Orange County and Orlando: permits, licenses and hurricanes
Orange County has 13 cities and towns, and the City of Orlando runs its own permitting. Here’s who does what, which jobs need a permit and who to call when something goes wrong.
Permits: your city or the county?
Orange County has 13 cities and towns. The City of Orlando issues its own permits, so if you live in Orlando or another city, start with your city. Not sure if you’re inside Orlando? The city’s Get a Permit page has a “Do I Live in City Limits?” link. Orlando’s Permitting Services: 407-246-2271 or [email protected]. You can check an Orlando permit’s status and history with the city’s Permit Lookup.
For county permits, the Division of Building Safety reviews plans, issues permits and does inspections: 407-836-5550, at 201 S. Rosalind Ave., 1st floor, Orlando.
- Apply online with Fast Track.
- Look up a home’s permits, even expired ones: in Fast Track, choose Property (Address/Parcel) and search by address or parcel ID. Permits from before June 4, 2012 are in the Historical Permit Search.
- Who can apply: a Florida-licensed contractor, or the owner as an owner-builder. If an LLC, corporation or trust owns the home, a licensed contractor must pull the permit.
Common jobs, from the county’s “Do I need a permit?” page:
| Job | Permit? |
|---|---|
| Replacing the A/C or heating | Yes, a mechanical permit |
| Replacing a water heater | Yes, a plumbing permit, and maybe an electrical one |
| New roof | Yes, with an in-progress and a final inspection |
| New exterior windows, doors or garage doors | Yes, a building permit |
| Fence 6 feet tall or less | A zoning permit. Taller or masonry fences need a building permit |
| Pool | Yes, a building permit, plus electrical, plumbing and gas permits if needed |
| Appliance that plugs into an existing outlet | No |
| Painting, inside or outside | Generally no |
The new $7,500 rule
Since July 1, 2026, state law lets the owner of a single-family home skip the building permit for some work worth less than $7,500, if they ask in writing. It never covers electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical or gas work, and it doesn’t apply in flood hazard areas.
Orange County has a Building Permit Exemption Request Form. It counts exterior window and door replacements as structural work, so they still need a permit. The contract can’t be split into smaller jobs to qualify, and the form asks if the home is in a Special Flood Hazard Area. Call the Division of Building Safety to ask how to send it. In Orlando or another city, ask the city.
Licenses: state and county
Florida licenses contractors through its Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Before you hire, check the license on the DBPR’s license search. Local rules add a layer:
- Orange County: to pull permits online through Fast Track, a contractor must be licensed and registered with the Division of Building Safety. Registration questions: [email protected].
- Orlando: contractors who pull permits in the city must register with its Permitting Services Division. Specialty contractors the state doesn’t regulate must also post a surety bond of at least $1,000.
More on license letters and which jobs need one: how to check a contractor’s license.
Hurricane season
- Windows and doors: replacements need a permit. Each product needs a Florida Product Approval number or a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance number, with its expiration date, and the approved installation details must be at the job site for the inspection. Look up a Florida approval at the Florida Building Commission.
- Know your zone. Type your address in the state’s Know Your Zone map. The state also asks you to know if you live in a low-lying, flood-prone area or a mobile home.
- Free alerts: OCAlert sends severe-weather messages by text, email or phone.
- Special needs: if you’d need a special needs or medical shelter, call 311 (407-836-3111) ahead of time.
- During a storm: dial 311 for flooding that isn’t an emergency, debris and downed trees. Dial 911 when a life is in danger.
Storm updates are on the county’s Emergency Information page. For a full checklist, see our hurricane guide.
Where to report a problem
| Problem | Who to call |
|---|---|
| A dispute with a contractor or another business | Orange County Consumer Protection: 407-836-3111, [email protected], or the online complaint form |
| Unlicensed contracting | County Consumer Protection (407-836-3111) or the state hotline: 1-866-532-1440 |
| A state-licensed contractor | Florida DBPR: file a complaint |
| A code violation inside Orlando | The city’s Report a Problem page |
| Anything else from the county | 311 or 407-836-3111 |
Orange County 311 answers weekdays from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except county holidays. You can also use the OCFL 311 app or go online at any hour. Orlando City Hall: 407-246-2121.
Good to know
In unincorporated Orange County, these are the watering days. Never water between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and no more than one hour per zone. Questions: Water Division, 407-254-9850. In a city, ask for its schedule.
| Address | March 8 to October 31, 2026 | November 1, 2026 to March 13, 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Odd number, or no address | Wednesday and Saturday | Saturday |
| Even number | Thursday and Sunday | Sunday |
| Nonresidential | Tuesday and Friday | Tuesday |
- Fertilizer: Orange County bans fertilizer with nitrogen or phosphorus from June 1 to September 30, and any fertilizer within 25 feet of waterways. In a city, ask if the same rule applies.
- Flood zone: the county’s Stormwater Management Division helps you find your flood zone: 407-836-5612.
- Notice of Commencement: for jobs over $5,000 (A/C repair or replacement under $15,000 is exempt), it must be recorded and posted at the job site before the first inspection. Record it with the Orange County Comptroller online or at 109 E. Church St., Suite 300. One page costs $10. Not recording it may mean paying twice.
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Sources
- Orange County: Division of Building Safety (Fast Track)
- Orange County: one-stop permitting services
- Orange County: 13 municipalities (county newsroom, 2022)
- City of Orlando: get a permit
- Orange County: Fast Track online services
- Orange County: Fast Track permitting FAQs
- Orange County: do I need a permit?
- Florida Statutes §553.79: the $7,500 permit exemption
- Florida Building Commission: summary of House Bill 803 (PDF)
- Orange County: building permit exemption request form (PDF)
- Florida DBPR: license search
- Orange County: contractor registration for Fast Track
- City of Orlando: register a contractor
- Orange County: product approval specification sheet (PDF)
- Florida Building Commission: product approval search
- Florida Division of Emergency Management: Know Your Zone
- Orange County: emergency information
- Orange County: shelters
- Orange County: who to call in a storm
- Orange County: Consumer Protection
- Orange County: unlicensed contracting enforcement (county newsroom, 2023)
- Florida DBPR: file a complaint
- Florida DBPR: unlicensed activity hotline
- City of Orlando: report a problem
- Orange County: 311
- Orange County: 311 help
- Orange County: watering restrictions
- Orange County: fertilize responsibly
- Orange County: floodplain FAQ (PDF)
- Orange County Comptroller: Notice of Commencement
- Orange County Comptroller: recording FAQ
- Orange County: Notice of Commencement form (PDF)
- Florida Statutes §713.135: Notice of Commencement and permits
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules change and differ from city to city, so check the official links and ask your city or county.
