Marco Island, Florida Building Permit Guide

Permits on Marco Island come from the City of Marco Island Building Services division at 1310 San Marco Road, not Collier County, and every application is filed in the City’s Citizen Self Service (Civic Access) portal. For permits submitted since June 1, 2026, a new home costs $0.67 per sq ft under roof, plus a plan review fee of 38% of the permit fees paid at application.

What requires a building permit in Marco Island?

Building Services reviews and inspects every permitted project, and its fee schedule (Resolution 26-26) shows the range of work it permits:

Since July 1, 2026 the City exempts single-family owners from permits for work valued under $7,500, but only outside a Special Flood Hazard Area, and never for electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas or structural work. You still apply for the exemption in the portal with the contract or other proof of value and pay a $40 exemption fee. Wells are permitted by Collier County, though their electrical service needs a City permit.

Marco Island building department: who handles permitting

Building Services issues permits, reviews plans and carries out field inspections, and every service is available remotely. The division is led by a state-certified Building Official; Don Davis is the Chief Building Official, who handles early start and temporary CO requests. Records for permits issued before 1998, when Marco Island was not yet a city, are held by Collier County (239-252-7531).

Portal, contractor registration and forms

Applications, payments, inspections and certificates all run through the Citizen Self Service portal. Before a contractor can apply, the company registers by emailing one PDF packet to permitdesk@cityofmarcoisland.com:

• Contractor Registration Form, signed by the licence holder and notarised, with names exactly as on the licence
• Florida licence or Collier County competency card (state-registered contractors provide both)
• Liability insurance certificate, and workers’ compensation certificate or exemption, naming City of Marco Island – Building Services, 1310 San Marco Rd, Suite A, as certificate holder

The portal account must use the email given on the registration form. Design professionals and contractors whose digital signature does not validate online file the Design Professional or Contractor Digital Signature Affidavit; a raised-seal set needs the Design Professional Digital Plans Affidavit. Concrete, masonry and carpentry subcontractors who book inspections can be added through the Portal Registration Form.

Early start: for non-emergency work, the Early Start Request Form goes to the Chief Building Official and Deputy Building Official; work may not start until written approval arrives and the fee is paid, and it cannot pass the first required inspection. A foundation-only permit is $527 and at the applicant’s risk.

Marco Island permit fees

Resolution 26-26 applies to permits submitted from June 1, 2026, and to any permit revised or reissued after that date. “Under roof” means the area inside the exterior walls or the beam of a lanai under roof, not overhangs.

For example, a 2,500 sq ft new home under roof has a building permit fee of $1,675 before trade, roofing and plan review fees. Plan revisions cost $50 (minor) or $100 (major). Starting work before the permit is issued adds a fee of 300% of the usual permit fee. Fire fees are set separately by Resolution 17-112.

A private provider lowers the building permit fee to 16.67% (inspections) or 33.33% (plan review and inspections) for one- to three-family buildings, and to 25% or 50% for commercial buildings.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits

Building Services issues every trade permit on the island. Trade fees in Resolution 26-26:

AC change-outs, water heater replacements, gas tank tie-downs, exterior gas roughs, sewer taps and sanitary replacements can be inspected by remote video. Commercial work also goes through fire review under the City’s fire fee schedule.

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

Plans and documents

Upload PDFs drawn to scale, keep digitally signed and sealed plans unflattened, and leave the top right corner of each sheet clear for the approval stamp. Residential plan review covers single-family homes and duplexes only; condominiums need a multifamily or commercial permit. A new home submittal includes:

• Architectural plans naming the current Florida Building Code, Residential
• Site plan with dimensions, site elevations and flood zone, a survey and an elevation certificate
• Energy calculations, electrical load calculations and smoke detector locations
• Impervious surface ratio worksheet
• Florida product approvals or Miami-Dade NOAs, with job-specific design pressures
• Truss layout and designs, or a deferral letter
• Signed and sealed structural plans with loads, foundation details and connections

Pool permits add engineered plans, total dynamic head calculations and the pool safety act form; screen enclosures must be engineered for 155 mph. Reroofs, like-for-like equipment replacement and minor trade repairs do not need plan examination.

How to apply: 6 steps in Marco Island

Inspections in Marco Island

Inspections run Monday to Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and must be scheduled in the portal before 4:30 p.m. the day before. You do not need to be a contact on the permit, but you must be registered. For a timed inspection ($80), enter the time in the Comments/Gate Code field.

Re-inspections cost $56 the first time, $84 the second and $112 after that. Keep the inspection card and permit report, the Notice of Commencement, approved plans, product approvals and any threshold or private provider paperwork on site, with a ladder and access; otherwise the inspector may cancel or fail the inspection.

Paper items are filed as document inspections in the portal: Notice of Commencement (099), spot and final surveys (122, 123), V-zone breakaway wall certificate (126), soil treatment (139a, 139b), final elevation certificate (147), blower door test (303), gas piping test affidavit (403) and pool barrier letter (718), among others. Wait until the inspector’s name and date appear before uploading.

At the end, send the single-family or commercial CO Worksheet to PermitDesk; final fees are added and the certificate is posted in the portal once paid. For permits that end in a certificate of completion, staff aim to close them within 48 hours once all inspections, fees and holds are cleared.

Local Marco Island details that matter

Flood rules: the City says every property on the island is in, on or near a Special Flood Hazard Area (zones AE and VE), and an elevation certificate goes in with the building permit application. Buildings, pools and garages seaward of the Limit of Moderate Wave Action (the Coastal A Zone) must meet the stricter coastal construction rules. Work costing 50% or more of the structure’s market value is a substantial improvement; at a ratio of 40% or more, file the FEMA Balance Verification and Cost Breakdown forms. The City holds a Community Rating System class 5.

Construction hours: Monday to Saturday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; pile driving and demolition only 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., never on Sundays or City holidays.

Changing contractors: the owner records a Termination of Notice of Commencement, waits 30 days and records a new one; no inspections take place until it is recorded. The change costs $50.

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

Marco Island permit FAQ

Who issues building permits on Marco Island?

City of Marco Island Building Services, 1310 San Marco Road, Suite A, phone 239-389-5059, not Collier County.

How much is a building permit for a new house on Marco Island?

$0.67 per sq ft under roof, plus electrical, plumbing and mechanical at $0.28 per sq ft each, roofing at $5.60 per square, and plan review at 38% of the permit fees.

Do I need a permit for small jobs on my house?

Single-family work under $7,500 is exempt only outside a flood hazard area and never for electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas or structural work. The exemption is requested in the portal for a $40 fee.

When are inspection requests due?

By 4:30 p.m. on the day before the inspection, in the Citizen Self Service portal.

What does a re-inspection cost?

$56 for the first, $84 for the second and $112 for each one after that.

How do contractors register?

Email a notarised Contractor Registration Form, licence or competency card and insurance certificates naming the City as holder to permitdesk@cityofmarcoisland.com.

Marco Island 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 Commission — 8th Edition (2023)
• Marco Island permitting information
• Marco Island inspection and plan review information
• Marco Island Building Services
• Marco Island building permit fee schedules
• Marco Island Resolution 26-26 (fees from June 1, 2026)
• Marco Island residential plan review
• Marco Island single-family permit exemptions
• Marco Island floodplain management

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