Pinellas County Building Department | Permits, Inspections & Contact

Pinellas County Building and Development Review Services provides building permits, inspections, and code services for unincorporated Pinellas County and the special areas listed by the county: Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore, Indian Rocks Beach, Kenneth City, Oldsmar, and Safety Harbor. Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Belleair, and other municipalities generally have their own building departments, so use the county’s address or neighborhood lookup before applying.

Pinellas County permit process

The county’s Access Portal is an Accela system used to submit applications, upload digital plans, pay fees, check permit status, and manage inspections. Pinellas identifies Express, Residential, and Commercial permit categories. Residential work can include additions, interior remodeling, accessory structures, pools, sheds, solar, and trade work; commercial records can include new buildings, tenant improvements, change of use, and fire-sprinkler-related work.

Before submitting, review the county’s permitting guide and the checklist for the project. The county may require construction plans, site plans or surveys, product approvals, energy documents, a Notice of Commencement, habitat or right-of-way forms, flood-zone information, septic documentation, and other project-specific materials. For a Notice of Commencement, Pinellas says the recorded document must be attached to the Access Portal and kept onsite for inspections.

Inspections, zoning, and status tracking

Pinellas County says all permitted building and construction projects require inspection. Applicants can schedule, change, cancel, and review inspections in the Access Portal; the county also provides text scheduling and an automated phone system at (727) 453-4000. Requests received by 3:30 p.m. may be scheduled for the next business day, subject to availability, and the inspection tracker provides estimated arrival and automated updates.

The county notes that some work may be exempt from a building permit but still require a zoning clearance, such as certain fences. A property’s jurisdiction and applicable zoning should therefore be confirmed before selecting a record type. Building and Development Review Services is located at 440 Court Street, Clearwater, Florida 33756, open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the main help line is (727) 464-3888, with the county directing users to the Access Portal for current applications and permit records.