Building permits in Orange County, Florida
Of the 10 common home projects we have verified in Orange County, 9 need a permit outright and 1 depends 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 Orange County
Orange County Division of Building Safety
- 201 S. Rosalind Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801
- Phone: (407) 836-5550
- Email: permittingservices@ocfl.net
- Official permit page
- Permit portal
- Official fee schedule
Look up a permit in Orange County
Orange County permit records are public, and you can check a property's permit history online.
What needs a permit in Orange County
Of the 10 common home projects we have verified in Orange County, 9 need a permit outright and 1 depends on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck Permit | Permit required | Not specified | A $12 flat Zoning Permit covers a detached deck 120 sq ft or smaller |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Minimum Electrical Permit fee is $38 flat, scaling with service amperage for new or... |
| Fence Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Residential Fence Permit fee is $38 flat per the FY2025-26 Fee Directory's Zoning Permit... |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Air conditioning or heat pump installation up to 3 tons with ductwork included is $75... |
| Patio Permit | Permit required | Not specified | A concrete patio slab is valued at $5 per sq ft then charged under the Accessory... |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Base Plumbing Permit fee for new construction, addition or alteration is $75 flat plus... |
| Pool Permit | Permit required | Not specified | The pool shell bills under the Accessory Structure schedule using the Fee Directory's... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | It depends | under F.S. 553.79(1)(g) (HB 803, ch. 2026-63, effective 2026-07-01), work valued at less than $7,500 on a single-family dwelling qualifies for exemption upon a written exemption request with documentation of the nature and value of the work; the exemption excludes electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, and gas work and any property in a flood hazard area; the statute does not name roofing, so a non-structural reroof under that value can qualify; confirm with Orange County Division of Building Safety. | Residential re-roof permit fee is a $26 minimum for the first $1,000 of value plus $5... |
| Shed Permit | Permit required | structures 120 sq ft or less require a zoning permit; structures over 120 sq ft require a full building permit with engineered plans | A $12 flat Zoning Permit covers a tool or storage shed 120 sq ft or smaller |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Not specified | No dedicated solar line |
Planning a project in Orange County?
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Schedule an inspection in Orange County
Permitted work is not finished until it passes inspection. OC FastTrack 'Inspections' page on the county permitting portal, used to search and schedule building inspections..
Schedule or request a Orange County inspection
When the portal will not take the date you need, the office still books by phone: (407) 836-5550.
Checked . If the office has changed its process, report it.
Orange County permit fees compared with nearby Florida localities
| Florida locality | Deck Permit | HVAC Permit | Electrical Permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County | A $12 flat Zoning Permit covers a detached deck 120 sq ft... | Air conditioning or heat pump installation up to 3 tons... | Minimum Electrical Permit fee is $38 flat, scaling with... |
| 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 | Brevard's Residential HVAC/Mechanical Permit Application... | Brevard's Residential Electrical Permit Application fee... |
| Broward County | No separate deck fee line | Mechanical (air conditioning and ventilation) permit is... | 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.
Orange County permit questions, answered from the data
- Do you need a permit in Orange County?
- For most projects, yes. Of the 10 permit types we have verified for Orange County, 9 always require a permit (for example a deck permit), 1 depends on size or scope (a roof replacement permit, for instance). Each Orange County permit type's page states the exact rule and its source.
- How much does a permit cost in Orange County?
- Orange 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 Orange County Division of Building Safety; we do not estimate or mark them up.
- Where do you apply for a permit in Orange County?
- Orange County Division of Building Safety issues permits in Orange County, with an online portal for applications, plan uploads and status checks, and takes questions at (407) 836-5550. The Orange County official page and portal are linked in the office section above.
How the Orange County pages were verified. 10 permit types, 7 distinct official sources, most recently checked . Every rule is read from Orange County Division of Building Safety or the applicable code and cited on its page; anything we could not confirm for Orange County is marked rather than estimated. How we verify.
Permitting activity in Orange County
In 2024, Orange County authorized permits for 8,052 new residential housing units (4,810 single-family, 3,242 in multi-family buildings), valued at $2.3B , down from 8,690 the year before. That works out to about 5.3 permits per 1,000 residents. It is a useful gauge of how busy the local permit office is.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual data · population 1,533,646.
About Orange County
Orange County has about 576,450 housing units. The median home is valued at $358,300, against a median household income of $77,011. About 57% of homes are owner-occupied, and the typical home was built around 1993.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year.