Destin, Florida Building Permit Guide

The City of Destin Building Division, at the City Hall Annex, 4100 Indian Bayou Trail, reviews plans, issues building and trade permits and inspects work inside city limits. Every application is filed online through MyGovernmentOnline (MGO), and inspection requests received during business hours go on the next business day’s schedule.

What requires a permit in Destin?

Destin states that a permit is required when an owner or authorized agent intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, demolish or change occupancy of a building or structure, or install, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace regulated electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems.

The city also lists non-habitable structures that need a permit: accessory buildings, driveways, walkways, retaining walls, fences, bulkheads, seawalls, marine docks and piers, boardwalks, beach dune walkovers, and clearing and grading.

The City’s FAQs add that a fence always needs a permit, and so does new concrete or pavers, because they change the impervious surface. Replacing windows, doors or siding often needs a permit, as does replacing an A/C unit or water heater or moving or adding outlets and switches. For condo floor coverings, the FAQ points to sound barrier underlayment. For docks, seawalls and other waterfront work, start with the Community Development Department at 850-654-1119.

Destin building department: who handles permitting

The Building Division sits within Community Development. Besides plan review, inspections and Certificates of Occupancy, it issues local business tax receipts and keeps contractor records. In fiscal year 2025 it received 2,665 permit applications (including trade permits), acted on 2,543 and carried out 6,038 inspections and re-inspections.

Destin permit types

All permit applications are filed in MGO: create a login (an existing MGO account works if you select Destin as the jurisdiction), choose Apply for Residential Permit, and pick the application that matches the project. Common permit categories include:

• New residential and commercial construction
• Additions, alterations and renovations
• Electrical permits
• Plumbing permits
• Mechanical and gas permits
• Roofing and impact-resistant openings
• Pools and accessory structures
• Fences, retaining walls, seawalls, docks and related site work

Permit costs and local fees

Destin publishes a city fee schedule effective May 5, 2025 under Resolution 25-10. The schedule contains separate Building Division, Planning Division and Engineering Division charges, so site-development projects may carry fees from more than one city function.

Examples in the schedule include fire sprinkler/suppression permit fees calculated at $16.50 per $1,000 or fraction thereof for applicable work, a $69 life-safety inspection fee outside permitted construction activity, and an $80 initial building reinspection fee. The city also publishes separate charges for utility-site infrastructure and parking-lot resurfacing or restriping.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and other trade permits

Destin's permit statement separately lists electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing systems. For every contractor on a permit, the Building Division checks State of Florida, county and local licences and certificates of insurance for general liability and workers' compensation. The general liability certificate holder must read City of Destin, 4100 Indian Bayou Trail, Destin, FL 32541.

Alliance handles electrical permit expediting for contractors here. More on this: who pulls the electrical permit.

Application documents and plan requirements

For new homes and commercial buildings, the City accepts one complete set of digitally signed and sealed plans, and any resubmittal must again be a whole new set. Its requirements sheet lists:

• A scaled site plan or survey with existing and proposed stormwater facilities, and a grading plan with topography and erosion control devices
• Architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, roofing and gas plans; an engineer or architect is needed when mechanical work exceeds $125,000 or 15 tons, plumbing exceeds 250 fixture units, or electrical exceeds 600 amps (residential) or 800 amps (commercial)
• A parking and staging plan, plus a site screening plan for commercial work
• Florida product approvals for the exterior envelope, with manufacturer installation instructions for windows, doors and shutters
• The energy packet, open space calculations, a stormwater design certificate or development order and a stormwater maintenance plan
• A FEMA elevation certificate in X (0.2%), AE and V zones, and a sealed V-Zone design certificate in VE zones
• A Destin Water Users approval letter and a Destin Fire Control District approval letter (commercial) or receipt (residential)
• A recorded Notice of Commencement; the permit is not issued without it

Buildings over 5,000 sq ft or more than 3 stories may need ICC plan review. Using elevation machinery within 5 miles of Destin airport needs FAA approval and notice to the airport. Smaller jobs need a scaled site plan showing every structure, driveway, walkway, property line and setback; a hand-drawn plan is fine for simple permits if it is to scale, but aerial photos are not accepted. Drawings are required for every new or structurally altered building and must be sealed by an architect or engineer.

How to apply: 6-step local process

Inspections in Destin

Every permit needs inspections and stays open until they are done. Qualified requests received during business hours are scheduled for the next business day, and contractors must tell the owner the inspection date. A permit is valid for one year from issue, as long as work continues; if six months pass without a recorded inspection, it is voided. Extensions are requested in writing from the Building Official.

The City sets checkpoints along the way. Erosion control is inspected before construction starts and again midway. For any foundation of 100 sq ft or more, a foundation survey showing the finished floor and the crown of the nearest road is due before the dry-in inspection, along with an engineer’s wind load letter. The blower door test and termite certificate are due before the final building inspection, and the stormwater as-built certification before the final site inspection.

Before the Certificate of Occupancy, file the as-built survey and final FEMA elevation certificate and, where relevant, elevator certification. On homes, gas is released only after the final gas inspection passes and impact fees are paid. Commercial jobs also need a final fire approval letter.

Local Destin details that matter

Slab height: every structure’s slab must be at least 12 inches above the crown of the road, and the slab survey has to show both before dry-in.

Flood zones: Destin requires FEMA elevation certificates at the pre-construction, under-construction and final stages, including in the X (0.2%) zone, and a sealed V-Zone certificate in VE zones.

Survey stakes: property corner stakes must stay in place for the whole job. Fence and wall permits are exempt from the final as-built survey but still need visible property pins.

Owner-builders: owners can act as their own contractor for a one- or two-family home for their own use, or a commercial building costing $75,000 or less, only if the property is in their personal name, not a company’s.

Florida building code

The Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), has applied statewide since 31 December 2023; the Florida Building Commission has proposed the 9th Edition (2026) to take effect on 31 December 2026. Florida permit rules

Destin permit search and official resources

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Florida Building Code - 8th Edition (2023)
• Fee schedule (Resolution 25-10)
• City Fee Schedule
• Building Division
• MyGovernmentOnline permit portal (Destin)
• Destin permit requirements for new residential and commercial projects
• Destin building and permitting FAQs
• Destin FY2025 building utilization report

Frequently asked questions

Who issues building permits in Destin?

The City of Destin Building Division, at the City Hall Annex, 4100 Indian Bayou Trail. Noell Bell is the Chief Building Official.

How do I apply for a permit in Destin?

Apply and pay online through MyGovernmentOnline (MGO), with Destin selected as the jurisdiction.

Do I need a permit for a fence or pavers in Destin?

Yes. The City requires a permit for every fence, and for concrete or pavers because they change the impervious surface.

Can I act as my own contractor?

Yes, for a home you will live in or a commercial building of $75,000 or less for your own use, if the property is in your personal name.

How long is a Destin building permit valid?

One year from issue while work continues. A permit with no recorded inspection for six months is voided.

How are inspections handled?

Every issued permit needs inspections, and qualified requests received during regular business hours are scheduled for the next business day.

When is a Notice of Commencement needed?

For improvements over $5,000, or mechanical work over $15,000. Record it with the Clerk of Court and upload it; the permit is not issued without it.

Simplify Destin permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Florida. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Destin permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.