Brevard County — Florida's Space Coast — issues building permits through its Planning and Development Department for unincorporated Brevard County. The county recently launched a new digital permitting platform, Permit Assist, while permit records and inspections run through BASS, the Brevard Advanced Service Site.
This Brevard County building permit guide covers what requires a permit, how fees work, the Permit Assist submission process, trade permits, and inspections — so your Palm Bay-, Melbourne-, or Titusville-area project starts clean.
Confirm you're in unincorporated Brevard County. Planning and Development permits only the unincorporated county. Brevard's 16 cities — including Palm Bay, Melbourne, Titusville, Cocoa, and Rockledge — run their own building departments, though the county collects certain impact fees countywide.
What requires a building permit in Brevard County?
Under the Florida Building Code (§105.1), a permit is required for new construction, alterations, additions, and changes to most structures and systems. Common triggers include:
Permit required
- New construction, additions, and tenant build-outs
- Structural / load-bearing alterations and demolition
- Roof replacements, window and door replacements, and exterior work
- Electrical service changes and most wiring alterations
- Mechanical / HVAC installations and changeouts
- Plumbing alterations, repipes, and water heaters
- Swimming pools, spas, docks, and seawalls
- Solar PV systems and screen enclosures
Typically 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
Exemptions are narrow and scope-specific. When unsure, confirm with the building department before starting — see the penalty note below.
Get the permit issued before starting work. Beginning without one exposes the owner to after-the-fact fees and penalties. Online permitting is limited to licensed contractors; owner-builders must apply in person.
Who handles permitting in Brevard County?
Permitting for unincorporated Brevard is administered by the Planning and Development Department, which also handles zoning, code enforcement, contractor licensing, and impact fees. As a coastal county, Brevard projects often involve flood and high-wind review.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Building A, Viera, FL 32940 |
| Phone | (321) 633-2187 |
| Online platform | Permit Assist (digital permitting) |
| Permit search / inspections | BASS — Brevard Advanced Service Site (Accela) |
| Online permits | Licensed contractors only; owner-builders apply in person |
| Enforced code | Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), with coastal/high-wind provisions |
Licensed contractors apply through Permit Assist; owner-builders must apply in person. Before applying, verify your license status in the Brevard County Licensed Contractor Search to avoid intake delays. Permit records and inspection scheduling are available through BASS.
Brevard County building permit cost
Brevard County building fees are based on the type and valuation of work, with separate fees for each trade, collected through the Planning and Development Department. Note that the county collects commercial impact fees for projects countywide, including within the 16 cities.
Fee schedules are adjusted periodically — for example, Fire Prevention Review fees for applicable commercial projects increased effective October 1, 2025 — so confirm current amounts before budgeting.
| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Building / construction fee | Based on type and valuation of work; minimum fees apply |
| Trade permits (E / P / M) | Charged separately per trade unless rolled into a master permit |
| Fire Prevention Review | Applicable commercial fee increased eff. Oct 1, 2025 |
| Impact fees | Collected for projects countywide, including within the 16 cities |
| State surcharge | DBPR surcharge added per Florida statute |
| Work-without-permit | After-the-fact fees and penalties |
Want a precise number for a specific Brevard County project? Send us the scope and valuation and we'll return a fee estimate alongside a filing timeline.
Brevard County trade permits
Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work generally needs its own permit and licensed contractor, each filed against the master building permit.
Electrical permits
Required for service installations, panel upgrades, solar PV, and most wiring alterations. Filed by a licensed contractor through Permit Assist.
Plumbing permits
Required for new plumbing, repipes, water heater changeouts, fixtures, and gas piping. Fees follow the county schedule with a per-permit minimum.
Mechanical (HVAC) permits
Required for HVAC changeouts, ductwork, and refrigeration. Specialized systems are permitted and inspected separately.
Miscellaneous & specialty
Roof replacements, pools and spas, docks, and seawalls are permitted separately. Re-roof permits require dry-in and nail-off inspections, and as a coastal county Brevard requires products with current Florida Product Approval rated for the local wind speed.
Verify your contractor's license. Confirm the contractor is licensed in Florida (DBPR, (850) 487-1395) and registered with Brevard County before signing. The property owner is responsible for ensuring a permit is obtained.
How to get a building permit in Brevard County
Confirm scope & jurisdiction
Verify the work needs a permit and confirm the parcel is unincorporated Brevard — not Palm Bay, Melbourne, Titusville, or another of the 16 cities.
Prepare your documents
Assemble the application, owner/parcel info and valuation, signed and sealed plans for structural work, energy calcs, and any flood or coastal documentation.
Apply through Permit Assist
Licensed contractors verify their license status, then apply and upload documents through Permit Assist. Owner-builders apply in person.
Plan review & corrections
Planning and Development routes the application to applicable reviews. Upload revisions promptly if comments are returned.
Pay fees & pull the permit
Pay the calculated building, trade, and impact fees, then download the permit. Record and post a Notice of Commencement where required.
Schedule inspections through close-out
Schedule on-site or virtual inspections through BASS. Clear all required inspections to obtain your Certificate of Occupancy or Completion.
Inspections in Brevard County
Schedule inspections through BASS (the Brevard Advanced Service Site); virtual building inspections are available for many inspection types. Typical checkpoints include foundation, rough-in MEP, framing, insulation, and final, with dry-in and nail-off inspections for re-roofs.
Post the permit and Notice of Commencement on site with approved documents available. A re-inspection fee applies to failed inspections and must be cleared before a final inspection or Certificate of Occupancy.
Official Brevard County permitting resources
- 🏛️ Brevard County Planning & Development
- 💻 Brevard County Building Permits
- 🔎 BASS permit search & inspections
- 📘 Florida Building Code (8th Ed.)
- 💵 Impact fees
- 🪪 DBPR license verification
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Brevard's Space Coast growth, new Permit Assist platform, and contractor-only online intake reward clean, correctly-submitted applications. Alliance Permitting is a permit expediter for Brevard County — our permit expediting services pair AI-driven document review with experts who know Permit Assist and BASS, so your Palm Bay-, Melbourne-, and Titusville-area submissions move faster.
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Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Brevard County because we deliver:
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Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company: we prepare your paperwork, file it correctly, and coordinate with the building department through issuance — including preparing private-provider documentation where that option is available. We are not a contractor and do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your team and the jurisdiction.
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More Florida permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general informational purposes and reflects publicly available information believed accurate as of June 2026. Permit requirements, fees, and processes change; always confirm current details with the Brevard County Planning and Development Department before filing. This is not legal advice.