Building Permits in Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale Building Services, within the Development Services Department, administers permitting and building inspections. New permit submissions are digital through LauderBuild.

When a permit is required

The City cites Florida Building Code Section 105.1 and Florida Statutes §553.79 for the general requirement to obtain a permit before regulated construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, demolition, occupancy changes, or regulated electrical, gas, mechanical, and plumbing work. Project-specific exemptions must be checked against the current code rather than assumed.

Codes and state law

Fort Lauderdale enforces the current Florida Building Code plus applicable City ordinances. Florida law substantially governs the building-code and permitting framework, and statutory permitting rules changed in 2026. Applicants should use the City's current HB 803 permitting guidance and current Florida Statutes for deadlines or procedural rights rather than older timing summaries.

Application, fees and review

Submit through LauderBuild. Fees and required review disciplines depend on the permit. The City implemented processing, payment, and fee changes effective July 1, 2026 in response to Florida HB 803. This guide therefore does not reuse older generic fee or review-time estimates.

Inspections and occupancy

Inspections can be scheduled through LauderBuild. The City notes that required inspections and fees generally must be resolved before power release and final occupancy steps. For applicable occupied structures, the City separately requires an ADA inspection to pass before issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy or Certificate of Completion.

Professional requirements

Florida licensing and design-professional requirements vary with project type. Do not assume every residential permit requires sealed architectural or engineering drawings; verify the applicable statute, code, and City checklist.

Official sources

Use the City's Permitting Services page linked in the frontmatter for the current Florida Building Code link, LauderBuild access, inspections, and 2026 permitting updates.