Commercial Building Permit (Unincorporated Pinellas County)
BDRS issues commercial building permits covering work on non-residential buildings and multi-family structures in unincorporated Pinellas County: new buildings and additions, interior build-outs and remodels, change of use/occupancy, fire protection systems, signs, and MEP/gas systems. Applications are submitted entirely online through the Pinellas County Access Portal (Accela) with digital plan sets; commercial reviews generally take around 21 days. Some projects need a pre-application meeting or development review before the building permit application.
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Who needs this
Businesses, property owners, and licensed contractors doing new commercial construction, additions, tenant build-outs, remodels, change of use, fire protection systems, signs, or commercial MEP/gas work in unincorporated Pinellas County. Work must be performed by properly licensed contractors; plans for many projects must be prepared by a licensed architect or engineer.
Steps
- 1
Determine pre-application needs
Before applying, determine whether the project requires a pre-application meeting or development review (site plan review).
pinellas.gov/services/request-a-site-plan-pre-application-me - 2
Sign in to the Access Portal and select a commercial record type
Create or sign in to a Pinellas County Access Portal (Accela) account and select the appropriate commercial record type.
aca-prod.accela.com/pinellas/default.aspx - 3
Upload complete digital plan sets
Upload plan sets meeting county digital submittal standards, including architectural, structural, MEP, and life safety sheets as applicable; many projects require plans digitally signed and sealed by a licensed architect or engineer.
pinellas.gov/digital-plan-room/ - 4
Pay review fees online
Pay required review fees through the Access Portal; all credit card types accepted.
- 5
Respond to review comments and resubmittals
Track the record and respond to reviewer comments; commercial reviews generally run about 21 days, with live times on the dashboard.
pinellas.gov/building-permit-review-times-activity/ - 6
Record the Notice of Commencement if required
For direct contracts greater than $5,000, record a Notice of Commencement with the Clerk of the Circuit Court and attach a copy to the permit before the first inspection.
pinellas.gov/notice-of-commencement-form/ - 7
Schedule inspections after issuance
Schedule inspections through the Access Portal; complex-project questions go to [email protected].
pinellas.gov/building-inspections/
Requirements
- Permit required for work in excess of $500 or requiring an inspection
- Properly licensed contractors for all trades
- Compliance with the 2023 Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (currently in effect per BDRS)
- Digital plan sets meeting county submittal standards; plans digitally signed and sealed by a licensed architect or engineer for many projects
- Florida product approval documentation for building components (FS 553.842, FAC 9B-72)
- Recorded Notice of Commencement before first inspection for direct contracts over $5,000 (FS 713.135(1)(e))
- Flood zone properties subject to special building regulations and Substantial Improvement rules
- Pre-application meeting or development review where required
Documents
- Complete digital plan sets (architectural, structural, MEP, life safety as applicable), digitally signed and sealed
- Boundary/topographic survey (within last 5 years) and site plan
- Product Approval Schedule with Florida approval numbers
- Subcontractor list (as applicable)
- Recorded Notice of Commencement (if direct contract over $5,000)
- Flood zone application/Substantial Improvement documentation if in a flood zone
Fees
Previous fiscal-year fee amounts are shown below for a rough cost reference. They are not current quotes or guaranteed estimates, and actual fees may have changed. Confirm today's charge with the issuing building department or official payment portal.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial building permit and plan review fees | $9 per $1,000 of valuation up to $1 million ($8 per $1,000 above), minimum $100 per inspection; plan review 25% of permit fee, minimum $125Historical FY26 rate. Current permit fee not verified. | Historical FY26 rate. Current permit fee not verified. This earlier amount is shown for ballpark context, not as today's payable charge. FY26 Adopted User Fees Schedule, effective Oct 1 2025 (accessed 2026-09-01). FY27 is proposed, not yet effective. NOTE: the county's public Building/Transportation/Zoning Fees page still links the superseded FY25 schedule. This amount is unchanged from FY25.Historical source |
| Multimodal Impact Fee (where applicable) | see fee schedule | Per county Multimodal Impact Fee ordinance (Land Development Code Ch. 150 Art. II). |
Good to know
Gotchas: (1) Determine early whether development/site plan review or a pre-application meeting is required - it precedes the building permit. (2) Flood zone parcels trigger Substantial Improvement rules and the FEMA cost breakdown worksheet. (3) Product approval numbers (FS 553.842 / FAC 9B-72) required for exterior components. (4) NOC over $5,000 must be recorded before first inspection. (5) Fire protection systems (limited alarm/sprinkler) can sometimes go as commercial Express permits by licensed contractors. (6) County references private provider fee updates under HB 803 / FS 553.79 (effective July 1, 2026); the private provider option (FS 553.791) exists but no dedicated county page was found. (7) Scam alert: pay only through the Accela portal or in person; legitimate emails come from pinellas.gov or [email protected].