Jacksonville Building Department | Permits, Inspections & Contact

Jacksonville’s Building Inspection Division enforces the Florida Building Code and Jacksonville building ordinances across the consolidated Jacksonville–Duval County government. Confirm the responsible authority for a property before applying, especially where a separate municipality or special jurisdiction has its own permitting process.

Jacksonville building permit process

Jacksonville requires electronic permit submission through JaxEPICS for all permit types. Applicants should identify the project scope, confirm zoning and development-service prerequisites, and upload the required application, plans, contractor information, and supporting approvals. The city’s online submission guidance explains that zoning, concurrency, development services, fire, flood, historic, and other agency reviews may be required before Building Inspection Division plan review begins.

Florida Building Code section 105.1 generally requires a permit before constructing, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving, demolishing, or changing the occupancy of a building or before installing, altering, repairing, removing, converting, or replacing regulated electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing systems. Jacksonville’s residential guidance also explains when an owner may apply for work on a primary residence rather than using a contractor.

Inspections, zoning, and certificates of use

Use JaxEPICS to submit permit documents, monitor review status, and manage inspection requests. The Building Inspection Division also accepts inspection calls at (904) 255-8500, option 1; inspections are generally scheduled for the next business day when requested during the city’s published service hours. The permit and inspection information service can be used to research permit details, certificates of occupancy, and building-code violations by property address.

Jacksonville separates building review from zoning and land-use review. The Building Inspection Division lists (904) 255-8500, option 2 for zoning and land-use questions and (904) 255-8300 for Certificates of Use questions. A proposed commercial use may need a Certificate of Use or a converting-use building permit, and the intended occupancy classification must comply with the applicable building and fire codes even when the parcel’s zoning allows the general use.

Official contact information

The Jacksonville Building Inspection Division is located on the second floor of the Ed Ball Building at 214 North Hogan Street, Jacksonville, Florida 32202. The general phone number is (904) 255-8500. Use the official JaxEPICS portal and city guidance below for current permit applications, permit research, inspection scheduling, zoning coordination, and certificate-of-use requirements.