Building permits in Leon County, Florida
Of the 10 common home projects we have verified in Leon County, 6 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 Leon County
Development Support & Environmental Management (DSEM), Building Plans Review and Inspection Division
- 435 N. Macomb Street, Renaissance Center, 2nd Floor, Tallahassee, FL 32301
- Phone: 850-606-1300
- Email: PooleJ@LeonCountyFL.gov
- Official permit page
- Permit portal
- Official fee schedule
Look up a permit in Leon County
Leon County permit records are public, and you can check a property's permit history by address or permit number online.
What needs a permit in Leon County
Of the 10 common home projects we have verified in Leon County, 6 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 | Decks greater than 100 square feet in area, or more than 30 inches above grade on any side, require a building permit (either condition alone triggers it). | ...Not Under Roof" flat-fee category: "Decks, Docks, Ramps, Boardwalks, etc... |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...Residential Plan Review/Inspection (sq ft based): Electrical Plan Review $0.10 per... |
| Fence Permit | It depends | Traditional fences (chain link, wooden, etc.) do not need a building permit; a solid wall does. | See schedule |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...Residential Plan Review/Inspection (sq ft based): Mechanical Plan Review $0.07 per... |
| Patio Permit | It depends | Patio covers, sunrooms, and screen or pool enclosures are handled as aluminum structures requiring a permit; a plain open, unroofed, at-grade patio slab is not separately addressed in any published county page found. | ...categories are the flat-fee "Decks, Docks, Ramps, Boardwalks, etc. $271.52" and... |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...Residential Plan Review/Inspection (sq ft based): Plumbing Plan Review $0.05 per sq... |
| Pool Permit | Permit required | Applies to private residential swimming pools, hot tubs, or non-portable spas containing water over 24 inches deep. | Fee Schedule, "Swimming Pools" flat-fee category: "Above-Ground Pools $180.00,"... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...Exterior Alteration Permits" flat-fee category: "Re-roof or Roof Re-cover... |
| Shed Permit | It depends | Sheds over 100 square feet in area require a building permit; sheds of any size are still subject to Development Services and Environmental Services review for location, setbacks from boundary lines, easements, and floodplain. | ...structures" and is billed "Based on sq. ft. under roof": Building Plan Review $0.16... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...Installation Permits" flat-fee category: "Solar Photovoltaic Systems $180.00,"... |
Planning a project in Leon County?
Hire it out
Sponsored
Licensed contractors usually pull the permit as part of the job. Comparing a few local quotes before you commit is the useful next step.
Compare local contractor quotes on Angi
Sponsored link. PermitNotebook may earn a fee if you request quotes through it. Partners never influence our permit data.
Planning several things at once? Check your whole project
Schedule an inspection in Leon County
Permitted work is not finished until it passes inspection. Building inspections can be scheduled and completed as soon as the following business day. Log in to an ACA public user account on Leon County Permits Online, call the automated telephone system at 850-606-1306 (have the permit number ready), or text "SCHEDULE" to 855-927-1525. After-hours and weekend inspections cost $90 per hour (2-hour minimum) and are scheduled by calling 850-606-1398.
Schedule or request a Leon County inspection
When the portal will not take the date you need, the office still books by phone: 850-606-1300.
Checked . If the office has changed its process, report it.
Leon County permit fees compared with nearby Florida localities
| Florida locality | Deck Permit | HVAC Permit | Electrical Permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leon County | ..."Decks, Docks, Ramps, Boardwalks, etc... | ...(sq ft based): Mechanical Plan Review $0.07 per sq... | ...(sq ft based): Electrical Plan Review $0.10 per sq... |
| 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.
Leon County permit questions, answered from the data
- Do you need a permit in Leon County?
- For most projects, yes. Of the 10 permit types we have verified for Leon County, 6 always require a permit (for example an electrical permit), 4 depend on size or scope (a deck permit, for instance). Each Leon County permit type's page states the exact rule and its source.
- How much does a permit cost in Leon County?
- Leon County publishes a fee for 10 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 Development Support & Environmental Management (DSEM), Building Plans Review and Inspection Division; we do not estimate or mark them up.
- Where do you apply for a permit in Leon County?
- Development Support & Environmental Management (DSEM), Building Plans Review and Inspection Division issues permits in Leon County, with an online portal for applications, plan uploads and status checks, and takes questions at 850-606-1300. The Leon County official page and portal are linked in the office section above.
How the Leon County pages were verified. 10 permit types, 6 distinct official sources, most recently checked . Every rule is read from Development Support & Environmental Management (DSEM), Building Plans Review and Inspection Division or the applicable code and cited on its page; anything we could not confirm for Leon County is marked rather than estimated. How we verify.