Broward County Building Permits: Application, Fees, and Approval Times

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• 1. BROWARD PERMITTING STRUCTURE

• 2. WHO ISSUES PERMITS IN BROWARD

• 3. WHEN A PERMIT IS REQUIRED

• 4. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

• 5. BROWARD PERMIT FEES

• 6. APPROVAL TIMELINES

• 7. 40-YEAR RECERTIFICATION

• 8. MAJOR MUNICIPALITIES OVERVIEW

Broward County encompasses 31 incorporated municipalities including Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Coral Springs, and Pompano Beach. Each operates an independent building department with distinct procedures, fees, and timelines. Broward County government issues permits only for unincorporated areas, which represent a small fraction of the county's developed land.

This guide provides the framework property owners and contractors need to navigate Broward County permitting effectively.

BROWARD PERMITTING STRUCTURE

Broward County's permitting structure mirrors Miami-Dade's: incorporated cities handle their own permits, and unincorporated areas fall under county jurisdiction. The Broward County Environmental Protection and Growth Management Department oversees county-jurisdiction permits, with the Building Division handling all construction-related applications.

Property owners must confirm whether their address falls within city limits or unincorporated territory before submitting any application.

WHO ISSUES PERMITS IN BROWARD

Major permitting authorities in Broward County include the Broward County Building Division for unincorporated areas, plus independent building departments operated by Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Coral Springs, Pompano Beach, Plantation, Sunrise, Davie, Miramar, Weston, and Tamarac. Each city operates its own online portal, document submission protocols, and inspection scheduling systems.

WHEN A PERMIT IS REQUIRED

Permit requirements in Broward County mirror Florida Building Code statewide requirements. All new construction, structural alterations, additions, re-roofing, electrical and plumbing and mechanical work beyond minor repair, hurricane impact window and door installations, pool and seawall construction, demolition of structural elements, fence installations exceeding 6 feet in residential zones, and major hardscape work require permitting.

Broward County sits within the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone for portions of its coastal jurisdiction, triggering enhanced wind-load and product approval requirements.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Standard documentation for a Broward County building permit application includes signed application form with owner and contractor signatures, two complete sets of signed and sealed construction drawings, site plan with property lines and setbacks, structural calculations and wind-load analysis, product approval documentation, energy code compliance forms, Florida contractor license verification, property survey, tree removal permits where applicable, and HOA approval letter when required.

BROWARD PERMIT FEES

Broward County permit fees vary by jurisdiction. Residential permits typically run $5 to $8 per $1,000 of project cost. Commercial permits run $7 to $12 per $1,000. Trade permits start at $75 to $200 minimum per discipline. Plan review surcharges add 30% to 50% of base permit fee. Florida Building Code surcharge is 1.5% and Florida DBPR surcharge is 1.5%. Impact fees vary significantly by city and project type.

Fee schedules are published on each city's building department website and should be confirmed at the time of application.

APPROVAL TIMELINES

Realistic Broward County permit timelines run 1 to 3 weeks for minor residential permits, 4 to 8 weeks for standard residential renovation, 8 to 14 weeks for new single-family construction, 6 to 12 weeks for commercial tenant build-outs, and 12 to 24 weeks for large commercial development. Initial plan review across most jurisdictions runs 7 to 21 business days.

Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, and Pembroke Pines maintain the highest application volumes and correspondingly longer queues during peak construction seasons.

40-YEAR RECERTIFICATION

Broward County requires buildings to undergo structural and electrical recertification 40 years after the original certificate of occupancy was issued. After the initial 40-year inspection, recertification is required every 10 years thereafter. The inspection must be performed by a Florida-registered professional engineer or architect.

Building owners who fail to comply face code enforcement action, fines, and in extreme cases unsafe structure declarations. The Surfside condominium collapse in 2021 substantially tightened enforcement across both Miami-Dade and Broward.

MAJOR MUNICIPALITIES OVERVIEW

Fort Lauderdale operates the largest building department in Broward County. Applications are filed through the LauderBuild portal with first review typically completing within 10 to 15 business days. Hollywood requires applications through ePermits with similar 10 to 20 business day initial review. Pembroke Pines is among the fastest jurisdictions for residential review at 7 to 12 business days. Coral Springs maintains stringent zoning compliance enforcement. Pompano Beach has invested in process modernization with first review at 10 to 14 business days.

WHY CHOOSE ENDLESS LIFE DESIGN

Endless Life Design handles Broward County permitting across all major municipalities including Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Coral Springs, and Pompano Beach. As a licensed Florida general contractor with active project history across the county, the company maintains current familiarity with each jurisdiction's procedures, reviewer preferences, and code interpretations.

Endless Life Design | Licensed General Contractor | Boca Raton, Miami, Palm Beach | (305) 680-3283 | endlesslifedesign@endlesslifedesign.com