Broward County Municipalities – Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Pembroke Pines Permits 2026

Construction Permits in Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Pembroke Pines

While Broward County's Building Code Division serves many municipalities through Inter-Local Service Agreements, South Florida's largest Broward cities — Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, and Pembroke Pines — operate their own independent building departments. Understanding the specific permitting requirements, processes, and contact information for these major Broward cities is essential for contractors and property owners working in the area.

City of Fort Lauderdale Building Services Division

Fort Lauderdale — Broward County's county seat and a major international hub for yachting, tourism, and finance — has one of the most active construction permit programs in South Florida. The City of Fort Lauderdale Building Services Division, located at 700 NW 19th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311, processes building permits for all construction within Fort Lauderdale city limits. Fort Lauderdale's development boom — driven by new condominium towers along the New River and Las Olas corridor, hotel renovations, and major mixed-use developments — generates a high volume of complex commercial building permit applications. Fort Lauderdale offers online permitting through the iBuild system. The Fort Lauderdale Building Services Division phone number is (954) 828-5000. USD permit fees are per Fort Lauderdale's fee schedule.

Fort Lauderdale Building Code Requirements

The City of Fort Lauderdale enforces the Florida Building Code, Eighth Edition (2023) and Fort Lauderdale's local amendments. Fort Lauderdale is located in Broward County's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ), meaning all construction must comply with HVHZ wind resistance requirements. All building products subject to product approval requirements must have valid Florida Building Code Approvals (FBCAs) or Miami-Dade County NOAs recognized in Broward County. Fort Lauderdale has its own Zoning and Planning Division that reviews building permits for zoning compliance, including Fort Lauderdale's Design Standards in specific districts like the Urban Village and New River Corridor. Environmental review for projects near Fort Lauderdale's extensive canal system and the New River is required by the City's Environmental Services Department.

City of Hollywood Building and Zoning Department

Hollywood — located between Fort Lauderdale and Dania Beach along the Atlantic coast — is a major residential and commercial market with an active downtown Hollywood Arts and Entertainment District and extensive beachfront development. The City of Hollywood Building and Zoning Department, located at 2600 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, FL 33020, phone (954) 921-3271, processes building permits for all construction in Hollywood city limits. Hollywood offers online permit application submission. The plan review process in Hollywood follows the Florida Building Code and Hollywood's local zoning ordinance. For commercial projects, Hollywood requires review by its Planning Division, Engineering Division, and Fire Department in addition to the Building Division. USD permit fees are per Hollywood's building fee schedule.

City of Pembroke Pines Building Division

Pembroke Pines — one of the largest cities in Broward County by population — is a major residential community with significant commercial development along Pines Boulevard. The City of Pembroke Pines Building Division, located at 601 City Center Way, Pembroke Pines, FL 33025, phone (954) 431-4841, processes building permits for all construction within Pembroke Pines city limits. Pembroke Pines has an active residential construction market including new home construction in master-planned communities, significant retail and commercial development, and ongoing maintenance and renovation of its large stock of single-family and multifamily residential buildings. USD permit fees are per Pembroke Pines' fee schedule. Online permit submission is available.

Davie and Weston Building Departments

The Town of Davie — with its distinctive equestrian and western character — has its own Building Development Division at 6591 Orange Drive, Davie, FL 33314, phone (954) 797-1191. Davie processes permits for all construction in the town, including significant equestrian facility construction, single-family residential, and commercial development. The City of Weston — an upscale master-planned community in western Broward County — has its own Building Department at 17200 Royal Palm Boulevard, Weston, FL 33326, phone (954) 385-2000. Both Davie and Weston enforce Florida Building Code HVHZ requirements. USD permit fees per each municipality's schedule apply.

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea and Pompano Beach

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea — a small oceanfront municipality — has its own building department at 4501 Ocean Drive, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL 33308, phone (954) 776-0576. Lauderdale-by-the-Sea's small municipal building department handles permits for the oceanfront municipality's renovation and new construction activity. The City of Pompano Beach Development Services Department, located at 100 W. Atlantic Boulevard, Pompano Beach, FL 33060, phone (954) 786-4650, is one of the busiest building departments in North Broward County, processing permits for Pompano Beach's booming residential redevelopment market, commercial projects, and major waterfront development. USD permit fees per each municipality's schedule.

HVHZ Compliance Throughout Broward County

All municipalities in Broward County are within the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. Regardless of whether a permit is issued by the Broward County Building Code Division, the City of Fort Lauderdale, the City of Hollywood, the City of Pembroke Pines, or any other Broward municipality, all construction must comply with HVHZ requirements under the Florida Building Code. Building products subject to product approval requirements must have valid FBCAs or NOAs recognized in Broward County. Impact-resistant windows and doors, HVHZ-compliant roofing systems, and continuous load path structural connections are required for all new construction and for replacement of existing systems.

811 Sunshine State One-Call in Broward County

Before any excavation on a construction project anywhere in Broward County — including all municipalities — contractors must call 811 (Sunshine State One-Call of Florida) at least two full business days before excavation begins. Broward County's dense utility infrastructure includes FPL electrical lines, Broward County Water and Wastewater Services water and sewer lines, AT&T and Comcast telecommunications infrastructure, and natural gas distribution lines. Breaking an underground utility line creates safety hazards and financial liability. Underground septic tanks from older construction may also be present in established neighborhoods throughout Broward County.

Government Accountability Across Broward Municipalities

Each Broward County municipality's building department employs licensed building officials and inspectors who are responsible for Florida Building Code enforcement. Government professionals across all these departments can make errors in plan review and inspections. Endless Life Design maintains active knowledge of the specific requirements, processes, and contact information for all major Broward County municipal building departments. When government errors in Broward County municipal building departments cause project delays or unnecessary USD costs, Endless Life Design documents the error and demands resolution from the Building Official — seeking fee waivers and expedited processing as appropriate.

Permit Timelines in Broward County Municipalities

Plan review timelines for building permits in Broward County municipalities vary by city and by project type. For small residential permits in cities like Pembroke Pines and Hollywood, plan review typically takes 5 to 15 business days. For commercial projects in Fort Lauderdale, with its active commercial development market and more complex zoning overlay districts, plan review can take 30 to 60 days or longer. Property owners and contractors should request estimated plan review timelines from the specific building department at the time of application submission, monitor the review status through the city's online tracking system, and follow up with the building department if the review extends beyond the published target timeline.