Fort Pierce, Florida Building Permit Guide

The City of Fort Pierce Building Department, on the 3rd floor at 300 Orange Avenue, issues building and trade permits inside the city, and new applications are filed online in EPL Civic Access. A new home or addition costs 0.5% of its valuation plus a 0.25% plan review fee, and simple residential jobs such as a fence ($75) or an A/C change-out ($100) have flat fees.

What requires a building permit in Fort Pierce?

The Building Department oversees the construction, alteration, repair, removal, demolition, use and occupancy of buildings and structures, from homes and businesses to fences. Its submittal checklists cover the common jobs: new homes and additions, A/C, generators, solar, low-voltage alarms, pools, pool heaters and pool barriers, screen enclosures, decks, docks, sheds and garden structures, concrete slabs, shutters, siding and soffit, mobile homes, tents, site work and commercial tenant improvements.

Starting work without a permit or an approved exemption can bring a stop work order, and a project cannot be split up to stay under $7,499.

Fort Pierce building department: who handles permitting

The department reviews applications, checks that contractors are licensed for the work, manages floodplain development, inspects construction and keeps permit records. A new home also needs sign-off from the Planning Department and Fort Pierce Utilities, and from Engineering when the driveway enters the right-of-way or there are drainage or easement issues outside a PUD.

Fort Pierce permit types

Fort Pierce publishes a Building Permit Application and a Marine Permit Application, plus forms for A/C change-outs, electrical information, fuel gas, re-roofing, fences, sheds, driveways, tents and mobile homes. Its checklists also show whether a project needs development permit compliance review (DPCR) before the building permit, for example in the Historic District or an Architectural Design Area.

Applications are made online in EPL Civic Access, where the City provides manuals for creating an account, applying and uploading documents. A $5 electronic processing fee applies to each permit.

Fort Pierce building permit cost

Fees come from the Building Department Fee Schedule effective July 8, 2025. Valuation is the full contract price, materials and labor (including electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing systems), or the ICC Building Valuation Data figure, whichever is greater. Fees are charged per building or structure.

For example, a $300,000 house has a $1,500 permit fee (0.5%) and a $750 first plan review fee (0.25%), plus routing fees and the state surcharges of 1.5% and 1.0% on both. Plan review and routing fees are paid when you submit; the permit fee is paid at issue. Work started before the permit is issued pays double.

Plan revisions cost $25 to $200 per trade depending on the round and the job value. Other options: early start $500 (under $5,000) or $1,000, expedited plan review from $500 for the first hour, a $100 pre-application meeting, and residential after-hours inspections at $100 an hour (2-hour minimum). A private provider cuts the permit fee by 10% (or $25) for inspections and the plan review fee by 30%. Card payments carry a 5% convenience fee.

Documents for a new home

The City’s single-family checklist (updated August 3, 2026) asks for an application showing living, non-living and total square footage, the number of stories and the valuation, with a notarized contractor or owner-builder signature, plus:

• Plans digitally signed and sealed by a Florida architect or engineer, split by trade into separate PDFs
• A digitally signed and sealed survey showing the house location
• An engineered drainage plan showing that runoff will not reach neighboring lots, with existing and proposed elevations and a statement of compliance with Section 103-203 of the City code
• Truss layout and truss cut sheets approved by the design professional, product approvals with installation instructions, Manual J and signed energy forms
• Subcontractor agreements, a debris affidavit, health department or easement-abandonment paperwork where needed, and the owner-builder affidavit if it applies

Driveway, irrigation and shutter permits are reviewed with the house. A recorded Notice of Commencement must reach the Building Department before the first inspection is scheduled. In a Special Flood Hazard Area the application also gets flood review, and state or federal permits (DEP, Army Corps, South Florida Water Management District, North St. Lucie Water Control District, Health Department) may be needed.

Trade permits in Fort Pierce

The Building Department issues trade permits as well as building permits, and publishes trade-specific forms.

• Electrical — Electrical Information Form and electrical riser diagram; a low voltage notice of completion form is also published.
• Mechanical — A/C Change Out Form for equipment replacement.
• Gas — Fuel Gas Form.
• Building — Building Permit Application for structural and general building work.

How to get a building permit in Fort Pierce

Inspections in Fort Pierce

Inspections and payments for EPL permits (permit numbers that start with letters) are handled in Civic Access. Click2Gov stopped working on February 1, 2026, so for permits applied for before July 15, 2024 (permit numbers that start with a year), contact the Building Department at (772) 467-3718 or ftpbuilding@cityoffortpierce.com to schedule inspections or pay fees.

A first re-inspection costs $50 per permit per trade on residential work; a second or later re-inspection for the same deficiency costs $200. Job sites must have a construction toilet, silt fence and trash container; if one is still missing 72 hours after a notice, the City charges $100 to $250 a day. Releasing a stop work order costs $100.

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

Frequently asked questions

Who issues building permits in Fort Pierce?

The City of Fort Pierce Building Department, 300 Orange Avenue, 3rd Floor. Call 772-467-3718. Paul Thomas is the Building Official.

How do I apply for a Fort Pierce building permit?

Apply online in EPL Civic Access. The city’s EPL page has PDF and video guides for creating an account, applying for a permit and scheduling an inspection.

How much is a building permit for a new house in Fort Pierce?

0.5% of the valuation ($100 minimum) plus a first plan review fee of 0.25% ($75 minimum), routing fees and state surcharges. A $300,000 house pays $1,500 plus $750.

Do I need a permit for a fence in Fort Pierce?

Usually yes; a residential fence permit is $75. Pool barrier fences and any fence in a flood zone always need one.

Can small jobs skip the permit?

Work of $7,499 or less on an owner-occupied single-family home may be exempt, but only after the City approves an exemption request, and never for structural, trade or flood-zone work.

How are permit fees calculated?

Permits are mostly based on valuation under the fee schedule effective July 8, 2025: 0.005 times valuation for residential new buildings and additions, and 0.0125 times valuation for commercial and other construction, with a $100.00 minimum. Some permits, such as demolitions, have flat rates.

Fort Pierce 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.

• City of Fort Pierce - Permit Forms
• Florida Building Commission
• City of Fort Pierce Building Department
• Building Department Fee Schedule (effective July 8, 2025)
• Online Permitting (EPL Civic Access and Click2Gov)
• EPL Permitting & Licensing
• Fort Pierce building permit submittal checklists
• Fort Pierce single-family residence checklist
• Fort Pierce permit exemptions (House Bill 803)

Simplify Fort Pierce 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 Fort Pierce permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.