Florida Permit Desk

Owner-Builder Permits in Florida: What F.S. 489.103 Actually Requires

Last verified against official sources: · 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.

Short answer: Florida law lets you act as your own contractor without a license, but only within narrow limits. It covers a one- or two-family home or a farm outbuilding for your own use or occupancy, or a commercial building costing up to $75,000 for your own use. You must personally supervise all work not done by licensed contractors, personally appear and sign the permit application, and sign a disclosure statement. If you sell or lease the property within 1 year of finishing, the law presumes you built it for sale, which breaks the exemption.[1]

This page explains the statute in plain language. It is not legal advice; your building department decides whether your project qualifies.

What the exemption covers

Section 489.103(7)(a) of the Florida Statutes exempts owners "acting as their own contractor and providing direct, onsite supervision themselves of all work not performed by licensed contractors" in four situations:[1]

Situation Limits
Building or improving a home One-family or two-family residence, or farm outbuilding, for the owner's occupancy or use, not offered for sale or lease.
Commercial building Cost not to exceed $75,000, for the owner's occupancy or use, not offered for sale or lease.
Storm-damaged shingle roof Repairing or replacing wood shakes or asphalt or fiberglass shingles on a one- to three-family home damaged by natural causes in an event covered by a Governor's state-of-emergency order. The home must be for the owner's or a tenant's use and not offered for sale within 1 year.
Finishing a contractor's permit Completing a permit on a one- or two-family home, townhome, accessory structure, or condo or co-op unit, when the local office decides the contractor listed on the permit substantially completed the project and approves it first. In this case you don't have to occupy the home for a year.

The statute also covers some rooftop solar work in local governments taking part in a specific federal grant program, with the wiring done by a licensed electrical contractor.[1]

"Owners of property" includes the owner of a mobile home on a leased lot.[1]

The 1-year sale or lease rule

If the owner-builder sells or leases, or offers for sale or lease, the structure within 1 year after completion, that creates a legal presumption that the construction was for sale or lease.[1] That matters because building for sale or lease is outside the exemption, and the disclosure statement says so: doing it "violates the exemption."[1]

Electrical work has slightly different wording. The owner exemption for electrical contracting says the presumption arises from the sale or lease of more than one structure within 1 year,[2] while the general owner-builder exemption says any such structure.[1] It also says "under $75,000" for commercial buildings,[2] where the general exemption says "not to exceed $75,000".[1] If your project is mainly electrical, ask your building department which rule it applies.

What you must do to qualify

  1. Personally appear and sign the building permit application.[1]
  2. Meet any local requirements showing you understand your obligations.[1]
  3. Sign the disclosure statement the office gives you. It must be completed and returned before the permit is issued, and the office requires a copy of your driver license, a notarized signature, or other verification it accepts.[1]
  4. Directly supervise all work on site that isn't done by a licensed contractor. You can't hand that responsibility to anyone else unless that person is licensed and the work is within their license.[1]

If someone breaks these rules, the statute says the local office shall withhold final approval, revoke the permit, or pursue action for unlicensed activity against the owner and anyone doing work that needs a license.[1]

What the disclosure statement says you agree to

The state's form disclosure statement (local offices use one "in substantially the following form") includes these points:[1]

  • You are the responsible party of record on the permit, and you could protect yourself from financial risk by hiring a licensed contractor to pull the permit instead.
  • You must provide direct, onsite supervision of the construction.
  • You may not hire an unlicensed person to act as your contractor or to supervise the people working on the property, and it's your job to make sure anyone you hire has the licenses state law and local ordinances require.
  • Unlicensed people working for you must be your employees under your direct supervision, which brings employer obligations such as federal tax withholding and Social Security (FICA) contributions.
  • A common practice of unlicensed contractors is to have the owner pull an owner-builder permit that falsely suggests the owner is doing the work.
  • The work must meet all building codes, zoning and other laws.

The statute adds that if you hire someone without a license, the state licensing board and DBPR may not be able to help you recover losses, and your only remedy may be civil court.[1] Check any contractor you hire on DBPR's license search.[12]

Electrical work

Electrical contracting has its own owner exemption in the electrical part of the law. An owner may apply for the permit, supervise and do the electrical work on a single-family or duplex home for their own use and occupancy, or a commercial building with total construction costs under $75,000, as long as it isn't for sale or lease. The owner must personally appear and sign the permit application, and the office must provide an electrical disclosure statement.[2]

How local offices put it into practice

The statute lets local offices add their own requirements.[1] Examples from offices we cover:

Office What it asks of owner-builders
Palm Beach County Personally appear to submit, sign an Owner/Builder Affidavit, and have the signature notarized by Building Division staff.[4] The FAQ says owner-builder permits must be submitted in person by the owner.[5]
Orange County Apply online in Fast Track as a non-license holder, then verify identity and complete the disclosure by video call (Webex) with a valid photo ID.[6]
City of Orlando Personally appear at Permitting Services to sign the Owner/Builder Declaration.[7]
City of Jacksonville Primary residence only, not for sale or rent, owner's name on the deed; appear in person at the Building Inspection Division and sign an Owner's Affidavit, with proof of homestead exemption for work on an existing home.[8]
Broward County (unincorporated) Owner-builder permits can't be filed through the County's online ePermits system.[9]
Miami-Dade County Owner-builders must sign an acknowledgment form.[10]
Local rules can be stricter in wording than the statute. Jacksonville limits homeowner permits to a primary residence,[8] and Palm Beach County's guidelines describe the $75,000 commercial limit as "within any 12-month period".[4] The statute says "for the occupancy or use of such owners" and "at a cost not to exceed $75,000".[1] Ask your office how it applies its rule before you apply.

To find your office, see who issues building permits for your address.

  • Small-job exemption (2026): for work under $7,500 on a single-family home, state law now requires local governments to exempt the owner or the owner's contractor from a building permit. It doesn't cover electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical or gas work, or property in a flood hazard area, and you must make a written request with proof of the work's value.[3]
  • Notice of Commencement: if the direct contract for the improvement is over $5,000, a recorded Notice of Commencement is required before the first inspection, except repair or replacement of an existing heating or air-conditioning system under $15,000.[11]
  • Permit expiration: a building permit for a single-family dwelling expires 1 year after issue, or on the effective date of the next Florida Building Code edition, whichever is later; local offices may extend it.[3]

Common questions

Can I pull an owner-builder permit on a house I plan to sell or rent out?

Not for work you do to build or improve it for sale or lease. The exemption covers a one- or two-family home for the owner's own use or occupancy that is not offered for sale or lease. If you sell or lease it, or offer it, within 1 year after the work is complete, the law presumes you did the work for sale or lease.[1] There is a narrow exception for an owner finishing a permit that a contractor substantially completed.[1]

Can I hire someone to do the work under my owner-builder permit?

You can hire licensed contractors for work within their license, and you can employ workers directly, but you must personally supervise everyone who is not licensed, on site. You can't hire an unlicensed person to act as your contractor or supervisor.[1]

Can I do my own electrical work?

State law has a separate owner exemption for electrical work: an owner may supervise and do electrical work on a single-family or duplex home for their own use and occupancy, or a commercial building under $75,000, after personally signing the permit application and a disclosure statement.[2] Check with your local office about any extra steps.

Do I have to go to the permit office in person?

The statute says the owner must personally appear and sign the permit application.[1] Offices handle this differently: Palm Beach County and Jacksonville require an in-person visit, while Orange County verifies identity by video call.[4][8][6]

Sources

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

  1. Florida Statutes § 489.103 (2026), Exemptions (owner-builder exemption in subsection 7)
  2. Florida Statutes § 489.503 (2026), Exemptions (electrical and alarm contracting; owner exemption in subsection 6)
  3. Florida Statutes § 553.79 (2026), Permits; applications; issuance; inspections
  4. Palm Beach County PZB: Owner/Builder Building Permit Guidelines (PDF, revision November 2023)
  5. Palm Beach County PZB: Building FAQ
  6. Orange County: Owner-Builder Online Permitting Instructions (PDF, dated 11/3/2023)
  7. City of Orlando: Owner/Builder Declaration (PDF, 2021)
  8. City of Jacksonville BID: Residential Permits (homeowner permitting)
  9. Broward County: ePermits OneStop guide (PDF, created September 2026)
  10. Miami-Dade County: Homeowners general permit information
  11. Florida Statutes § 713.135 (2026), Notice of commencement and applicability of lien
  12. Florida DBPR: License search