Lee County, FL Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit validity
- 180 days from issuance/last inspection
- Extension available
- One additional 90 days
- Extension request deadline
- 7+ days before expiration
- Exempt work value cap
- $500 combined per 12 months
- Roof/window exemption threshold
- Under 25% of area
- Enforcing office
- Lee County Building Official
Summary
Lee County adopts the Florida Building Code by reference under Section 6-111 and requires a permit for nearly all construction, alteration or repair work in the unincorporated county. Section 6-117 lists narrow exemptions, such as minor fixture replacements and small accessory structures, and a granted permit is only valid for 180 days between inspections.
(a)The following individual improvements or repairs performed within a 12-month period to a single individual dwelling unit do not require a permit. This exemption does not apply to any combination of items that exceed $500.00 or improvements undertaken as part of a larger project or work being performed on multiple dwelling units:(1)Replacement of windows, doors or garage doors, within any 12-month period, when less than 25 percent of the total glazed area.(2)Replacement of a water heater.(3)Replacement of plumbing or electric fixtures....(5)Roof repair, including replacement of wood, within any 12-month period, when less than 25 percent of the total roof area.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 7 | Land Development Code: Supplement 3 Update 3).
Full Breakdown
2's list of work exempt from permit. 00. Homeowners can also add a car cover under 200 square feet and 10 feet tall, or a garden trellis under 200 square feet and 12 feet tall, without a permit, though accessory-structure setbacks still apply. Once a permit is required and issued, Section 6-116 makes it valid for only 180 days from issuance or from the last passed inspection; missing that window voids the permit and forces a new application, though the Building Official can grant one 90-day extension if the applicant shows a good-faith effort and files the request at least seven days before expiration.
Permit fees are set in the county's fee schedule adopted under Section 6-45, and Section 6-111 gives the Building Official authority to suspend or revoke any permit issued in error, on inaccurate information, or where the work violates the Florida Building Code or another county ordinance.
Violations & Fines
Building without a required permit, or letting a permit lapse past its 180-day inspection window and continuing work anyway, is enforced under the Chapter 6 general penalty in Section 1-5 and can be referred to the county's Hearing Examiner, where fines run $25 to $1,000 per day for a first violation and $50 to $5,000 per day for a repeat, plus the county's costs of prosecution.
Frequently Asked Questions
What building work is exempt from a permit in unincorporated Lee County?
How long is a Lee County building permit good for?
Can I get more time on an expiring permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lee County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Lee County to another location·View the Florida building safety overview
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