Minneola, Florida Building Permit Guide

The City of Minneola Building Division at City Hall, 800 N. US Highway 27, issues building and trade permits for property in the city, with plan review and inspections carried out by SAFEbuilt. Fees are paid by cash or check, and the City Code makes the full permit fee due when you apply; a fence, for example, needs a $25 or $50 zoning clearance plus a $58 building permit.

What requires a permit

The City requires a building permit to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move or demolish a building or structure, or to change its occupancy, and to install, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system covered by the Florida Building Code. The permit application states that electrical, plumbing, signs, wells, pools, furnaces, boilers, heaters, tanks and air conditioners each need their own permit.

A fence application needs a scaled survey showing property lines, structures, driveways, streets, the fence location, gates, height, color and material.

Who handles permitting

Permit applications and forms

Some projects need only a building permit; others also need a Planning & Zoning clearance, and the Zoning Department does not accept digital submittals. The City’s Building Permit Forms page has:

• Minneola Permit Application (revised August 2025), listing the general, plumbing, gas, electrical and HVAC contractors, signed by the owner and contractor before a notary
• Owner-Builder Affidavit Form and Builder Power of Attorney
• Change of Contractor and Revision Cover Sheet
• Notice of Commencement and Product Approval Form
• Awareness of HOA Regulation
• Pool Safety Act Form
• Reroof Inspection Mitigation Affidavit and Residential Roof Photo Requirements
• Commercial Temporary Power Permit Application

Contractors register (or update their registration) by emailing a PDF of the qualifier’s licence, general liability and workers’ compensation insurance to buildingservices@minneola.us with the subject line “Contractor Registration/Update”. Builders in a new subdivision can use the City’s Expedited Residential Building Permit Application to pull permits before the final plat is recorded.

Permit costs & fees

The fee schedules posted on the City website are still dated February 7, 2012, and the City’s fence page now quotes a $58 building permit where the 2012 minimum is $54, so confirm the current figure with the Building Division. Under the posted schedules, permit value is set from the ICC building valuation data, and plan review fees are due when you submit.

Planning & Zoning charges its own fees: a fence zoning clearance is $25 under 100 feet and $50 for 100 feet or more (plus the $58 building permit), a minor residential zoning clearance $25, a major one $50, and a CO clearance $20. Failed-inspection fees are also paid by cash or check, and the City cannot take payments by phone.

Trade permits

Electrical, plumbing, HVAC and gas permits go through the Building Division, with plan review and inspections by SAFEbuilt. Under the posted 2012 schedules each is charged $54 plus $1.10 per $1,000 of total valuation, with a $54 minimum, for new work, additions and alterations; a radon and BCAI surcharge of $0.01 per sq ft under roof is added on residential permits. Commercial temporary power has its own application.

The Building Department accepts payment by cash or check only, including failed-inspection fees.

Application documents

The permit application asks for the flood zone, zoning district, parcel number, legal description, construction type, conditioned and garage square footage, electrical service size and whether water and sewer are municipal or private. When the total value of all improvements is $5,000 or more ($17,000 for HVAC repair or replacement), it also needs the titleholder, bonding company, mortgage lender and design professional.

• New homes: the Zoning Clearance Application for New SFR, with lot size, finished floor elevation, impervious surface area and ratio, and setbacks from the survey.
• Fences: the fence zoning application and building permit application, the property record card or recorded deed, one survey marked with the fence, the contract signed by the homeowner, or an Owner/Builder Affidavit if you build it yourself (it can be notarized in the office).
• Re-roofs: the Reroof Inspection Mitigation Affidavit where it applies, and the inspection photos.

How to apply

Inspections

The Building Department page asks for inspection requests by email to buildingservices@minneola.us, with the requested date, project address, permit number and type of inspection; requests received by 3:00 p.m. can be scheduled for the next business day. The August 2025 permit application instead tells applicants to email minneola@safebuilt.com with the permit number and address, so check which address applies to your permit.

Re-roofs: a residential roof needs four inspections before the Certificate of Completion: sheathing, underlayment and flashing, roofing attachment, and a final. With the Building Official’s approval, the first three can be documented with photos instead of a site visit: in focus, with a tape measure beside fasteners, at least one photo for every 320 sq ft (10 sheets) and each roof plane, each labelled with the permit number and address. Send the photos and any affidavit in PDF to minneola@safebuilt.com before the final visual inspection.

Local Minneola rules that matter

Form board survey before the slab: a local amendment to the Florida Building Code in Chapter 14 of the City Code requires the permit holder to hire a certified surveyor for a form board (or foundation) survey showing the work matches the City-approved site plan. Hand it to the City Clerk, mail it to City Hall or email it as a digitally signed PDF; the slab may not be poured until it is approved. The Building Official can waive this case by case after a site visit.

Construction hours: work, including deliveries, may run only from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. unless the City Manager grants a written exception. Violations can bring fines of up to $2,500 a day or a stop work order, and sites must be kept clear of debris and secured before storms.

Permits before the final plat: in a new subdivision, a builder can request permits for up to 50% of the planned homes once the preliminary plat is approved, with a performance bond of 130% of the unfinished improvements and a signed indemnity; no certificate of occupancy is issued until the final plat is recorded.

Other fees and appeals: fees required by other City ordinances, such as wastewater capital recovery fees under Chapter 42, are added to permit fees, and a disagreement with the Building Official’s decision is appealed to the City Council.

Flood areas: requests to vary flood-resistant construction rules go to the Building Official together with the Floodplain Administrator, and permits issued on affidavits do not cover flood requirements.

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

FAQ

Who handles building permits in Minneola?

The City of Minneola Building Division, with building services provided by SAFEbuilt.

How are inspections requested?

By email to buildingservices@minneola.us with the requested date, address, permit number and inspection type.

Are zoning submittals digital?

No. The city states that the Zoning Department does not accept digital submittals.

How much does a fence permit cost in Minneola?

A zoning clearance of $25 for a fence under 100 feet or $50 for 100 feet or more, plus a $58 building permit, paid in person by cash or check.

When do I pay the building permit fee?

When you submit the application. The City Code requires the full permit fee at that point, and plan review fees are due at submittal.

Can I pay by card?

No. The Building Department takes cash or check only and cannot accept payments by phone.

What hours can construction run in Minneola?

8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., including deliveries, unless the City Manager grants a written exception.

Can I send photos instead of a roof inspection?

For the sheathing, underlayment and attachment stages, yes, if the Building Official approves; the final roof inspection is always a site visit.

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
• Fence permit requirements
• Building Department
• Minneola building permit forms
• Minneola residential permit fee schedule (2012)
• Minneola commercial permit fee schedule (2012)
• Minneola development application fees
• Minneola residential roof photo requirements
• Minneola Public Permit Portal
• Minneola Code of Ordinances (Chapter 14, Buildings)

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