Florida / Jacksonville

Pool Permit in Jacksonville, Florida

Permit required

Yes, a permit is required

Before installing an in-ground or above-ground swimming pool or spa at a residence in the City of Jacksonville (Duval County)

Confirmed on official page Verified Building Inspection Division (City of Jacksonville Department of Public Works)

By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources

Quick answer

Swimming pools are explicitly listed as requiring a building permit on the City of Jacksonville's consolidated Duval County Building Inspection Division site, which also publishes a dedicated Swimming Pool and Spa checklist for one- and two-family properties. In-ground pool plans must be designed by a Florida-licensed design professional using either a calculated or a prescriptive design, and a Private Swimming Pool Safety Affirmation covering the required safety barrier is part of the submittal package. This requirement applies only within the consolidated city-county limits; Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Baldwin permit pools through their own separate building departments.

Who is pulling this permit?

Apply yourself

Apply on the Jacksonville permit portal

Hire it out

Before you sign, ask the contractor:

  • Who pulls the permit, you or me, and is the permit fee included in the bid?
  • Which inspections will this job need, and who meets the inspector on site?
  • Is your contractor license active in this locality, and under which business name?

When a permit is usually needed

Before installing an in-ground or above-ground swimming pool or spa at a residence in the City of Jacksonville (Duval County)

What your pool permit must meet in Florida

Florida residential pools are built under the Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), which the Legislature requires to incorporate the safety-feature and barrier standards of the Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act (Florida Statutes Chapter 515).

  • State law requires the Florida Building Code to uniformly implement the pool-safety statutes by including standards for residential swimming pool barriers, pool covers, latching devices, and door and window exit alarms (F.S. 553.73).
  • A new residential pool must be built with at least one of five listed safety features, not necessarily a fence: a compliant barrier, an approved safety pool cover, exit alarms on doors and windows with access to the pool, self-closing self-latching doors, or a certified pool alarm (F.S. 515.27).
  • If a barrier is used, it must be at least 4 feet high on the outside and may not have gaps, openings, indentations, or structural components that could let a young child crawl under, squeeze through, or climb over it, placed far enough from the water's edge that a child who gets past it does not immediately fall in (F.S. 515.29).
  • Pool gates must open outward away from the pool, be self-closing, and have a self-latching device with its release mechanism on the pool side, positioned out of a young child's reach (F.S. 515.29).
  • Where a removable mesh safety barrier is used, it must comply with ASTM F2286 and may not be installed on top of an above-ground or on-ground pool (FBC-R, 8th Edition change).

Based on Florida Statutes Chapter 515 (Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act, ss. 515.27, 515.29) as implemented by the Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), Chapter 45. Read the code. Local amendments can be stricter; confirm the current requirement with your office before you build.

What a pool permit costs in Jacksonville

Line item
pool permitBy formulaCity Fees schedule (Municipal Code Section 320.409), Building Inspection Division (11) Swimming Pools: in-ground pools are billed at $1.50 BID permit fee per 1,000 gallons of capacity, plus a $0.50 resource management fee, a 12 percent landscape fee, and a $0.50 Development Services fee, subject to a $45.00 minimum BID permit fee and a $15.00 minimum Development Services fee; above-ground pools are a flat $75.00 including plan review, plus a $25.00 Development Services fee.
Fee schedule in forceOfficial scheduleRead . Fees are the jurisdiction’s; we do not mark them up or estimate them.

How Jacksonville compares in Florida

JurisdictionPermit needed?Threshold
Alachua CountyPermit requiredNot specified
Brevard CountyIt dependsPermits are issued for in-ground pools and spas, and for above-ground pools with a depth of 24 inches or greater.
Broward CountyPermit requiredNot specified
Charlotte CountyPermit requiredThis residential pool/spa permit type includes spas, swim spas, and above-ground pools that are 24 inches or greater in depth.
Clay CountyPermit requiredNot specified
Collier CountyPermit requiredNot specified
Jacksonvillethis pagePermit requiredNot specified

How to apply in Jacksonville

A residential pool permit application covers both construction and safety: a scaled site plan, structural plans for the pool, a barrier plan showing how the pool will be enclosed, and an electrical plan covering bonding and the equipment disconnect.

What most pool permit applications include:

  • Pool and spa design and construction fall under the residential code chapter that folds in the swimming pool and spa code, and permit review checks plans against that chapter (IRC R326).
  • The site plan must show pool equipment such as pumps, filters, and heaters set back at least 36 inches from the outside of the required barrier (ISPSC 305.2.9).
  • For an in-ground pool, engineered structural plans covering the shell and reinforcing steel, with the responsible structural engineer's license information, are a standard part of the submittal (per official pool submittal checklists).
  • A barrier plan identifying the fence, pool structure, or dwelling wall that will enclose the pool must be submitted and must comply with the code's barrier chapter (ISPSC 305).
  • Electrical plans must show the pool's equipotential bonding design, since the shell, perimeter surfaces, and metal fittings within 5 feet of the water must all tie into a common bonding grid (NEC 680.26).
  • The electrical plan must also show a disconnecting means for the pool equipment that is readily accessible and within sight of the equipment (NEC 680.13).

General submittal guidance from 2021 IRC R326 (adopting the ISPSC), ISPSC 2021 Section 305, and NEC 2020 Article 680. Source. Building Inspection Division (City of Jacksonville Department of Public Works) sets the exact checklist for Jacksonville.

Where to apply in Jacksonville:

Building Inspection Division (City of Jacksonville Department of Public Works)

  • 214 North Hogan Street, 2nd Floor, Room 280 (Ed Ball Building), Jacksonville, FL 32202
  • Phone: (904) 255-8500

Inspections and closing out your permit

Pool inspections track the concrete pour: the steel and bonding grid are checked before gunite or shotcrete goes in, bonding is checked again before decking is poured, and the permanent barrier and remaining electrical work are checked at final before the pool can be filled and used.

  1. Before gunite or shotcrete is sprayed, the inspector checks the rebar against the engineered plans and confirms the equipotential bonding wire is stubbed out and tied into the steel, since it will be buried in concrete afterward (NEC 680.26).
  2. A bonding inspection separately confirms coping, decking, ladders, handrail cups, and any other metal within 5 feet of the water are tied to the bonding grid, and it must pass before coping is installed (NEC 680.26).
  3. A temporary barrier at least 4 feet high must enclose the site from the moment excavation starts until the permanent barrier is finished, and inspectors check for it throughout construction (ISPSC 305.1.1).
  4. A pre-plaster inspection confirms the circulation equipment's electrical work is installed and all bonding is complete before the pool's interior finish goes on (NEC 680.26).
  5. At final inspection the permanent barrier is checked against the code's requirements and the equipment and cover-mechanism bonding must be complete before the pool can be filled and used (ISPSC 305, NEC 680.26).

Schedule each inspection in advance and pass the final before you use the work or close the permit. Request inspections through the Jacksonville permit portal or by phone at (904) 255-8500.

Inspection sequence from NEC 2020 Article 680.26 (equipotential bonding) and ISPSC 2021 Section 305 (barriers). Source. An open permit left un-inspected can surface later in a title search or home sale.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a pool permit in Jacksonville?
Swimming pools are explicitly listed as requiring a building permit on the City of Jacksonville's consolidated Duval County Building Inspection Division site, which also publishes a dedicated Swimming Pool and Spa checklist for one- and two-family properties. In-ground pool plans must be designed by a Florida-licensed design professional using either a calculated or a prescriptive design, and a Private Swimming Pool Safety Affirmation covering the required safety barrier is part of the submittal package. This requirement applies only within the consolidated city-county limits; Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Baldwin permit pools through their own separate building departments. Always confirm with the Building Inspection Division (City of Jacksonville Department of Public Works) before starting.
How much does a pool permit cost in Jacksonville?
City Fees schedule (Municipal Code Section 320.409), Building Inspection Division (11) Swimming Pools: in-ground pools are billed at $1.50 BID permit fee per 1,000 gallons of capacity, plus a $0.50 resource management fee, a 12 percent landscape fee, and a $0.50 Development Services fee, subject to a $45.00 minimum BID permit fee and a $15.00 minimum Development Services fee; above-ground pools are a flat $75.00 including plan review, plus a $25.00 Development Services fee. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
Where do you apply for a pool permit in Jacksonville?
You can apply through the Jacksonville permit portal or contact the Building Inspection Division (City of Jacksonville Department of Public Works) directly. The links are listed on this page.
Can a homeowner pull a pool permit themselves in Jacksonville?
Under Florida law (F.S. 489.103(7)(a)-(c)): Florida lets you pull your own permit as an owner-builder under section 489.103(7), Florida Statutes, which exempts property owners from the contractor licensing law when they act as their own contractor and provide direct, onsite supervision of all work not performed by licensed contractors. The exemption covers building or improving a one-family or two-family residence or a farm outbuilding for your own occupancy or use, and commercial buildings only up to a $75,000 cost, and the property may not be built or improved for sale or lease. If you sell or lease the property within 1 year after completing the work, the law presumes it was built for sale or lease, which violates the exemption. To qualify, you must personally appear and sign the building permit application and sign a state-prescribed disclosure statement acknowledging that you are the party legally and financially responsible for the construction, that you must provide direct, onsite supervision, and that unlicensed people you use must be your own employees, bringing federal tax withholding and workers' compensation obligations. You may not hire an unlicensed person to act as your contractor and may not delegate supervision to anyone who is not licensed for the work being done; if these requirements are violated, the local permitting agency shall withhold final approval, revoke the permit, or pursue unlicensed-activity remedies. A separate narrow branch of the exemption also lets an owner take over and complete a permit on a one-family or two-family residence when the original contractor substantially completed the project. Confirm how Jacksonville applies this before you apply.

From the Library

What else needs a permit in Jacksonville

Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.

ProjectPermit needed?ThresholdTypical fee
Deck PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedCity Fees schedule (Municipal Code Section 320.409), Building Inspection Division...
Electrical PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedCity Fees schedule (Municipal Code Section 320.409), Electrical Permit Fees, new...
Fence PermitNo permit neededNot specifiedNot published
HVAC PermitIt dependsA permit is required for mechanical work such as installing or replacing air conditioning and heating equipment. It is not required for connecting portable heating, ventilation, cooling, or evaporative-cooling equipment; for replacing a part within a single existing piece of equipment; or for a self-contained refrigeration system with 10 pounds or less of refrigerant run by a motor of 1 horsepower or less.City Fees schedule (Municipal Code Section 320.409), Mechanical Permit Fees: air...
Patio PermitIt dependsNot specifiedNot published
Plumbing PermitIt dependsA permit is required for plumbing work such as fixture installation, water heater replacement, and sewer or water-service connections. It is not required for replacing plumbing fixtures after the stop (excluding water heaters), stopping leaks, or clearing drain stoppages, provided the repair does not involve or require replacing or rearranging valves, pipes, or fixtures.City Fees schedule (Municipal Code Section 320.409), Plumbing Permit Fees: $11.00 for...
Roof Replacement PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedCity Fees schedule (Municipal Code Section 320.409), Building Inspection Division (10)...
Shed PermitPermit requiredA building permit is required for a residential shed of any size. Sheds 150 square feet or larger (or with a job cost of $5,000 or more) additionally require structural design drawings signed and sealed by a Florida-licensed design professional and a plans-examiner review before the permit is issued; sheds under that size and cost, with no final inspection required, can often be issued the same visit.City Fees schedule (Municipal Code Section 320.409), Building Inspection Division...
Solar PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedCity Fees schedule (Municipal Code Section 320.409): Plumbing Permit Fees lists a Solar...

Pool Permit in other Florida localities

Everything above, sourced

jacksonville.gov: building inspection divisionread
jacksonville.gov: faqsread

Code references

National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not Jacksonville documents; the office above sets the local rules.

Verified by a person against the sources above on , not confirmed with Building Inspection Division (City of Jacksonville Department of Public Works). Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.

Last checked: Report an error on this page

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