The City of Boca Raton — southern Palm Beach County's flagship city, from the beachfront and the Boca Raton resort district through the corporate corridors west — issues building permits through Development Services, with the Building Division running a deliberate two-part system. Part one is Boca eHub, the city's online planning and permitting platform: apply for permits, plans, and business tax receipts, check status, pay invoices, request inspections, and search public records in one place. Part two is Boca Eplans — ProjectDox — where permit files upload for plan review, comments post, and approved files download once the permit issues.
Boca's coastal character shows up in its forms library: the Beach Area Lighting Restriction Affidavit (sea-turtle lighting compliance on beach-area parcels), the Re-roof Mitigation Package and Roof Re-nailing Secondary Water Barrier Affidavit on the roofing side, a Digital Signature Affidavit for electronic sealing, and a Universal Permit Application anchoring the package. Under Florida Statute 553.80, the city also posts annual Building Permit and Inspection Utilization Reports — a fee-transparency artifact most applicants never know exists.
Applies inside City of Boca Raton limits. Neighboring Delray Beach and Deerfield Beach run their own permitting, and unincorporated parcels route to Palm Beach County - confirm the jurisdiction before filing.
What requires a building permit in City of Boca Raton?
Under the Florida Building Code (§105.1), a permit is required before you construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of most structures and systems. New for 2026: Florida HB 803 (effective July 1, 2026) created additional building-permit exemptions for certain single-family residential work - notably F.S. 553.79(1)(g), which can exempt qualifying work valued under $7,500 when it involves no electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas, or structural work, the home is not in a Special Flood Hazard Area, and the owner submits a written exemption request to the Building Official. Ask the permit counter whether your scope qualifies before assuming a permit is needed.
Permit required
- New homes, additions, and tenant build-outs
- Structural / load-bearing alterations and demolition
- Reroofing, window and door replacement, and exterior work
- Electrical service changes and most wiring alterations
- Mechanical / HVAC changeouts and boilers
- Plumbing alterations, repipes, gas, and water heaters
- Pools and spas (barrier required), signs, and fences
- Manufactured homes and solar PV systems
Usually exempt
- Painting, flooring, cabinetry, and cosmetic work
- Like-for-like minor repairs not altering systems
- Certain low non-structural fences (confirm limits)
- Routine maintenance not extending or rerouting systems
Who handles permitting in City of Boca Raton?
Development Services operates from 200 NW 2nd Avenue, with the department's main office reachable at (561) 393-7789 (fax 561-393-7784) and the administrative offices at 201 W. Palmetto Park Road. The Building Division publishes how-to guides for both halves of the system — eHub for applying, paying, scheduling, and searching; Eplans for uploading, tracking review comments, and downloading approved files — and the forms library covers the specialty affidavits (HOA, owner, authorized agent, digital signature) that Boca packages commonly need. All permitting runs through the Boca eHub + Boca Eplans (ProjectDox).
- Address: 200 NW 2nd Ave., Boca Raton, FL 33432
- Phone: (561) 393-7789
- Email: permits@myboca.us
- Hours: Monday–Friday (city business hours)
City of Boca Raton permit types
A building permit is one record among many. Development Services — Building Division issues work under separate record types, and filing under the wrong one is a rejection, not a correction — the application is closed and refiled, and the review clock restarts.
Residential permit types
| Permit type | What triggers it | Review path | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New construction | New dwellings, additions, and accessory structures over the exempt threshold | Full plan review (structural, energy, zoning) | Valuation-based |
| Renovation / alteration | Structural or load-bearing changes, layout changes, substantial repair | Plan review scaled to scope | Valuation-based |
| Reroof | Roof covering replacement and most major roof repair | Product approval review; dry-in and nail-off inspections | Valuation or squares |
| Solar photovoltaic | Rooftop or ground-mount PV installation or replacement | Structural plus electrical review | Flat or system-size based |
| Solar thermal | Passive water heating or pool heating systems | Plumbing and structural review | Flat or per-permit minimum |
| Electrical | Service changes, panel upgrades, new circuits, most wiring alterations | Trade review; filed against the building permit | Per-permit minimum or per-device |
| Plumbing | New piping, repipes, water heaters, fixtures, gas piping | Trade review; filed against the building permit | Per-permit minimum or per-fixture |
| Mechanical / HVAC | Changeouts that are not like-for-like, ductwork, refrigeration | Trade review; filed against the building permit | Per-permit minimum or per-unit |
| Windows and doors | Replacement units and opening protection | Product approval review for wind-borne debris | Valuation or per-opening |
| Pool and spa | In-ground and above-ground pools, spas, barrier and enclosure work | Plan review plus barrier and electrical bonding | Valuation-based |
| Fence and accessory | Fences, sheds, decks, and carports over the exempt threshold | Zoning plus structural where applicable | Flat or valuation-based |
| Demolition | Full or partial demolition of a structure | Utility disconnect verification required | Flat |
Commercial permit types
| Permit type | What triggers it | Review path | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New construction | Ground-up commercial, industrial, and multifamily | Full multi-discipline plan review | Valuation-based |
| Tenant improvement | Interior build-outs and suite fit-ups | Plan review across affected disciplines | Valuation-based |
| Renovation / alteration | Structural, envelope, or system changes to an existing building | Plan review scaled to scope | Valuation-based |
| Change of use | Converting a building from one occupancy classification to another | Zoning, life-safety, and accessibility review | Valuation or flat |
| Reroof | Commercial roof covering replacement | Product approval review plus fire review where applicable | Valuation or squares |
| Solar photovoltaic | Commercial rooftop, carport, and ground-mount PV | Structural, electrical, and often fire review | Valuation or system-size based |
| Electrical | Service, distribution, and branch circuit work | Trade review | Valuation or per-device |
| Plumbing | Supply, waste, vent, and gas systems | Trade review | Valuation or per-fixture |
| Mechanical / HVAC | Rooftop units, ductwork, exhaust, and refrigeration | Trade review | Valuation or per-unit |
| Fire protection | Sprinkler, standpipe, alarm, and suppression systems | Fire prevention plan review | Valuation or per-device |
| Sign | Wall, monument, and illuminated signage | Zoning plus electrical where illuminated | Flat or per-sign |
| Demolition | Full or partial commercial demolition | Utility disconnect and environmental clearance | Flat or valuation-based |
Residential
- Single-discipline review in most cases
- Master permit with trades filed against it
- Owner-builder route exists but carries statutory affidavits
- Product approval drives roofing and opening protection
Commercial — multi-discipline
- Concurrent review across building, fire, and zoning
- Signed and sealed plans across every affected discipline
- Accessibility and life-safety review attach to change of use
- Impact and concurrency fees can apply on top of permit fees
Solar permits in City of Boca Raton
Solar is permitted as its own record type in most Florida jurisdictions rather than rolled into a general building permit, and residential and commercial photovoltaic are usually separate records with different document sets. Solar thermal — passive water and pool heating — is a third, distinct record.
A photovoltaic submittal is reviewed on two tracks at once: structural (roof load path, attachment spacing, uplift) and electrical (conductor sizing, rapid shutdown, point of interconnection). A single-line diagram and a signed and sealed structural attachment detail are the two attachments most often missing on a first submittal.
Under Fla. Stat. §163.04, a homeowners' association cannot prohibit a solar collector on a dwelling — HOA architectural approval is not a prerequisite to permit issuance, though it may still be a contractual matter between owner and association.
Utility interconnection runs parallel to the building permit, not inside it. Permission to Operate is issued by the utility after the final electrical inspection clears.
Roofing permits in City of Boca Raton
A roof covering replacement requires a permit in every Florida jurisdiction. Repairs below the local threshold may not, but the threshold is scope-specific and confirming it with the building department before tear-off is cheaper than an after-the-fact permit.
Every roof product must carry a current Florida Product Approval or Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance rated for the wind speed at the project address. A product approval number that has lapsed or is rated below the site wind speed is the single most common reroof rejection.
Reroof inspections are sequenced: dry-in after the underlayment, nail-off on the sheathing fastening, and final. Covering the deck before the dry-in inspection means tearing it back open.
Hurricane mitigation retrofit requirements can attach when an existing roof is replaced, including secondary water barrier and roof-to-wall connection work. These add scope and documents, and they are triggered by the replacement itself.
Under Fla. Stat. §553.7922, jurisdictions run expedited procedures for permits that need no technical review — reroofs, roof repairs, and similar — during a declared state of emergency.
City of Boca Raton building permit cost
Permit fees are assessed per the city's schedule through Boca eHub — with the statute-mandated annual utilization reports documenting how permit and inspection revenue is deployed. The specialty costs are documentation items: the re-roof mitigation and secondary water barrier requirements on roofing scopes, beach-area lighting compliance on coastal parcels, the $150 formal permit-history search on transactions, and the affidavit set — owner, HOA, authorized agent, digital signature — that rounds out a complete Boca package.
How City of Boca Raton permitting works
| Component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Permit fees | Per the city schedule through Boca eHub — annual utilization reports posted per F.S. 553.80 |
| System structure | Boca eHub (apply/pay/schedule/search) + Boca Eplans/ProjectDox (upload/review/download) |
| Formal permit history | $150 — results on city letterhead via the JUST FOIA portal |
| Owner-builder gate | Owner-occupied single-family only; no business-owned or rented property |
| Roofing packages | Re-roof Mitigation Package + Roof Re-nailing Secondary Water Barrier Affidavit |
| Beach-area parcels | Beach Area Lighting Restriction Affidavit (turtle-lighting compliance) |
City of Boca Raton trade permits
Electrical permits
Required for service installations, panel upgrades, solar PV, and most wiring alterations in City of Boca Raton, filed by a licensed electrical contractor against the master building permit through the City of Boca Raton Development Services — Building Division.
Plumbing permits
Required for new plumbing, repipes, water heater changeouts, fixture relocations, and gas piping; fees follow the local schedule with per-permit minimums.
Mechanical (HVAC) permits
Required for HVAC installations and changeouts, ductwork, and refrigeration; specialized systems are permitted and inspected separately.
Miscellaneous & specialty
Roofs, pools and spas, screen enclosures, mobile home set-ups, and demolition are permitted separately. Exterior components need current Florida Product Approval rated for the local wind speed.
How to get a building permit in City of Boca Raton
Confirm jurisdiction and eligibility
Verify the parcel is inside Boca Raton city limits, and — for owner-builders — confirm the four-part test: single-family, owner-listed, not business-owned, and owner-occupied (not rented).
Apply in Boca eHub
Create the application in eHub using the city's how-to guides — the permit application generated here accompanies your plan files into the review system.
Upload through Boca Eplans
Upload the permit files — including the eHub-generated application — into Eplans (ProjectDox) for plan review, with digitally signed and sealed drawings and the Digital Signature Affidavit where applicable.
Attach the specialty documentation
Re-roof mitigation and secondary-water-barrier paperwork on roofing, beach-area lighting affidavit on coastal parcels, HOA and owner affidavits where required, and Product Approvals on exterior components.
Track comments, pay, and download
Watch review comments in Eplans, resolve promptly, pay through eHub at issuance, and download the approved files — then record the Notice of Commencement where required.
Inspect through close-out
Request inspections through eHub as phases complete, keep approved documents on site, and clear the final for your Certificate of Occupancy or Completion.
Inspections in City of Boca Raton
Inspections request and track through Boca eHub, with the approved Eplans file set on site as the working documents. Roofing inspections check the mitigation and secondary-water-barrier documentation, and coastal parcels can expect lighting-compliance verification on exterior scopes. For transactions, remember the records split — self-service status in eHub is free, but the letterhead search that closes deals is the $150 JUST FOIA product.
Official City of Boca Raton permitting resources
- City of Boca Raton Development Services — Building Division
- Fee information
- Online permitting / portal
- Permit lookup
- Florida Building Code (8th Ed.)
- Florida Product Approval search
- DBPR license verification
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get a building permit in City of Boca Raton?
The two-part flow moves at the pace of the Eplans review cycle — complete uploads with digital signatures and the right affidavits clear fastest, and comment responses restart review promptly when handled in the portal. Owner-builder eligibility and transaction-related record searches are the items to resolve early. Call Development Services at (561) 393-7789 for current turnaround by permit type.
How do I look up a permit in City of Boca Raton?
Boca eHub carries free self-service searches of current public records, permits, plans, code cases, and inspection requests. Formal open/closed permit searches are different: results on city letterhead — the version used to complete real estate transactions — carry a $150 fee and submit through the city's JUST FOIA portal, so budget the fee and lead time into closing timelines.
How does Boca Raton's two-part permit system work?
Boca eHub is where you apply, check status, pay fees, schedule inspections, and search records; Boca Eplans (ProjectDox) is where you upload the permit files — including the application generated in eHub — for plan review, track comments, and download approved files at issuance. The city posts how-to guides for both.
Who qualifies as an owner-builder in Boca Raton?
Four requirements, all mandatory: the property must be a single-family home; you must be listed as the owner; the property cannot be owned by a business; and you must currently live there — not rent it out. LLC-titled and investment properties don't qualify; those scopes need a licensed contractor.
How do I get a formal permit history for a Boca Raton closing?
Through the city's JUST FOIA portal, for a $150 fee — the results come on city letterhead and are the version used to complete most real estate transactions. Free self-service searches of permits and records run through Boca eHub, but they aren't the letterhead product.
What extra paperwork do Boca Raton roofs and beach parcels need?
Roofing scopes carry the Re-roof Mitigation Package and the Roof Re-nailing Secondary Water Barrier Affidavit; beach-area parcels add the Beach Area Lighting Restriction Affidavit for sea-turtle lighting compliance. Both live in the city's permit forms library alongside the Universal Permit Application.
Do I need a permit to install solar panels in City of Boca Raton?
Yes. Photovoltaic installations in City of Boca Raton are permitted under a dedicated solar record type reviewed on both a structural and an electrical track. Solar thermal — passive water and pool heating — is a separate record. Under Fla. Stat. §163.04 a homeowners' association cannot prohibit a solar collector, so HOA approval is not a prerequisite to permit issuance. Utility interconnection and Permission to Operate run in parallel with the permit, not inside it.
Does a roof replacement require a permit in City of Boca Raton?
Yes. A roof covering replacement requires a permit in every Florida jurisdiction, including City of Boca Raton. Products must carry a current Florida Product Approval or Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance rated for the wind speed at the project address, and inspections are sequenced — dry-in, nail-off, then final. Some minor repairs fall below the permit threshold, but the threshold is scope-specific.
What is the difference between a residential and a commercial permit in City of Boca Raton?
Residential work is generally a single-discipline review filed as a master permit with trades filed against it. Commercial work in City of Boca Raton runs concurrent review across building, fire, and zoning, requires signed and sealed plans for every affected discipline, and can carry impact and concurrency fees on top of permit fees. Change of use adds accessibility and life-safety review.
Do trade permits need to be pulled separately in City of Boca Raton?
Yes in most cases. Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work is permitted separately by the licensed contractor for each trade and filed against the master building permit. Each trade permit carries its own fee and its own inspection sequence.
What happens if I file under the wrong permit type in City of Boca Raton?
The application is rejected rather than corrected. Development Services — Building Division closes the record, the filing is resubmitted under the correct record type, and the review clock restarts from zero. Confirming the record type before filing is the cheapest step in the entire process.
Can I apply for all Boca Raton permit types online?
Most record types are filed through eHub and ePlans, but availability varies by permit type and by applicant. Some records still require in-person submittal, and owner-builder filings are frequently restricted to counter submittal regardless of record type.
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