Lake County, FL Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)

Under Lake County Code Sec. 6-3(a), any owner or authorized agent who intends to "erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace" plumbing work must first apply for and obtain a building permit from the Building Official before beginning. The permit holder is responsible for notifying the Building Official when work is ready for inspection under Sec. 6-3(b). Lake County enforces plumbing work under the current Florida Building Code, and Sec. 6-22(a) specifically adopts FBC, Plumbing Appendices B, D, E, and F for use in the county, alongside the FBC Building, Residential, Energy Conservation, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, and Existing Building volumes.

Plumbers performing the work must hold a state certification or be locally licensed under Sec. 6-4, unless the work falls within the narrow exemptions of Sec. 117(4)(a), Florida Statutes). If plumbing work commences before a permit is issued, Sec. 4) subjects the responsible party to a fee under the county's adopted fee schedule; barring emergency work, the permit must still be sought within three business days or the fee doubles. Permits lapse if work does not begin within 180 days of issuance, per the FBC provisions adopted at Sec.

6-22. Code enforcement officers designated under Sec. 6-6 administer this chapter and may issue a stop-work order on any plumbing work performed in violation of it, in addition to referring the matter for citation.