Highlands County, FL Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted code
- Florida Building Code, Plumbing volume
- Permit duty
- On the contractor (§ 12.16.304)
- License required
- State or county certificate of competency
- Enforcing office
- Highlands County Building Department
- Unpermitted work
- Misdemeanor/felony, per-day offense
Summary
Highlands County's Land Development Regulations incorporate the Florida Building Code's Plumbing volume by reference and, under Sec. 12.16.304, require any contractor installing or repairing a plumbing system to hold the permit that provision requires and comply with state and county licensing rules. The Building Department enforces the requirement.
It shall be the duty of every contractor who shall make contracts for the installation or repairs of building, structure, electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems for which a permit is required to comply with state or local rules and regulations concerning licensing, which the BCC may have adopted.
Full Breakdown
Article 2 of the Land Development Regulations, Sec. 102, adopts by reference all definitions found in the construction codes the Board of County Commissioners has enacted, expressly naming the Florida Building Code's Plumbing volume alongside its Energy Conservation, Accessibility, Fuel Gas, Mechanical, Existing Building and Residential volumes. Article 16, the county's Building Code, then folds plumbing work into the same permitting and inspection system that governs building, electrical, gas and mechanical systems. 304 places the duty squarely on the contractor: anyone who contracts to install or repair a plumbing system for which a permit is required must comply with state and county licensing rules the Board of County Commissioners has adopted.
That duty sits alongside the general permitting scheme in Sec. 313, which lets the building official require drawings and specifications conforming to the Florida Building Code, deny a permit if the stated valuation looks underestimated, and inspect the work before, during and after installation. A plumbing contractor must also hold a state-issued or county-issued certificate of competency under Sec. ch. 489 must separately obtain a county certificate of competency under Sec. 406. The building official may revoke a plumbing permit under Sec. 127, with each day of continued violation counted as a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Installing or repairing a plumbing system without the required permit or without a valid state or county contractor's certificate of competency is a misdemeanor or felony violation under Division 5 of Article 16 (Sec. 12.16.400 et seq.), tied to F.S. § 489.127. Each day the unpermitted work continues counts as a separate offense, and the building official can revoke an issued permit under Sec. 12.16.205 for false statements or noncompliant work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Highlands County require a permit for plumbing work in the unincorporated area?
Who can pull a plumbing permit in unincorporated Highlands County?
What happens if plumbing work is done without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Highlands County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Highlands County to another location·View the Florida building safety overview
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