Florida Permit Desk

City of Orlando Permits: Search, Contacts, and How It Differs From Orange County

Last verified against official sources: · County guide

Independent guide, not a government site. Confirm every requirement with the building office for your address before starting work. Items marked Unverified could not be confirmed on an official page.
Office (inside city limits)City of Orlando Permitting Services Division
AddressCity Hall, 400 South Orange Avenue, 1st Floor, Orlando, FL 32801
Phone407-246-2271 · digitalpermits@orlando.gov
HoursCity Hall: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. (appointments booked online)
Online permit searchPermits & Inspections → Check Permit Status (Permit Lookup)

Short answer: if your property is inside Orlando city limits, the City of Orlando Permitting Services Division at City Hall issues your permits, not Orange County.[1][3] Many addresses with an "Orlando" mailing address are actually in unincorporated Orange County, which has its own process (see our Orange County permits page). Check first.

Who issues permits for your address

  1. Search your property on the Orange County Property Appraiser's property search.[3]
  2. If the municipality shows as Orlando, the City handles your permits. The City uses this same check before it books permitting appointments.[3]
  3. If it shows no city, Orange County's Division of Building Safety handles unincorporated property. Another city name means that city.

How to search Orlando permits

  • Use the City's Permit Lookup tool: on the City's Permits & Inspections page, choose Check Permit Status. You can search by permit number, address, project name or parcel ID.[2]
  • The same tool shows permit status, plan review dates, related permits and fees due, and lets you schedule inspections.[5][10]
  • Only these case types are permits: BLD (building), ELE (electrical), PLM (plumbing), MEC (mechanical), GAS, FIR (fire), ENG (engineering) and ROW (right-of-way). Other case types aren't permits.[4]
  • Title searches / open or expired permits: check Permit Lookup first. If you still have a question, the City has an online request form; allow 3–5 business days. Email permitrenewals@orlando.gov or call 407-246-2271.[4]
  • The City says not closing out a permit can cause issues later when you sell, and suggests checking that the status is final.[5]
  • For a copy of a Certificate of Occupancy or Certificate of Completion, email digitalpermits@orlando.gov with the permit number in the subject line.[5]

Unverified (Permit Lookup blocked our automated check, so we could not open it to confirm whether it asks you to sign in before searching. We link to the City's page that opens it rather than to the tool itself.)

Common residential jobs

The City says permits are required for most construction, and trade permits are needed for electrical, plumbing, gas or other work.[6] From the City's residential checklist:[6]

  • Additions and new construction: a building permit, plus trade permits. Plans must be drawn to scale and include a verified signature of a Florida registered architect or engineer.
  • Sheds: a building permit; electrical and plumbing permits for any lights, outlets or sinks. Pre-fabricated sheds need a final inspection. Custom field-built sheds need signed and sealed engineered drawings and more inspections.
  • Fences: depending on the fence, a permit may be required. If it is, it's a building permit with a site plan, and a final inspection.
  • Driveways, pavers and artificial turf: an engineering permit. Artificial turf counts as impervious surface.

Work under $7,500 (exemption request)

State law exempts some single-family work under $7,500 from a building permit if you ask in writing with the contract or proof of value.[14] Orlando's guide says these don't qualify, whatever the cost:[7]

  • electrical, plumbing, mechanical or gas work
  • structural work, which the City defines to include railings, guards, pool barriers or fences, windows and doors, siding and soffits, roofing, and elevated decks
  • any property partly or fully in a flood hazard area

No splitting a project to stay under $7,500.[7] To use it, submit the City's online exemption request with a copy of the contract or other proof of the work's nature and value. The City reviews requests within five business days; check the status in Permit Lookup under the MET case number.[8]

Applying and owner-builder permits

  1. Fill out the right application from the City's forms page; allow two business days for processing.[5]
  2. Upload plans in the City's digital plan review system, ProjectDox, after you get the email link.[5]
  3. File a Notice of Commencement if required (below).[5]
  4. Pay fees when the City emails you after reviews are approved, then download and print the approved plans and post them on site.[5]
  5. Schedule inspections. A permit open six months without an inspection expires.[5]

Owner-builders: the City's Owner/Builder Declaration says the owner must personally appear at Permitting Services to sign it.[9] It repeats the state rules: one- or two-family home or farm outbuilding, or a commercial building up to $75,000, for your own use or occupancy, with direct on-site supervision. A sale or lease within one year creates a presumption that you built it for sale.[9][15]

You can book an in-person or virtual (Microsoft Teams) appointment with a permit technician online. Appointments don't include a plan reviewer or inspector, and there's a limit of five permit applications per appointment per day.[3]

Notice of Commencement

State law requires a recorded Notice of Commencement before the first inspection when the direct contract is over $5,000, except repair or replacement of an existing heating or air-conditioning system under $15,000.[16] The City says to record it with the Orange County Comptroller, submit the recorded copy to the City online, and post a certified copy at the job site.[10]

How Orlando differs from Orange County

City of Orlando Unincorporated Orange County
Permit search Permit Lookup (permit #, address, project name, parcel ID)[2] Fast Track building permit and property searches[12]
Under-$7,500 exemption Online request; roofing, windows/doors, fences, siding and soffits excluded as structural[7][8] Request form; windows and doors excluded as structural; no rentals or mobile homes[12]
Owner-builder sign-off Declaration signed in person at Permitting Services[9] Owner-builder verification meeting by video conference[13]
Permit expiry Open six months without an inspection[5] 180 days after issue or after the last passed inspection[12]
Applications Application form, then ProjectDox for plans[5] Online through a Fast Track account[12]

The Orange County column comes from the County's own FAQ and "Do I Need a Permit?" page.[12][13] Our Orange County page has more detail.

Fees

The City publishes its fees on its Development & Impact Fees page.[11] We don't copy amounts here because they change.

Contacts

Need Contact
Permitting Services (general) 407-246-2271 · digitalpermits@orlando.gov[1]
Permitting emergency line 407-246-3420[1]
Exemption questions buildingofficial@orlando.gov[8]
Title search / permit status questions permitrenewals@orlando.gov[4]
City Hall 400 South Orange Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801 · 407-246-2121 · Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–5 p.m.[2]

Check a contractor's state license on DBPR's license search.[17]

Common questions

How do I know if my address is in the City of Orlando or unincorporated Orange County?

Search your property on the Orange County Property Appraiser's site. The City says that if the municipality is listed as Orlando, you're in the city limits and the City's Permitting Services handles your permits.[3] An Orlando mailing address alone doesn't tell you.

Which Orlando records count as permits?

The City says only cases starting with BLD, ELE, PLM, MEC, GAS, FIR, ENG and ROW are permits. Other case types are not permits.[4]

How long does an Orlando permit stay active without an inspection?

The City says a permit that stays open for six months without an inspection expires.[5]

Can I skip a permit for a small job under $7,500 in Orlando?

Only if the job qualifies and you submit an exemption request first. The City says electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas and structural work (including roofing, windows and doors, fences, siding and soffits) don't qualify, nor does any property in a flood hazard area. It reviews requests within five business days.[7][8]

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from the official sources below, checked on 22 October 2026.

  1. City of Orlando: Permitting Services Division
  2. City of Orlando: Permits & Inspections
  3. City of Orlando: Schedule a Permitting Appointment
  4. City of Orlando: Conduct a Title Search
  5. City of Orlando: Get a Permit
  6. City of Orlando: Residential Permitting Requirements
  7. City of Orlando: Residential Building Permit Exemption Guide
  8. City of Orlando: Apply for a Residential Building Permit Exemption
  9. City of Orlando: Owner/Builder Declaration (PDF, 2021)
  10. City of Orlando: File a Recorded Notice of Commencement
  11. City of Orlando: Development & Impact Fees
  12. Orange County Division of Building Safety: About and FAQ
  13. Orange County: Do I Need a Permit?
  14. Florida Statutes § 553.79 (2026)
  15. Florida Statutes § 489.103 (2026), Exemptions (owner-builder)
  16. Florida Statutes § 713.135 (2026)
  17. Florida DBPR: License search