Fort Lauderdale, FL Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code of Ordinances Sec. 9-48(d)(17)d
- Reinspection fee
- $164.00 flat, all disciplines
- First reinspection
- Free if corrections made
- After-hours inspection
- $105.00/hr, 2-hr weekday minimum
- Vacant structure inspection
- $79.00, once per 30 days
- Unpaid fees
- Halt further reviews and inspections
Summary
When a Fort Lauderdale building inspector finds work that fails to conform to approved plans or code, Sec. 9-48(d)(17)d requires a written notice of the needed corrections, and if the first reinspection still finds the corrections incomplete, the city charges a flat $164.00 reinspection fee covering all trade disciplines involved in the permit.
d.Reinspection (all disciplines): one hundred and sixty-four dollars ($164.00). All permit fees shall include initial required inspections. If an inspector, upon a requested inspection, finds the work does not conform to, or comply with the approved plans, or comply with the provisions of Florida law, the Florida Building Code, or the city code of ordinances, the inspector shall provide a written notice indicating the corrections required. If corrections to a failed inspection are not corrected on the first reinspection, then a reinspection fee will be assessed.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 67 Update 1 | Unified Land Development Code: Supplement 58 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Every building permit fee in Fort Lauderdale already includes the initial required inspections, so the reinspection fee under Sec. 9-48(d)(17)d only applies once an inspection fails. When an inspector determines the completed work does not conform to the approved plans, or does not comply with Florida law, the Florida Building Code, or the city Code of Ordinances, the inspector must issue a written notice listing the specific corrections required before the work can pass. 00 reinspection fee attach, and it applies across all trade disciplines on the permit rather than per discipline.
00 per additional hour under the related engineering fee schedule in Sec. 9-54(7). All of these fees are adjusted every October 1 for inflation under Sec. 9-48(a), and unpaid fees can halt further plan review or inspection activity on the permit.
Violations & Fines
Failing to correct deficiencies identified in the inspector's written notice by the first reinspection triggers the $164.00 reinspection fee, and the city will not schedule further inspections on a permit with outstanding fees until they are paid. Repeated failed inspections can also delay issuance of a certificate of occupancy, which itself carries its own $405.00 fee under Sec. 9-48(d)(19) and is withheld until the work passes final inspection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Fort Lauderdale charge extra if my inspection fails?
How much does an after-hours building inspection cost in Fort Lauderdale?
What happens if I do not pay a reinspection fee?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Lauderdale
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