The Nassau County Building Department in Yulee (904-530-6250) issues building and trade permits for unincorporated Nassau County; Fernandina Beach, Callahan and Hilliard permit their own work. Since January 1, 2026 applications are emailed as PDFs to permitting@nassaucountyfl.com, and plan review costs 40% of a permit fee that starts at $50 for work valued up to $10,000.
What requires a permit in Nassau County?
The County publishes separate applications for residential and commercial buildings, modular and manufactured homes, re-roofing, siding, pools and pool enclosures, standby generators, signs, tents, demolition, foundation-only work, and electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas, irrigation and fire protection work. Window, door, storm shutter and garage door replacements use a shorter over-the-counter application.
No permit (County code)
- Residential fences and privacy walls up to 7 feet high (replacement pool fences do need a permit)
- Retaining walls up to 4 feet
- Pavers, uncovered wood decks, sidewalks, uncovered patio slabs and driveways outside the right-of-way, up to 30 inches above grade
- Painting, tiling, cabinets, counters and similar finish work
- Above-ground prefabricated pools under 24 inches deep and 5,000 gallons
- Gutters and downspouts
- Swapping an above-ground LP tank for one of the same capacity
Owner exemption permit (no sealed plans)
- One exemption permit every 12 months for a non-habitable porch, deck, patio, carport, shed, pergola or similar structure of 320 sq ft or less
- Owner must live in the single-family home
- Still a permit with a fee; it waives only the signed and sealed plans
- Owner’s affidavit under Ordinance 2025-023 and Florida Building Code section 102.2.5.1
Any electrical or plumbing work that goes with exempt work still needs its own permit, and exempt work must still meet the building code and the County’s floodplain rules.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Who handles permitting in Nassau County?
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Office | Nassau County Building Department |
| Address | 96161 Nassau Place, Yulee, FL 32097 |
| Phone / fax | 904-530-6250 or 800-948-3364 / fax 904-321-5763 |
| permitting@nassaucountyfl.com | |
| Hours | Office Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; inspectors 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m. |
| Building Official | Charles Barr, who is also the Contractor Licensing Official and Impact Fee Administrator |
The Building Department processes and issues permits, reviews plans and inspects residential and commercial construction throughout the unincorporated county. It also runs the County’s contractor licensing program and, since July 1, 2025, has continued to issue local “registered” contractor licences through a certificate of competency.
The cities and towns run their own permitting: the City of Fernandina Beach has its own Building Department (904-310-3135), the Town of Callahan’s Building and Zoning office takes building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and re-roof applications, and the Town of Hilliard’s Building & Zoning Department issues permits and carries out inspections (904-845-3555).
Nassau County permit fees
Building permit fees are based on construction value, worked out from the latest International Code Council Building Valuation Data table, and charged in cumulative bands under the County’s fee schedule (Exhibit B):
| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| Construction value $1–$10,000 | $50 |
| Value from $10,000 to $50,000 | plus $5 per $1,000 or fraction |
| Value from $50,000 to $500,000 | plus $3 per $1,000 or fraction |
| Value over $500,000 | plus $2 per $1,000 or fraction |
| Building plan review | 40% of the permit fee |
| Fire protection plan review | 35% of the permit fee |
| Foundation-only permit (when the Building Official approves one) | Charged at 25% of the total building cost |
| Re-inspection: first / second / later failures | $25 / $50 / $200 |
| Class I zoning approval | $63 |
| Class I zoning approval for pools, accessory structures and miscellaneous work | $25 |
| Mobile home: single / double / triple wide | $100 / $175 / $200, plus separate trade permits |
| Work started without a permit | 4 times the normal fee |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →For example, a project valued at $300,000 pays $50, plus $200 for the $10,000–$50,000 band, plus $750 for the $50,000–$300,000 band: $1,000, with $400 more for building plan review.
Impact fees: the County’s schedule effective April 1, 2026 states that its impact fees apply to development countywide. A single-family home in the 2,000–2,499 sq ft band pays $4,622 (parks $1,414, recreational facilities $831, fire rescue $654, law enforcement $522 and administrative facilities $1,201), plus the $5,430.60 educational impact fee. Mobility fees are separate and are set out on the County’s Impact and Mobility Fees page.
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits
For unincorporated property the Building Department also issues the trade permits, with separate applications for electrical (one for contractors, one for homeowners), mechanical, plumbing, gas, irrigation, standby generators and fire protection. Manufactured and modular homes need separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits on top of the set-up permit.
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Electrical service, single phase 100 / 150 / 200 amps | $60 / $70 / $80 |
| Temporary power pole | $40 |
| Residential interior wiring or same-amperage change-out | $40 |
| New HVAC unit, up to 2.5 tons / 5 tons | $40 / $70 |
| HVAC change-out, up to 3 tons | $40 |
| Residential plumbing | $40 base plus $6 per fixture |
| Commercial plumbing | $40 base plus $7.50 per fixture |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Fire sprinkler systems are $100 for the first 40 heads plus $2 per head after that, including fire inspection fees.
Application documents and review
Every building permit application includes the County’s sufficiency checklist. For a new home it can call for, as applicable:
- Development Services (driveway), Planning, Stormwater and Fire Rescue approvals
- An 8.5×11 site plan, full architectural plans, and signed and sealed structural plans and truss engineering
- Florida energy forms with a Manual J or N, and Florida product approvals
- A septic permit or letter from the Environmental Health Department, or a public water and sewer availability letter
- The recorded warranty deed, and the owner-builder affidavit if the owner is building
- A recorded Notice of Commencement, which must be in before the first inspection request
An application is not treated as complete until the Development Services, Fire, Planning and Stormwater approvals that apply have been obtained. It then goes to the Building Department and Flood Zone Determination, and their plan review clock starts from that point. Applications not pursued are treated as abandoned 180 days after filing, and an issued permit lapses if work does not start within 6 months.
How to apply: 6 steps in Nassau County
Addresses in Fernandina Beach, Callahan or Hilliard go to those cities; the rest of the county uses the County Building Department.
Get driveway, Planning, Stormwater, Fire Rescue and septic or utility approvals as the checklist requires.
Send the application and each document as a separate, unlocked PDF to permitting@nassaucountyfl.com, under 50 MB per email. Design professionals must first register with a Digital Signature Delivery Form.
An owner building under the contractor licensing exemption must appear at the Yulee office and sign the application there.
You get an email with the amount due; pay by cash, card, check, e-check or contractor escrow, and the approved documents are emailed back after payment.
Post the permit documents and keep the approved plans on site, then schedule inspections through Munis Self Service or by phone.
Rather not deal with the Nassau County building department?
Get a free quote →Nassau County inspections
Inspections for the next workday must be phoned in before 4 p.m. the day before, or scheduled online in Munis Self Service up to midnight. The permit holder makes the request, giving the permit number for each trade, the inspection type and a contact name and phone number. Contractors link their Munis account by calling 904-530-6250 for their Contractor ID (CID) number.
All re-inspection fees must be paid before another inspection can be scheduled. For slab and monolithic slab inspections, the compaction or density report and a form board elevation certificate must be in the job box. In flood zones, a manually signed and sealed “finished construction” elevation certificate goes in by hand or by post, or by email only if it is digitally signed and sealed.
Online permit payments are accepted only between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Local Nassau County details that matter
Flood and coast: the Permits page carries a flood zone determination application, FEMA and form board elevation certificates, a generator elevation certificate and a wet floodproofing certificate for accessory structures, plus an FDEP coastal construction control line (CCCL) elevation certificate.
Private providers: under Resolution 2025-187, adopted on October 27, 2025, the County applies a uniform permit fee reduction when an owner uses a private provider.
Subdivisions: builders can apply for residential permits before a final plat is recorded using the County’s expedited application under section 177.073 of the Florida Statutes.
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
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Nassau County permit search and official resources
- Nassau County — Current Building Codes
- Nassau County — Permitting / Inspection Requests
- Nassau County — Permit Applications
- Nassau County — Building Department
- Nassau County digital permitting procedures
- Nassau County Residential Building Application and sufficiency checklist
- Nassau County building permit fee schedule
- Nassau County Impact and Mobility Fees
- Nassau County inspection types
- Nassau County Code, Chapter 7: Buildings (Municode)
- Town of Callahan Building & Zoning Permits
- Town of Hilliard Building & Zoning
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Nassau County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Nassau County, FL?
The Nassau County Building Department, 96161 Nassau Place, Yulee (904-530-6250), for the unincorporated county. Fernandina Beach, Callahan and Hilliard issue their own permits.
How much is a building permit in Nassau County?
It is based on construction value: $50 for the first $10,000, then $5 per $1,000 up to $50,000, $3 per $1,000 up to $500,000 and $2 per $1,000 above that. Building plan review adds 40%.
How do I submit a permit application?
By email to permitting@nassaucountyfl.com, with each document as a separate unlocked PDF and under 50 MB per email. Owner-builders must also sign the application in person in Yulee.
Do I need a permit for a fence or shed?
Residential fences up to 7 feet high do not need a building permit, except replacement pool fences. A non-habitable shed, deck or similar structure of 320 sq ft or less can be built under the County’s exemption permit, once every 12 months, without signed and sealed plans; it is still a permit with a fee and needs the owner’s affidavit.
What are the impact fees on a new home?
Under the April 1, 2026 schedule, $4,622 for a home in the 2,000–2,499 sq ft band plus a $5,430.60 educational impact fee, with mobility fees on top.
When do I have to schedule an inspection?
By phone before 4 p.m. the day before, or online until midnight, for the next workday. Unpaid re-inspection fees block new requests.
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More Florida permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Nassau County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.