Palm Beach County: permits, licenses and hurricane season
Palm Beach County has 39 cities and towns, and each one runs its own permit office. Here’s how permits, licenses and storm prep work here, with the official links.
Permits: your city or the county?
Palm Beach County has 39 cities and towns, and each one has its own permit department. The Property Appraiser keeps a list with a link to each one. The county’s Permit Center handles permits only in the unincorporated area, the parts of the county outside any city or town.
In the county’s area:
- Apply online at any hour through ePZB, or in person at the Vista Center, 2300 N. Jog Road, West Palm Beach (561-233-5100).
- Look up a property’s permits and inspections in ePZB. Anyone can check for open permits online. County searches don’t cover homes inside cities.
- Jobs that need a permit include A/C change-outs, water heater change-outs, re-roofing, window and door replacements, electric service changes, storm shutters and pools.
In a single-family home, these usually don’t need one:
- Repairs or replacements worth less than $1,000 that don’t affect the structure, fire safety or exits.
- Replacing common household plumbing fixtures on the existing lines. Water heaters, bathtubs and showers are not included.
- Replacing a window A/C unit that plugs into an existing outlet, or one exterior door a year (not a garage door).
Not sure? Call the Building Division at 561-233-5100 before you start.
In West Palm Beach, the city issues its own permits through its Civic Access portal, where you can also search permits by number or address. Replacing windows and doors needs a permit, and so do fences, under the city’s zoning code. In a house, new flooring and painting don’t. Building Division: 561-805-6700.
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.
West Palm Beach has its own process: a Permit Exemption Affidavit, uploaded in Civic Access. Fences, pool barriers and driveways aren’t eligible. In any other city or town, ask its permit office before you skip a permit.
Licenses: state and county
Florida licenses contractors through its Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Palm Beach County also has its own Construction Industry Licensing Board, which certifies local trades. A 2017 county list includes hurricane shutters, windows and doors, fences, garage doors, roofing and pool construction. Ask the county what applies today.
What changed in 2025: since July 1, 2025, 19 trades no longer need a county Certificate of Competency, such as painting, tile, wood flooring, insulation, paving, plastering and countertops. The county now registers them as Installers, who renew every year and need insurance, a surety bond and a county business tax receipt. Their work may still need a permit.
Check before you hire:
- County: the County Licensed Contractor Search, or call Contractor Regulations at 561-233-5525.
- State: the DBPR’s license search.
The county’s tips: only homeowners and qualified contractors can pull permits. Pay in stages, not everything up front, and don’t make the final payment until the permit is closed out. Owner-builders must go to the Building Division in person.
More on license letters and which jobs need one: how to check a contractor’s license.
Hurricane season
- Shutters, windows and doors: in the county’s area, storm shutters and other impact-resistant coverings need a permit, and so do window and door replacements. The county’s hurricane guide says shutters should be attached to the house’s structural framing, not to the window or door frames. You can look up a product’s Florida Product Approval by its FL number at the Florida Building Commission.
- Know your zone. Evacuation zones are areas that storm surge could flood. Type your address in the county’s evacuation zone lookup.
- Mobile homes: people in manufactured or mobile homes, or in substandard housing, must evacuate when a hurricane warning is issued.
- Free alerts: sign up for AlertPBC to get calls, texts or emails.
- Medical needs: residents with certain medical problems can pre-register for the county’s Special Needs Shelter. A caregiver must come along.
The county’s Office of Emergency Management: 561-712-6400. For a full checklist, see our hurricane guide.
Where to report a problem
| Problem | Who to call |
|---|---|
| A contractor, or someone working without a license | County Contractor Regulations: 561-233-5525, or the complaint form (PDF) |
| A dispute with a business | Consumer Affairs: 561-712-6600, or online |
| Work without a permit (unincorporated area) | Code Compliance: 561-233-5500, or online |
| A state-licensed contractor | Florida DBPR: file a complaint |
| Unlicensed activity, statewide | State hotline: 1-866-532-1440 |
| General county questions | Public Affairs: 561-355-2754 |
From Boca Raton, Delray Beach and the Glades, you can call Consumer Affairs toll-free at 1-888-852-7362 and Public Affairs at 1-888-808-3127.
Good to know
- Flood zone: type your address in the county’s flood zone lookup.
- Watering: the South Florida Water Management District bans lawn watering from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., all year. Your watering days depend on your city’s or the county’s rules.
- Notice of Commencement: the owner must sign it personally, and it’s recorded with the Clerk: in person at the Vista Center on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, electronically or by mail. For jobs over $5,000, the permit holder must file a copy with the permit office before the first inspection (A/C repair or replacement under $15,000 is exempt). Not recording it may mean paying twice.
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Sources
- Palm Beach County: Permit Center
- Palm Beach County Property Appraiser: city permit departments
- Palm Beach County: online services and complaints
- Palm Beach County: open permit searches
- Palm Beach County: owner-builder guidelines (PDF)
- Palm Beach County: amendments to the Florida Building Code (PDF)
- Palm Beach County: when a permit is not required (PDF)
- City of West Palm Beach: permits FAQ
- Florida Statutes §553.79: the $7,500 permit exemption
- Florida Building Commission: summary of House Bill 803 (PDF)
- Palm Beach County: memo on House Bill 803, June 2026 (PDF)
- Palm Beach County: certified trade categories, 2017 (PDF)
- Palm Beach County: certificate of competency changes, July 2025 (PDF)
- Palm Beach County: contractor licensing changes for homeowners (PDF)
- Palm Beach County: Contractor Regulations
- Florida DBPR: license search
- Palm Beach County: hurricane guide, May 2024 (PDF)
- Florida Building Commission: product approval search
- Palm Beach County: Office of Emergency Management
- Palm Beach County: Know Your Zone
- Palm Beach County: Special Needs Shelter
- Palm Beach County: Consumer Affairs
- Florida DBPR: file a complaint
- Florida DBPR: unlicensed activity hotline
- Palm Beach County: Public Affairs
- Palm Beach County: government directory (PDF)
- South Florida Water Management District: landscape watering
- Palm Beach County Clerk: Notice of Commencement
- 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.
