Pinellas County building department

Pinellas County Building and Development Review Services (BDRS) handles building permits, inspections, and code reference for unincorporated Pinellas County and also for Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore, Indian Rocks Beach, Kenneth City, Oldsmar, and Safety Harbor. If your property is in one of those six cities, the county asks you to check with the city about its own requirements first. Clearwater, St. Petersburg, and the other municipalities run their own building departments. You can confirm jurisdiction with the county’s My Neighborhood Services lookup or the Property Appraiser site.

The office is at 440 Court Street in downtown Clearwater, open Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–4 p.m. For in-person service, join the line through Qless. Phone options on (727) 464-3888 are Option 1 for inspections, Option 2 for permits, and Option 3 for zoning. BDRS is closed, and no inspections happen, on county holidays.

Applying in the Access Portal

All applications go through the Pinellas County Access Portal (Accela). Create a free account, click “Create an Application,” choose “Building Permit,” and upload digital files. The county sorts permits into three tracks:

Track	What it covers	Typical timing
Express	Like-for-like replacements and minor non-structural repairs, such as A/C equal change-outs, water heaters, re-roofs, windows/doors, garage doors, shutters, siding/soffit/stucco, and 1–2 family service changes	0–2 business days, often issued right after payment
Residential	New homes, additions, remodels, pools, decks, sheds over 100 sq ft, carports, screen rooms, solar, and standalone trade work	About 14 days
Commercial	New buildings, tenant build-outs, change of use, and fire sprinklers	About 21 days

The county’s live Building Permit Review Times dashboard shows current review times.

Submittal requirements from the county’s guidance:

• Plans: All residential structural work needs plans digitally signed and sealed by an architect or engineer. Trade plans must be signed by the contractor.
• Site plan or survey showing where the work will go.
• Florida Product Approvals for windows, doors, and roofing.
• Notice of Commencement: Required for projects over $2,500, or over $7,500 for HVAC. Record it with the Pinellas Clerk of Court and upload it before the first inspection.

Payments are taken only inside Accela or in person. The county warns about fake invoices and says to trust only emails from pinellas.gov or [email protected].

Owner-builders

Express permits can be filed online only by licensed contractors. Owner-builders apply in person at 440 Court Street using the Central Permit Form. The Owner/Contractor Affidavit must be signed in front of a permit technician. The county points owner-builders to the disclosure statement in Florida Statute 489.103(7).

Work that may not need a permit

• Low-cost repairs: Repairs under $500 that involve no structural, electrical, plumbing, or mechanical work, plus cosmetic work like painting, wallpaper, and trim.
• Fences: Chain link, vinyl, or wood fences 6 feet tall or less don’t need a building permit but may need a Zoning Clearance. Call Option 3.
• New $7,500 exemption (effective July 1, 2026): Under House Bill 803 and F.S. 553.79, certain non-structural single-family projects under $7,500 may be exempt. Examples include doors, garage doors, roofs, siding, soffit/fascia, and stucco.
  • How to request it: Send a written request to the Building Official through the Access Portal or in person, with a description of the work and the signed contract. Keep the stamped approval on site, or you risk a stop-work order.
  • What’s excluded: Properties in a flood zone, and any gas, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, or structural work.
  • No inspections: The county does not inspect exempt work.

Fees

BDRS fees are published in the User Fees section of the county budget. The FY25 schedule took effect October 1, 2024. The county announced an update effective July 1, 2026, covering inspection and private-provider fees to comply with HB 803. All fees can be paid by credit card in the Access Portal. The Multimodal Impact Fee is set by county ordinance.

Codes and flood rules

The county’s code page lists the 2023 Florida Building Code, 8th Edition as current, along with the Coastal Construction Code and the county’s floodplain management ordinance. New and substantially improved buildings in flood zones must be built at least one foot above base flood elevation. The Substantial Improvement/50% rule applies to existing buildings, and the county requires a Substantial Improvement Disclosure Form where it applies. Flood Information Services, at (727) 464-7700, can give you the base and design flood elevations before you draw plans.

Inspections

• Access Portal: Book up to nine business days ahead. Same-day cancellations have to go through the Inspection Desk at (727) 464-3888, Option 1.
• Text: Send “Schedule,” “Reschedule,” “Cancel,” or “Results” to (844) 746-1717. You’ll need the permit number and the four-digit inspection code. After 7 a.m. on inspection day, changes must be made by phone, or fees may apply.
• Automated phone: (727) 453-4000. Calls before 3:30 p.m. can get next-business-day inspections; later calls go to the second business day. Press 1 to schedule, 2 to reschedule or cancel, 3 for results, 0 for staff.
• Inspection Tracker: The permit’s primary contact gets texts with the scheduled time and the inspector’s estimated arrival.
• Virtual inspections: Available for select permit types.

Inspection codes are four digits, for example 1002 footing, 1016 frame, and 1024 roof covering. Reinspection fees are paid online.

Contractor licensing

Local contractor licensing is handled by the Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board (PCCLB), which is administered by the county’s Contractor Licensing Department. State-certified contractors can be checked on MyFloridaLicense.com, and locally licensed ones through the PCCLB contractor search. To report unlicensed contracting, call (727) 582-6767.