Marathon, Florida Building Permit Guide

The City of Marathon Building Department, at City Hall, 9805 Overseas Highway, issues building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fuel-gas permits inside city limits, and every application goes through the City’s Viewpoint (OpenGov) portal. Under Resolution 2025-73 most work costs $17.50 per $1,000 of contract value, and no permit is less than $93.50.

What requires a permit in Marathon?

The City’s fee schedule and forms list the kinds of work it permits, from new homes to waterfront structures:

A Certificate of Occupancy is needed before a new building is used or lived in, and whenever the occupancy, nature or use of a building changes. In an emergency, repairs can start at once if the application reaches the Building Department within 48 hours, together with an email to inspections@ci.marathon.fl.us explaining the emergency and the repair.

Marathon building department: who handles permitting

City Hall is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Appointments with the Building Department are booked 24 hours ahead, between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., by phone at 305-743-0033 or by email. Contractors must be state or county licensed and registered with both the City of Marathon and Monroe County.

Marathon portal, permit records and forms

Permits are submitted, reviewed and issued in the Viewpoint portal at marathonfl.viewpointcloud.com. After creating an account, click the City logo, open the Building Department box, choose the record type and select Apply Online; drafts can be saved and finished later. Email permitting questions to inspections@ci.marathon.fl.us with “OpenGov Questions” and your company name in the subject. Special inspectors (Florida-licensed architects and engineers) also register in the portal.

Forms on the Building Department’s Forms page include:

• Owner/Builder Affidavit. Owner-builders must apply in person, cannot build for sale or lease, and must be present at every inspection.
• Agent Authorization (Building Department) and Agent Authorization for Property Owner.
• Contractor Sign-On, Contractor Sign-Off and Change of Contractor/Subcontractor; every subcontractor must sign on to the permit.
• Notice of Commencement and Survey Affidavit.
• Roofing, swimming pool, dock, fence, paver/concrete and sign packets and checklists.
• Substantial Improvement Application and V-Zone Certification for flood zone work.
• Private Provider Packet (January 2025), Special Inspector Affidavit and Notice to Building Official.
• Extension or Reinstatement Request Form and Administrative Request to Close Permit.

Permit fees in Marathon

Fees are set by Resolution 2025-73, passed by City Council on August 12, 2025. Most permits are priced on value, and a signed contract showing the total project cost can be used to set it; the Building Official may revise unsupported contract prices.

At that rate a new 2,000 sq ft house would be $1,500 in permit fees before plan review time and surcharges, but the City lists the $0.75 rate under its modular heading, so ask whether it applies to a site-built home. Under that line the mechanical, electrical, plumbing and roofing trades are included, but specialty and sewer connection permits are extra.

Other charges: $50 for a re-inspection after 2 failed inspections, $150 per hour (3-hour minimum) for inspections after business hours, $150 for a time-specific inspection, $100 for an extension, $100 for a change of ownership, $50 to reprint a permit after a change of contractor, $150 for a conditional certificate of occupancy and $93.50 for a right-of-way permit. After-the-fact permits pay double. Using a private provider cuts the building permit fee by 13% (inspections) or 25% (plan review and inspections) if declared at application; after issue it costs a $200 administrative fee, and it is not accepted after the first City inspection.

Pay in the portal only after the permit shows the comment “This permit is ready for payment.” At the counter, payment is by check or exact cash; cards are not accepted in person.

Mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire permits

The Building Department issues stand-alone trade permits at $17.50 per $1,000 of the contract price for labour and materials, with the $93.50 minimum. That covers AC systems, duct work and kitchen exhaust (mechanical), new and upgraded wiring, low voltage, solar and generators (electrical), plumbing and irrigation, and gas appliances. Building sewer laterals, septic system abandonment and a residential secondary water meter with backflow prevention are $93.50 each. A mechanical change-out permit takes about 15 minutes to issue.

MEP inspections are done on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays only, and must be approved before the building inspections that follow them. Fire review is charged in the same schedule: a $110 fire prevention fee covering fire specialty permits, life safety review and inspections, plus fire plan review at $5 per $1,000.

Before power is connected early, the owner or contractor submits a signed, notarised pre-power agreement to the Building Official, who then notifies the Florida Keys Electric Cooperative.

Application documents

The City’s residential and commercial submittal checklists return incomplete applications. A new home needs:

• A complete application, proof of ownership (property record card or recorded deed) and the legal description with RE number
• A sealed survey of the natural grade before fill; no fill may be placed until the building permit is issued
• A vegetation survey or Habitat Evaluation Index, with a current photo, on vegetated lots
• A FEMA elevation certificate based on the drawings, or the lowest floor elevation on the sealed plans, and a V-Zone certificate for work in the V zone
• A Florida Keys Electric Cooperative meter location letter and a Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority water service coordination letter
• Plans digitally signed and sealed with third-party authentication, a geotechnical report and a civil site plan with stormwater calculations and fill volume
• Landscape buffers and two native canopy street trees per 100 feet of frontage, setbacks to the mean high water line or mangroves, and two parking spaces of at least 8′6″ × 18′

The FAQ asks for three sets of plans for new construction, development agreement projects and in-water work, and two sets for other work. State, county and federal permits for docks, seawalls and boatlifts are the owner’s responsibility. Commercial submittals add exterior lighting plans and the level of alteration for existing buildings.

How to apply: 6 steps in Marathon

Marathon inspections

Marathon recommends scheduling inspections through the online portal. You can also call 305-289-4133 during business hours, call 305-743-0033 after hours (option 4, then option 1) or email inspections@ci.marathon.fl.us.

Inspection requests received before 3:30 p.m. are scheduled for the next inspection day. Requests received after 3:30 p.m. are performed within the next 2 business days.

Requests should include the permit or project number, inspection type, requested date, contractor and owner names, site address, contact phone and any special request. The City asks contractors and homeowners to make address numbers clearly visible for inspection identification.

Inspectors work in the field from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and cannot give arrival times. Someone must be there if the inspector needs to go inside or there are animals on the property. Results are posted the day after the inspection; a yellow card or pink slip is also left on site. The inspections that count toward the 180-day rule include auger, piling and slab, tie beam, roof trusses, framing, insulation and drywall; plumbing roughs and sewer connection; roofing dry-in and in-progress; seawall and dock footings; electrical roughs and bonding; and mechanical duct work and tie-down.

A completed permit that has expired can be closed with a $300 administrative permit and a life-safety visit; renewing or reinstating an expired permit costs $150 within 90 days and $300 within 180 days. Unfinished work needs a new permit from a licensed contractor; extensions of up to 90 days can be requested in writing.

Local Marathon details that matter

Building Permit Allocation System: the City publishes a Residential Development Summary Scoring Sheet for BPAS and a commercial BPAS application with a $600 application fee; ask Planning whether a new home or commercial floor area needs an allocation before you apply for the building permit.

Flood zones: plans for AE zones must show the top of the first floor, plans for VE zones the bottom of the lowest horizontal structural member, and V-zone work needs a current V-Zone certificate. Substantial improvement projects use the City’s Substantial Improvement Application.

Utilities: electric service is coordinated with the Florida Keys Electric Cooperative and water with the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority. The City publishes its own sewer lateral connection standards.

Right-of-way: a driveway connecting to a City street needs a separate right-of-way permit, and a connection to a state road needs a separate FDOT permit.

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

Marathon 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
• Online permit portal instructions
• Permit and inspection information
• Marathon Building Department
• Marathon inspection and permit status
• Marathon permit fees
• Marathon Resolution 2025-73 permit fee schedule
• Marathon Building Department FAQ
• Marathon Building Department forms
• Marathon residential submittal checklist
• Marathon commercial submittal checklist

Marathon permit FAQs

How much does a building permit cost in Marathon?

The fee resolution lists $0.75 per sq ft for new single-family, duplex and up-to-6-unit construction under its modular heading, so confirm the rate for a site-built home with the City; commercial and larger multifamily is $1.15 per sq ft, and most other work is $17.50 per $1,000 of value, with a $93.50 minimum.

Are permits filed online?

Yes. Permits are submitted, reviewed and issued in the City’s Viewpoint (OpenGov) portal. Owner-builders apply in person.

How many sets of plans do I need?

Three for new construction, development agreement projects and in-water work, and two for everything else.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Marathon?

Only for a home the owner will use and occupy, not one built for sale or rent. The owner applies in person with the Owner/Builder Affidavit and must attend every inspection.

What is the inspection cut-off?

Requests made before 3:30 p.m. are scheduled for the next inspection day; later requests are done within 2 business days. MEP inspections run only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

How do I keep a permit active?

Pass an approved inspection at least every 180 days. Otherwise the permit becomes null and void.

What does a re-inspection cost?

$50, charged after 2 failed inspections at the inspector’s discretion.

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