Permit Requirements

Above-Ground Pool permits across Florida

Where each city draws the line on above-ground pool work. Sort any column — useful if you build across several towns and need to know where the rules change.

Cities compared 36
Always need one 35
Depends on size 1

The statewide starting point is Florida Building Code, Building, 2023, 8th edition. Cities that changed the rule are the interesting rows below.

Where the line falls Fee
Jacksonville 1,009,833 Yes Over 24 in deep The code lists no dollar amounts. An above-ground pool perm…
Miami 487,014 Yes Over 24 The code names no pool-specific amount. For residential pro…
Tampa 414,547 Yes Over 24 in deep The code names no pool amount. Sec. 5-109.2 sets permit fee…
Orlando 334,854 Yes From 24 in deep The code names no pool permit amount. Orlando publishes its…
St. Petersburg 267,102 Yes Over 24 in deep Permit fee is set by the total construction value under the…
Port St. Lucie 258,575 Yes Over 24 in deep The code gives no dollar amount; building permit fees are s…
Hialeah 235,388 Yes From 24 in deep The code names no pool amount. Sec. 14-3 says building perm…
Cape Coral 233,025 Yes Over 24 The code lists no dollar amount for a pool permit. Fees are…
Tallahassee 205,089 Yes From 24 in deep The code lists no dollar amounts. Building permit fees come…
Fort Lauderdale 190,641 Yes Over 24 in deep
Gainesville 148,720 Yes From 24 The code lists no dollar amounts. Building permit fees are …
Miramar 143,242 Yes Over 24 in deep City permit and related fees are established and adjusted b…
Coral Springs 140,808 Yes Over 24 A deposit of $100 per single-family residential unit is due…
West Palm Beach 127,744 Yes Over 24 in deep
Lakeland 124,990 Yes Under 24 in deep
Clearwater 116,811 Yes Up to 24 Appendix A (Schedule of Fees): general building permit fee …
Miami Gardens 116,173 Yes Over 24
Davie 112,052 Yes Over 24 in deep Permit fees are set by council resolution (Sec. 5-2); the c…
Palm Coast 106,729 Yes From 24 The code lists no dollar amounts. Fees are published by the…
Boca Raton 102,238 Yes Over 24 in deep Fee per city's municipal facilities and services user fee s…
Plantation 100,694 Yes Over 24 in deep Pools/Spas – Structural: 1.75% of RSM/p; Electrical, Plumbi…
Deltona 100,513 Yes Over 24 in deep
Sunrise 100,128 Yes Over 24 in deep
Fort Myers 99,918 Yes Over 24 in deep
North Port 92,875 Yes Over 24 in deep
Deerfield Beach 90,507 Yes Over 24 in deep Permit fees shall be established by the city commission by …
Melbourne 87,561 Yes Over 24 in deep Swimming pool permit fees established by city council resol…
Daytona Beach 86,015 Yes Over 24 in deep Fee schedule established by City Commission resolution; pla…
Homestead 85,796 Yes Over 24 in deep Application fee for all other scope of work: $125 minimum +…
Kissimmee 84,756 Yes Over 24 in deep
Doral 83,625 Yes From 24 in deep Per Schedule A on file with City Clerk (Doral Code Sec. 5-1)
Miami Beach 83,251 Yes Over 24 in deep Per appendix A schedule, adjusted annually for CPI-U (Sec. …
Boynton Beach 83,095 Yes Over 24 in deep
Largo 82,337 Depends Over 24 in deep
Lauderhill 76,627 Yes Over 24 in deep
Tamarac 75,147 Yes From 24 in deep Fee schedule established by city commission resolution; adj…

“Unconfirmed” means the city's code doesn't state the rule plainly enough to publish. Those city pages link straight to the ordinance section instead.

Why neighboring cities disagree

Every city starts from a model code and then edits it. One town raises the shed cutoff, the next lowers the fence height, a third exempts the structure where its neighbor only exempts repairs to it. None of that is visible from a national article — you have to read each ordinance, which is what these pages do.

This is a reference, not legal advice. Confirm with the building department in the city you're building in. How we build these pages.