Plantation, FL Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Section 5-29, opening Division 5 - Illegal Structures, is a one-sentence rule: construction commenced without a duly issued building permit is illegal in Plantation. Section 5-30 extends the same illegality to construction that proceeds in derogation of the use actually granted by an issued permit. Once the Building Official learns that construction is underway without a permit, in derogation of a permitted use, or that an existing structure was built out of compliance with the zoning ordinance, Section 5-32 requires a written notice of violation sent by certified mail, giving the owner ten days to fix the problem, though the Building Official can extend that window if ten days is not enough.

If certified mail cannot reach the owner, the notice is posted conspicuously on the property instead, and Section 5-32(b) makes it a separate offense for anyone but the Building Official or a designated agent to remove that posted notice. A licensed contractor who commenced the illegal construction has his or her certificate of competency suspended citywide under Section 5-31, and the Building Official must simultaneously file a complaint with the Broward County Central Examining Boards or the State Department of Professional Regulation seeking permanent revocation of that contractor's license; no further permits issue to that contractor until the suspension is lifted.

If the deadline in the notice passes without a fix, Section 5-33 deems the owner a 'willful violator,' subjecting the owner to the remedies and penalties in Sections 1-13 and 1-14, and Section 5-34 lets the City Council order the property restored to its original state, raze the structure, or take other action to bring it into compliance with the permitted use.