Broward County building department

Broward County’s Building Code Division, part of the Public Works and Environmental Services Department, handles permitting, code compliance, and enforcement for the Broward Municipal Services District (BMSD), the county’s unincorporated area. BMSD includes Boulevard Gardens, Broadview Park, Franklin Park, Hillsboro Pines, Hillsboro Ranches, Roosevelt Gardens, and Washington Park. The division also covers Fort Lauderdale International Airport and a few areas under interlocal agreements, such as the Village of Lazy Lake, Quiet Waters Park, and North Lauderdale.

Countywide, the division also handles elevator permitting and inspection, and it licenses and disciplines county-certified contractors. Other cities have their own building departments.

The office is at 2307 W. Broward Blvd., Suite 300 (3rd floor), Fort Lauderdale. Hours are Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m., closed on county holidays. Airport permits go to 4101 Ravenswood Road, Suite 300, Dania Beach, open 7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. The county says its website is being upgraded and ePermits may sometimes be unavailable. Forms come in downloadable packets: Permitting, Individual Permits and Forms, Contractor, and Elevator.

Applying: ePermits or in person

ePermits OneStop: Most BMSD permits can be filed online.

1. Sign in, choose “Submit Application,” and select BCS Master Permit.
2. Upload the current Broward County Uniform Permit Application and supporting documents.
3. Pay the application fee. Plan review won’t start until it’s paid.

Each ePermit account is tied to one email address and can’t be transferred. Once an application is accepted online, every later submittal has to go through the same account.

Not eligible for ePermits:

• Owner-builder permits
• Airport projects
• Interlocal-agreement areas
• Any application first filed in person

A paper submittal needs the completed application(s), two sets of plans, and supporting documents.

Contractors: The qualifier’s license must be registered with the division, or the qualifier must hold a Broward County Certificate of Competency. General liability and workers’ comp coverage must be current before a permit is issued.

Homeowners: Owner-builders sign an Owner-Builder Affidavit in front of permitting staff and show proof of residence, such as a Florida driver’s license or ID.

What different projects need

Project	Key requirements
New home or addition	Plans signed and sealed by a Florida architect or engineer, with a land surveyor’s certificate. Development and Environmental Review (DER) comes first and issues a Development Order listing the other agencies that must approve. Also needs three sets of energy calculations, trade applications from each subcontractor, and a landscape permit (or a Retro Landscape form for additions).
Shed	Survey-based plans, plus a product approval (NOA) or state certification for prefab sheds. Commercial sheds go through DER first. Electrical work needs its own permit.
Fence	Zoning approval first. Wood fences up to 6 ft and chain-link up to 12 ft follow Florida Building Code prescriptive sections. Aluminum, iron, PVC, and other fences need an architect or engineer design or a Notice of Acceptance.
Driveway or patio slab	Survey-based plans. Single-family driveways in BMSD must be at least 18 × 18 ft or 9 × 36 ft.

Plan review can take up to 15 business days. Fire alarm and fire sprinkler alterations of 20 or fewer devices or heads can use the simplified process under F.S. 553.7932, in which work can begin once a complete application is submitted.

Notice of Commencement: Required for jobs of $5,000 or more, or $15,000 or more for A/C replacement and repair. Record it with Records, Taxes and Treasury at 115 S. Andrews Ave., Room 114, and submit a certified copy before scheduling the first inspection.

Fees

Fees are set in the county Administrative Code, Chapter 40, last amended by Ordinance 2025-038, effective May 1, 2025.

Item	Fee
Structural, electrical, mechanical, or plumbing permit	The greater of a $125 minimum or 3.0% of job value (2.5% above $10 million)
Roofing permit minimum	$250
Re-inspection for the same violation	$100, then $200, $300, $400
Permit extension	$50
Expired permit renewal (within 180 days)	Half the original fee, $125 minimum
Overtime inspection (before 7:30 a.m., after 4 p.m., or holidays)	$132/hour per inspector, 3-hour minimum
Certificate of Occupancy/Completion, per discipline	$50

Job value is the greater of the applicant’s estimate or the RS Means value. Permit fees include standard inspections, but plan review and re-inspections are billed separately. Training and public-awareness surcharges are added to every permit. After 180 days, an expired permit can’t be renewed, and you have to apply again under the current code.

Inspections and occupancy

Once the permit is issued, schedule inspections online through BCS Request Inspection. You’ll need the Phone Access Code printed on your Fee Statement. Submit the Certificate of Occupancy package before you schedule the final building inspection. The Building Official reviews it, and a CO can take up to five business days to issue. It won’t be issued while any work is incomplete.

Contractor licensing and complaints

The division issues Broward County Certificates of Competency. Applications, fees, and documents are due 10 days before the Central Examining Board of Construction Trades meeting for your trade. The Contractor packet has the forms. Contractor license seminars are held the first Wednesday of each month at 9 a.m. in the 3rd-floor hearing room. Licensing questions go to (954) 765-4400 ext. 9876.

Complaints about unlicensed activity, contract fraud, or diverted funds go to [email protected]. Complaints about state-licensed contractors go to the Florida DBPR.

BMSD zoning, including Certificates of Use, is at (954) 357-6644.