate from the Department of Financial Services, or a copy of the employer’s authority to self-insure.8Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 440.103 – Building Permits; Identification of Minimum Premium Policy Contractors also have to verify that every subcontractor on the project carries coverage before work begins.9Florida Department of Financial Services. Coverage Requirements
One thing a local government cannot ask for: a copy of your contract with the builder or any associated cost breakdowns, as a condition of the permit application.6Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 553.79 – Permits; Applications; Issuance; Inspections If an intake clerk requests one, you can decline.
If You Are Signing as the Owner-Builder
Florida law lets property owners act as their own contractor under specific conditions, without holding a contractor’s license. The owner-builder exemption covers building or improving a one-family or two-family residence on your own property for your own use, or building or improving a commercial building at a cost not exceeding $75,000, as long as the project is not for sale or lease.10Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 489.103 – Exemptions
The application has an “Owner-Builder” checkbox in the qualifier section. If you check it, the building department will require proof of property ownership and a disclosure statement. You have to provide direct, onsite supervision of all work; you cannot hand supervision to an unlicensed person. Any unlicensed workers must be your employees, which means you take on workers’ compensation obligations and payroll tax responsibilities.
The sale-or-lease restriction has teeth. If you sell or offer to sell the property within one year of completing the project, the law presumes you built it for sale, which violates the exemption and can trigger enforcement action.10Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 489.103 – Exemptions
Where to File and What It Costs
Where you file depends on where the property sits. Many cities within Broward County operate their own building departments and issue permits directly to their residents. Contact the building department in the city where your project is located to confirm whether you file there or through the county.11Broward County. Building Permits Properties in unincorporated Broward County or the Broward Municipal Services District file through the county’s Building Code Services Division.
For electronic filing, Broward County operates the ePermits portal at dpepp.broward.org, where you can apply, upload plans and documents, and pay fees online.12Broward County. EPermits – Home First-time users need to register for access before submitting. The separate ePermits OneStop system handles both municipal and county approvals through a single interface.1Broward County. Building Code and Permits In-person submissions are still accepted, though some municipal offices require appointments for larger commercial projects.
Fees are assessed at the time of application and are nonrefundable. The Broward County minimum permit fee is $125, with additional plan review fees calculated from the job value you listed on the application.13Broward County. Broward County Uniform Building Permit Application Fee Schedule Municipal building departments within the county set their own fee schedules, which vary. For context, one Broward municipality’s plan processing fees range from $150 for projects valued under $10,000 up to $425 for projects over $100,000.14Town of Pembroke Park. Building Department Fees Confirm your jurisdiction’s current schedule before submitting.
What Happens After You Submit
Once the department has your complete application with supporting documents and fees, it routes the plans through the relevant review disciplines: structural, zoning, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, and fire, depending on scope. Turnaround times vary by jurisdiction and project complexity. Simple residential permits with express review may clear in under a week. Complex commercial projects can take several weeks or longer. Florida law sets an outer limit: local agencies generally must act on residential permit applications within 30 business days of receiving a complete submission, with longer timelines for larger or more complex structures.
If a reviewer finds deficiencies, you will receive comments, usually through the electronic portal if you submitted digitally, describing what needs correction. Address each comment and resubmit the revised plans. This back-and-forth is normal and does not reset the clock, but incomplete responses to reviewer comments are the most common reason permits stall.
One timing rule catches people off guard. An application is automatically considered abandoned if 180 days pass from the filing date without a permit being issued or the application being actively pursued. The building official can grant extensions of up to 90 days each, but you have to request them in writing.15ICC. Florida Building Code 2023 – Chapter 1 Scope and Administration If you are waiting on an architect to revise plans or a lender to close financing, calendar that date.