Leon County Building Department | Permits, Inspections & Contact

Leon County’s Development Support and Environmental Management (DSEM) provides building, development review, land-use, environmental, and code-compliance services for unincorporated Leon County. Properties inside the City of Tallahassee or another municipality may follow a different building-permit authority, so verify the parcel’s jurisdiction before submitting an application.

Leon County building permit process

All Leon County building permit applications are submitted through the Tallahassee–Leon County Permit Portal. DSEM’s online applications cover building services, development services, and environmental services. Single-trade permits eligible for online issuance may be issued immediately; other projects undergo review by the applicable development, environmental, building, and fire-safety divisions.

Before applying, review the project type and required documents, including plans, contractor information, site or development approvals, environmental materials, and any applicable floodplain or fire-protection documentation. Leon County’s Development Services Division administers land-use and zoning interpretation, site-plan and subdivision review, concurrency, and related Land Development Code requirements for the county-served area.

Inspections, zoning, and occupancy

The Building Plans Review and Inspection Division reviews plans and inspects construction for compliance with the most recently adopted Florida Building Code. Use the permit portal for permit information and inspection-related services, and contact DSEM at (850) 606-1300 when a permit technician or inspector needs to clarify project requirements.

In unincorporated Leon County, building construction, alterations, and qualifying grade changes generally require a county permit unless an exemption applies. Commercial projects may require coordinated fire-plan review with the City of Tallahassee Fire Plans Review. In flood-prone areas, an elevation certificate can be part of the permit record and must be submitted before the building may be occupied when the county’s floodplain requirements apply. Final inspections and applicable approvals should be complete before occupancy or issuance of the required completion or occupancy documentation.

Official contact information

Leon County Development Support and Environmental Management is located at 435 North Macomb Street, Renaissance Center, 2nd Floor, Tallahassee, Florida 32301. The main phone number is (850) 606-1300. Use the official Tallahassee–Leon County Permit Portal and county pages below for current applications, permit searches, inspection guidance, zoning review, floodplain requirements, and occupancy-related requirements.