Hillsborough County building department

Hillsborough County Development Services handles planning, zoning, development review, building permits, and inspections for all of unincorporated Hillsborough County. The cities of Tampa, Plant City, and Temple Terrace issue their own permits. Development Services also licenses contractors to work in the unincorporated county and investigates construction complaints.

All services are online. If you need help with the process or with uploading documents, the Development Services Tech Center is on the 16th floor of County Center, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd. in downtown Tampa. County Center is open Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m., and public parking is in the Pierce Parking Garage at 700 E. Jackson St. The call center is (813) 272-5600.

How permitting fits the development process

For new development, the county describes three steps:

1. Zoning: Confirm the use and standards (height, setbacks, bulk) meet the Land Development Code, or apply for a rezoning, variance, or special use.
2. Site/subdivision review: Engineering review of roads, utilities, drainage, and natural resources.
3. Building permitting: Plans are reviewed against the Florida Building Code. Plan review covers building, electrical, gas, mechanical, plumbing, land use, zoning, and flood damage control.

A home addition or trade job usually starts at step 3. A Certificate of Occupancy is issued after every required inspection passes and all fees are paid, including any impact and mobility fees.

Applying in HillsGovHub

Building and subtrade permits are filed in HillsGovHub, the county’s Accela-based portal. Here’s what a homeowner needs to know:

• Have the property folio number and legal description from the Property Appraiser ready.
• Use the county’s residential checklists to see which documents your permit type requires.
• A submitted application is not a permit. The permit is issued only after review, approval, and payment.
• The county bills payments only through HillsGovHub. It warns that emails asking for payment anywhere else are fraudulent.
• If you started work without a permit, stop and email [email protected] about an after-the-fact permit. Unpermitted work can bring citations of up to $500 per violation.

Owner-builder rules

Under F.S. 489.103(7), owners can act as their own contractor when these conditions are met:

• The property is deeded in the owner’s individual name. LLCs, corporations, and partnerships must use a licensed contractor, and trusts are reviewed case by case.
• The property is for the owner’s own use and can’t be sold, leased, or rented for one year after the work is completed.
• The owner signs and uploads the Owner Builder Disclosure Statement to HillsGovHub.

On a single-family home, an owner-builder can pull any permit type with no dollar limit. Commercial owner-builder projects are capped at $75,000. A Notice of Commencement is still required where F.S. 713 calls for one.

What doesn’t need a permit

HB 803 exemption (single-family, under $7,500): Non-structural work valued under $7,500 can be exempt, but you still have to submit an exemption application through HillsGovHub with the contract or other documentation showing scope and value. Examples include siding, soffit, exterior window and door replacement, and non-structural roof repair or replacement. The exemption does not apply in flood hazard areas or to any electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas, or structural work. Splitting a job into smaller projects to stay under the limit isn’t allowed.

Standing exemptions on the county’s list:

Project	Permit?
PVC, wood, or chain-link fence	No building permit, but check zoning first
Electrical or concrete fence	Permit required
Residential shed or greenhouse under 150 sq ft	No permit
Porch (any)	Permit required
Dock already approved by the Port Authority	No permit
Low-voltage work in an existing single-family home	No permit if done by the owner, or by a non-owner for up to $5,000 in labor and materials
Painting, tile, flooring, cabinets, shelving, gutters, soffit/fascia (non-structural)	No permit

Emergency equipment replacements may begin first, as long as the application is filed by the next business day. After a declared disaster, the county may allow 30 working days.

Fees

The building permit fee schedule took effect October 5, 2024. New construction, additions, and alterations are charged per square foot under roof, for example $1.00 for R-3 residential and $0.60 for U (utility) occupancies. The minimum is $380 for R-3/U and $500 for everything else. These fees include building, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing, and plan review and inspection portions are each 50% of the total. Selected residential flat fees:

Residential permit	Fee
Roofing	$250
Windows/exterior doors (up to 20 openings)	$130
HVAC equal change-out	$130
Generator / with gas	$250 / $320
Photovoltaic	$250
Deck, shed, carport, screen room (misc.)	$380
In-ground pool/spa	$475
Re-inspection	$125

State-mandated surcharges are added on top. Impact and mobility fees are separate.

Inspections

Schedule, reschedule, or cancel inspections in HillsGovHub. For a next-business-day in-person inspection, submit the request by 11:59 p.m. Some inspection types can be done virtually. A failed inspection may carry a $125 re-inspection fee. Questions go to [email protected] or to the assigned inspector.

Contractor licensing

Since state HB 735 (2021), many specialty trades no longer need a county license. The county’s License Comparison chart shows which trades still do. Here’s how each license type works locally:

• State Certified: Register in HillsGovHub. No county fees.
• State Registered: $280 application fee and a one-time $140 registration fee.
• Local Specialty: These licenses are no longer issued, but existing holders renew for $140 every two years.

Fire protection, septic, well drilling, LP gas, and mobile home installation are licensed by state agencies. Licensing questions go to [email protected].