Building permits in Lake County, Florida
Of the 9 common home projects we have verified in Lake County, 5 need a permit outright and 4 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
By Mario Bailey Last checked · 2 official sources
Verified against official sources- Project types verified
- 10
- in Lake County
Office of Building Services
- 320 W. Main St., Tavares, FL 32778 (mailing: P.O. Box 7800, Tavares, FL 32778)
- Phone: 352-343-9653
- Email: permitting@lakecountyfl.gov
- Official permit page
- Permit portal
- Official fee schedule
Look up a permit in Lake County
Lake County permit records are public, and you can check a property's permit history by address or alternate key online.
What needs a permit in Lake County
Of the 9 common home projects we have verified in Lake County, 5 need a permit outright and 4 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck Permit | It depends | A deck built by the property owner on the owner's own personal residence is exempt from a building permit if it does not exceed 30 inches above grade and a 120-square-foot footprint | See schedule |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...Electric, Plumbing, Mechanical, Gas (to include new, change-outs, upgrades): $0.03... |
| Fence Permit | It depends | Masonry or concrete fences 4 feet or less in height, and fences of any other material 6 feet or less in height, are exempt from a building permit under the county's Chapter 6 building-code amendment | does not include fire inspection): $100 for the first 100 linear feet and $30 for each... |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...Electric, Plumbing, Mechanical, Gas (to include new, change-outs, upgrades): $0.03... |
| Patio Permit | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not published |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...Electric, Plumbing, Mechanical, Gas (to include new, change-outs, upgrades): $0.03... |
| Pool Permit | It depends | Storable swimming or wading pools capable of holding water to a maximum depth of 42 inches, or pools with nonmetallic molded polymeric or inflatable fabric walls regardless of dimension, are exempt from a building permit except for non-cord-and-plug electrical work | Private Above-ground Swimming Pools or self contained spa (includes electric): $91.00 |
| Roof Replacement Permit | Permit required | Any size | Residential Roofing (per square foot): $0.03, per the county's FY 2026 Adopted Fee... |
| Shed Permit | It depends | A shed built by the property owner on the owner's own personal residence, with no electrical, HVAC, fuel gas, or plumbing, is exempt from a building permit up to a 120-square-foot footprint | See schedule |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Any size | See schedule |
Planning a project in Lake County?
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Schedule an inspection in Lake County
Permitted work is not finished until it passes inspection. This county subdomain, still linked from the current official Building Services pages for record search, states inspections are requested by calling 352-343-9634 (have the permit number, valid number, and inspection code numbers ready), Monday through Friday. Approved permit documents and job cards for the jobsite are downloaded from the OPRS portal after fees are paid.
Schedule or request a Lake County inspection
When the portal will not take the date you need, the office still books by phone: 352-343-9653.
Checked . If the office has changed its process, report it.
Lake County permit fees compared with nearby Florida localities
| Florida locality | Deck Permit | HVAC Permit | Electrical Permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County | See schedule | ...Gas (to include new, change-outs, upgrades): $0.03... | ...Gas (to include new, change-outs, upgrades): $0.03... |
| Alachua County | No deck-specific flat fee is published | Flat fee: Res Mechanical Alt/Repair $110.00, per the... | No electrical-specific flat fee is published |
| Brevard County | Not published | ...fee table lists a Building Code Review fee of $75.00... | ...fee table lists a Building Code Review fee of $75.00... |
| Broward County | ...the Structural permit schedule, the greater of a $125... | ...and ventilation) permit is the greater of a $125... | Electrical permit is the greater of a $125 minimum base... |
Each cell is the opening clause of that Florida jurisdiction's own fee schedule; the full wording and source sit on each permit page.
Lake County permit questions, answered from the data
- Do you need a permit in Lake County?
- For most projects, yes. Of the 10 permit types we have verified for Lake County, 5 always require a permit (for example an electrical permit), 4 depend on size or scope (a deck permit, for instance). Each Lake County permit type's page states the exact rule and its source.
- How much does a permit cost in Lake County?
- Lake County publishes a fee for 9 of the 10 permit types we cover, each quoted on its page from the jurisdiction's own schedule (linked on every page that carries one). Fees are set by Office of Building Services; we do not estimate or mark them up.
- Where do you apply for a permit in Lake County?
- Office of Building Services issues permits in Lake County, with an online portal for applications, plan uploads and status checks, and takes questions at 352-343-9653. The Lake County official page and portal are linked in the office section above.
How the Lake County pages were verified. 10 permit types, 3 distinct official sources, most recently checked . Every rule is read from Office of Building Services or the applicable code and cited on its page; anything we could not confirm for Lake County is marked rather than estimated. How we verify.