Nassau County, FL Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- General permit trigger
- Florida Building Code § 105.1
- Small accessory structure exemption
- Up to 320 sq ft, once per 12 months
- Fence exemption
- Up to 7 feet without a permit
- Enforcing official
- Building Department building official
- Adopting ordinance
- Nassau County Code § 7-6
Summary
Any owner who wants to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or structure in unincorporated Nassau County must first apply to the building official under Florida Building Code Section 105.1, adopted by County Code Section 7-6. The same permit rule reaches electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing systems and impact-resistant coverings tied to that structure.
105.1 Required. Any owner or owner's authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or structure, or to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any impact-resistant coverings, electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system, the installation of which is regulated by this code, or to cause any such work to be performed, shall first make application to the building official and obtain the required permit. Work performed in violation of this section shall be subject to an increased permit fee as adopted by the local jurisdiction fee schedule.
Full Breakdown
1 sets the general rule: an owner or authorized agent intending to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or structure, or to install, alter, repair or replace impact-resistant coverings or an electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system, must first apply to the building official and get a permit before the work or a contractor performs it. 2. 2 carves out specific categories from that permit requirement: residential fences and privacy walls up to 7 feet, retaining walls under 4 feet, water tanks of 5,000 gallons or less with a height-to-diameter ratio no greater than 2:1, uncovered residential flatwork like driveways, patios and sidewalks not more than 30 inches above grade, and small prefabricated pools, among others. 103(7)(a) and the structure still meets Land Development Code setbacks and lot coverage.
Violations & Fines
Work performed without the required building permit is subject to an increased permit fee under the local fee schedule once discovered, per Section 105.1, and the building official can issue stop-work notices under Section 104.3. Unpermitted construction can also be referred to Nassau County code enforcement before the Special Magistrate, which can assess fines that attach as a lien on the property until the work is permitted or removed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to build a storage shed?
Do I need a permit to add a carport?
Is a permit required to build a fence?
Who reviews and issues Nassau County building permits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Nassau County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Nassau County to another location·View the Florida building safety overview
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