Pasco County, FL Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Covers
- Building, electrical, gas, mechanical, plumbing work
- Sheds
- Permit required regardless of size
- Fence exemption
- No concrete footers
- Grandfather date 1
- Sheds <250 sf, pools before 1/1/1995
- Grandfather date 2
- Work completed before 1/1/1985
Summary
Pasco County requires a permit for virtually any erection, construction, alteration, or repair of a building or its electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing systems, plus sheds and outbuildings. Working without a required permit, or buying property with unpermitted work, is a code violation.
The following activities require a building permit unless exempted in writing by the Building Official: erection, construction, alteration or repair of a building, structure, electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system. Permits are required for sheds and similar outbuildings... Permits are not required for fences without concrete footers, soffit and fascia, painting, minor drywall repairs, kitchen remodels that do not involve electrical or plumbing, mailboxes, and the work identified as exempt from permits in section 105.2 of the Florida Building Code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 94 Update 1 | Land Development Code: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
Code of Ordinances Sec. 18-36 sets the county's general permit requirement: erection, construction, alteration, or repair of a building, structure, or its electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing system requires a building permit unless the building official exempts it in writing. Sheds and similar outbuildings need permits too. 2 of the Florida Building Code. Anyone who buys land or a structure with a pre-existing unpermitted violation must obtain an after-the-fact permit or restore the property once warned, though the code carves out two grandfather dates: sheds under 250 square feet and above-ground pools erected before January 1, 1995 don't need after-the-fact permits, and any work completed before January 1, 1985 is exempt entirely.
Structures on bona fide agricultural (greenbelted) property are exempt from the Florida Building Code itself under Sec. 18-37, but still need a permit from the central permitting manager to confirm Land Development Code compliance. S. Sec. 103, and corporate property owners can't claim the owner-builder exemption.
Violations & Fines
Commencing work requiring a permit without one, contracting for or assisting such work, or failing to obtain an after-the-fact permit once warned are each separate chapter 18 violations under Sec. 18-36. Enforcement runs through Sec. 1-11's civil citation process, capped at $500 per violation plus costs or up to 60 days in county jail, and each day the violation continues counts as a new offense; contractors also risk being barred from new permits under Sec. 18-41 if they have unresolved violations or unpaid judgments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Pasco County require a permit for a backyard shed?
Can I install a fence in Pasco County without a permit?
What happens if I buy a Pasco County property with unpermitted work?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasco County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Pasco County to another location·View the Florida building safety overview
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