Residential Building Permit (Clearwater) in Pinellas County

City of Clearwater

The City of Clearwater requires a building permit to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building, and for electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing work regulated by the Florida Building Code. Applications are submitted through the city's Accela-based online permitting system (ePermit), plans are reviewed by staff, fees are paid before issuance, and the project is closed out through inspections and, where applicable, a Certificate of Occupancy or Completion.

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Who needs this

Anyone planning to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure, and anyone installing, altering, repairing, removing, converting, or replacing any electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing system regulated by the Florida Building Code; fence installation and replacement also require a permit. Florida Statutes Chapter 489 requires licensed contractors to obtain permits and do the work, with very few exceptions for single-family and duplex owner-occupied structures. No permit is needed for painting, wallpaper, tile/carpeting, replacing kitchen or bathroom cabinets or fixtures, or a very minor roof leak repair under $500. This record is for one- and two-family residential work only; commercial, multifamily and condominium projects follow the city's commercial permit path.

Steps

1
Register for an account on the online permitting system
Click 'Register for an Account' and provide a username, password, contact information, and contact type. You must be a licensed contractor or design professional to apply for building permits online; contractors select 'Licensed Professional' as the contact type.
aca-prod.accela.com/CLEARWATER/Default.aspx
2
Submit the building permit application
Log in, select 'Building', then 'Create an Application', agree to the disclaimer, choose the permit type, and complete the required information. Payment of the plan review fee is required at the time of submittal.
aca-prod.accela.com/CLEARWATER/Default.aspx
3
Submit digital plans
Upload plans through the online system. The permit is not officially received and routed for review until the required plans are uploaded; be sure to click 'Finish'.
aca-prod.accela.com/CLEARWATER/Default.aspx
4
File a recorded Notice of Commencement
If project value exceeds $5,000 (or exceeds $15,000 for repair/replacement of an existing heating or air conditioning system), file a Notice of Commencement with the Pinellas County Clerk of Court before permit issuance, post a certified copy at the job site, and provide a copy to the city.
myclearwater.com/Business-Development/Permits-and-Inspection
5
Plan review
Staff review the plans; many permits take between 4 and 15 days depending on project type. Check permit status and plan review completion dates anytime via the online Permit Lookup tool.
aca-prod.accela.com/CLEARWATER/Default.aspx
6
Pay remaining fees and verify contractor licenses
Additional permit fees and any fire or impact fees are paid prior to permit issuance; the city emails payment instructions after all reviews are approved. Updated contractor license information must be on the permit before issuance.
aca-prod.accela.com/CLEARWATER/Default.aspx
7
Download the permit and approved plans
After payment, the city emails when plans are available for download. Print them to scale and post them at the job site before starting construction.
aca-prod.accela.com/CLEARWATER/Default.aspx
8
Schedule inspections
Different permits need inspections at different points. A permit open for six months without a passed inspection expires. Schedule via the city's inspection page, by texting SCHEDULE to 1-888-691-4479, or call 727-562-4567 to cancel.
myclearwater.com/Business-Development/Permitting/Schedule-or
9
Close out: final status and Certificate of Occupancy/Completion
After passing final inspections, confirm permit status Completed. If requesting a Certificate of Occupancy or Completion, the City requires both a completed CO checklist AND a distinct Certificate of Occupancy/Completion request form. The checklist PDF linked by the City returned HTTP 404 during October 23 verification; request a valid copy from [email protected] rather than assuming the request form replaces the checklist.
aca-prod.accela.com/CLEARWATER/Default.aspx

Requirements

Online registration is required; you must be a licensed contractor or design professional to apply for building permits online
All licensed contractors must submit online for window, roof, door, mechanical (A/C), plumbing, and water heater permits
Plan review fee is due at time of submittal
Recorded Notice of Commencement required before issuance when project value exceeds $5,000 (or $15,000 for HVAC repair/replacement), posted at the job site
Approved plans must be printed to scale and posted at the job site
Permit expires if open six months without a passed inspection
Contractors must keep certificates of insurance on file with the city (sent to [email protected]); the PCCLB stopped monitoring state-certified contractors' insurance June 24, 2024
Amendments to approved plans after issuance go through [email protected]

Documents

Permit application (name, address, phone number, email)
Signed and sealed plans showing the entire scope of work (floor plans, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, structural, elevations, wall sections, details); two sets for paper interior-work submittals
Site plan/survey (three copies for paper exterior/site work submittals)
Product Approval Specification Sheet listing all exterior products (windows, doors, garage door, skylights, roofing materials) plus Product Approval/NOA cover sheet and installation instructions per product
Recorded Notice of Commencement (if value greater than $5,000)
Energy calculations as required by the State Energy Code (new construction/additions)
FEMA/Non-Substantial Improvement package if the property is in a flood zone; Elevation Certificate where applicable
Owner-Builder forms with proof of residency/occupancy, for owner permits under the Florida Statute contractor exemption
For new single-family residences: sealed grade elevation survey (NAVD), tie-in survey, tree survey, landscape plans, cost of construction

Fees

Item	Amount	Notes
Plans examination fee, one- or two-family residential	$16 plus $1 per $1,000 of value or fraction thereof	Valuation is based on contract value. Fee schedule current as of Feb. 2, 2022.
Permit fee, construction valuation $100,000 or less	$33 plus $7.25 per $1,000 of value or fraction thereof	Applies per structure to all permit types; combination permits add $30 per trade or permit type (no additional fee for swimming pools). Higher valuation tiers listed on the schedule.
Certificate of Occupancy, one- or two-family dwelling	$11 per unit	Conditional CO is $32 per condition.
Reinspection (work not ready for inspection)	$32 first occurrence; $80 second or subsequent	After-the-fact permits: triple the permit fee (first occurrence).
Notice of Commencement filing service fee	$10	In addition to Pinellas County Clerk's charges.
Full fee schedule and estimator	$33 base plus $7.25 per $1,000 of value (valuation $100,000 or less; tiered lower rates above); plan review one/two-family $16 plus $1 per $1,000; combination permits add $30 per trade	Clearwater Schedule of Fees, Building Regulations PDF updated 06.26.2026 (accessed 2026-09-01)
Plans examination fee, multifamily or commercial (for comparison; this record is residential)	$44 plus $3.90 per $1,000 of value (valuation $100,000 or less); $380 plus $2.80 per $1,000 ($100,001-$500,000); $1,275 plus $2.25 per $1,000 ($500,001-$1,000,000); $2,050 plus $1.65 per $1,000 above $1,000,000	Clearwater Schedule of Fees, Building Regulations PDF updated 06.26.2026 (accessed 2026-09-01). The permit fee itself ($33 plus $7.25 per $1,000) applies to all permit types, but plan review differs by use. The city's HTML fee page shows $275 for the $500,001-$1,000,000 tier; the official PDF shows $1,275.

Good to know

The online portal (branded ePermit, running on Accela Citizen Access) only accepts building permit applications from registered licensed contractors or design professionals, so homeowner owner-builders working under the Florida Statutes Ch. 489 exemption follow the paper checklist route with Owner-Builder forms and proof of residency/occupancy. Payment of the plan review fee is required at submittal and the application is not routed for review until plans are uploaded and 'Finish' is clicked. Permits expire after six months without a passed inspection, and an expired permit holder's fee is $200. Inspections can be scheduled by texting SCHEDULE to 1-888-691-4479. Contact: 727-562-4567, [email protected], Municipal Services Building 2nd Floor, 100 S. Myrtle Ave., Clearwater, FL 33756. SCOPE: this record covers one- and two-family (single-family and duplex) residential work. Commercial, multifamily and CONDOMINIUM buildings are a different permit path and can be priced differently, so do not apply these fees, checklists or exemptions to them. For a condominium, work on a common element such as the roof is normally the association's project, not an individual unit owner's. Confirm the commercial/multifamily fee with the city before relying on a number. Current-source check October 23, 2026: Clearwater City instructions still link a Certificate of Occupancy Checklist whose PDF URL returns 404. The separate CO/Completion request form is not a substitute; contact [email protected] to get the current checklist and use the City Accela application.