Residential Building Permit (Unincorporated Pinellas County)
Pinellas County Building & Development Review Services (BDRS) issues building permits for one- and two-family homes and related structures in unincorporated Pinellas County (BDRS also serves Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore, Indian Rocks Beach, Kenneth City, Oldsmar, and Safety Harbor). The county requires a permit for any new building, addition, remodeling, demolition, or other work in excess of $500 or that requires an inspection. Applications, plan uploads, fee payment, and inspection scheduling are all handled online through the Pinellas County Access Portal (Accela); simple like-for-like projects may qualify for an Express Permit instead.
Check what applies to your address
Get a free answer for your location and project, rather than relying only on this general guide.
Need everything organized? For eligible projects, the optional $19 Project Kit brings your filing steps, official documents, fees and progress checklist together. Government fees are separate.
Who needs this
Property owners and licensed contractors doing new construction, additions, garages, enclosed porches, interior remodels, pools, sheds, or trade work (electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas) on one- and two-family dwellings in unincorporated Pinellas County. Most work must be performed by a properly licensed contractor; owners may qualify as owner-builders under FS 489.103(7). 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
Verify jurisdiction
Confirm the property is in unincorporated Pinellas County (or a BDRS-served city) before applying; other cities have their own building departments.
pinellas.gov/building-departments-in-pinellas-county/ - 2
Review the Permitting Guide and prepare documents
Check submittal requirements: boundary/topographic survey issued within the last five years plus plot/site plan for all projects, building plans (most require a digital encrypted signature and seal), energy calculations, product approvals, and subcontractor forms as applicable.
pinellas.gov/permitting-guide/ - 3
Create an Access Portal account and apply
Register on the Pinellas County Access Portal (Accela), select the residential record type matching the project (17 major categories including Addition, New Construction, Remodel/Repair/Renovation, Pools and Spas, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, Gas, Solar, Demolition), complete each application section, and upload plans and documents.
aca-prod.accela.com/pinellas/Default.aspx - 4
Pay fees online
Pay application/review fees through the Access Portal; all credit card types are currently accepted. Beware of scam invoices - legitimate emails come only from pinellas.gov or [email protected].
- 5
Respond to review comments
Monitor the record for review comments and resubmittal requests; residential reviews run approximately 14 days, with current times on the live 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, upload or email a copy to attach to the permit, and post a copy at the jobsite before the first inspection.
pinellas.gov/notice-of-commencement-form/ - 7
Schedule inspections
After issuance, schedule inspections in the Access Portal under My Records > permit number > Record Info > Inspections; request by 4 p.m. for a next-business-day appointment.
pinellas.gov/building-inspections/
Requirements
- Permit required for work in excess of $500 or requiring an inspection
- Work performed by a properly licensed contractor, or by an owner-builder qualifying under FS 489.103(7) with full-time direct onsite supervision
- Compliance with the 2023 Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (currently in effect per BDRS)
- Structural building plans digitally signed and sealed by a Florida architect or engineer; trade plans signed by the contractor
- Boundary/topographic survey issued within the last five years plus plot/site plan
- Florida product approval documentation for building components (FS 553.842, FAC 9B-72)
- Recorded Notice of Commencement filed before first inspection for direct contracts over $5,000 (FS 713.135(1)(e)); HVAC repair/replacement under $15,000 excepted
- Floodplain properties must meet elevation, Substantial Improvement, and related flood provisions
Documents
- Complete set of building plans (digitally signed and sealed where required)
- Boundary/topographic survey (within last 5 years) and plot/site plan
- Product Approval Schedule with Florida approval numbers
- Energy calculations and equipment specifications (as applicable)
- Subcontractor list (as applicable)
- Recorded Notice of Commencement (if direct contract over $5,000)
- Flood zone application/documentation if in a floodplain
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit and plan review fees | $11 per $1,000 of valuation up to $600,000 ($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 |
Good to know
Gotchas: (1) Product approval - Florida approval numbers required for building components per FS 553.842 / FAC 9B-72; submit the county Product Approval Schedule. (2) Owner-builders may not apply for Express Permits online - in person only at 440 Court St., Clearwater; owner-builder exemption per FS 489.103(7) requires personal onsite supervision and a signed disclosure, with a rebuttable presumption of violation if the home is sold or leased within one year. (3) NOC: recorded copy due before first inspection for direct contracts over $5,000 (HVAC repair/replace under $15,000 excepted). (4) Flood zones trigger Substantial Improvement rules, elevation requirements, and possible Nonconversion Acknowledgement. (5) County pages reference updated private provider fees/registry under HB 803 / FS 553.79 effective July 1, 2026 - a private provider (FS 553.791) plan review/inspection option exists but the county publishes no dedicated page for it that I found. 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.