Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Florida?

Yes. A roof replacement requires a permit from the municipality where the property is located, in every city in Broward and Palm Beach. The licensed roofing contractor performing the work pulls it, and the city inspects at the deck, dry-in and final stages.

How long does a roofing permit take to issue?

It varies by municipality, from a few days to a few weeks, and it depends on whether the submittal is complete first time. Permitting is a separate timeline from construction, and any contractor giving you a start date should be telling you both.

Can I pull the permit myself as the homeowner?

Florida allows it on your own residence in some circumstances, with a signed disclosure. It shifts responsibility for the work and the inspections onto you and removes the contractor's licence from the paperwork. If a contractor asks you to do this, treat it as a warning rather than a convenience.

What happens if a contractor leaves a permit open?

The open permit stays attached to the property and typically surfaces in a title search when you sell. Closing it later can require inspections of work that is now covered up, which sometimes means opening a finished roof or wall. Get the permit number at the start and confirm closure at the end.

Does solar need more than one permit?

Usually yes. A building permit and an electrical permit from the municipality, plus a separate interconnection agreement with the utility. The system can pass city inspection and still not be permitted to export until interconnection clears, so ask where that stands before final payment.

Do small roof repairs need a permit?

Often yes, depending on the area involved and the municipality's threshold. Florida code also has provisions that can require a larger scope once damage passes a proportion of the roof. Ask specifically rather than assuming a small repair is exempt.

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Permits for roofing, electrical and solar in Broward and Palm Beach

Published 2026-06-25 · Updated 2026-07-28 · 8 min read

The short answer

In Broward and Palm Beach, roof replacements, electrical panel and service changes, and solar installations all require a permit from the municipality where the property sits. The licensed contractor performing the work pulls it, the city inspects at defined stages, and the permit has to be closed out. An open permit stays attached to the property and surfaces during a sale, so never let a contractor leave one behind.

Permits are the part of a project homeowners think about least and get burned by most. Not because the process is hard, but because it is invisible: you cannot see whether a permit was closed the way you can see whether the tile looks straight. Here is what actually happens on a permitted job in these two counties.

Which jobs need a permit?

The rule of thumb is that anything affecting the building envelope, the structure, or the electrical service needs one. In practice:

Work	Permit
Roof replacement or re-roof	Yes, always
Roof repair over a small area	Usually yes, thresholds vary by municipality
Panel or service change, new circuits, rewiring	Yes
Swapping a light fixture, switch or receptacle	Normally no
Solar array, roof or ground mounted	Yes, building and electrical, plus utility interconnection
Window and door replacement	Yes
Additions and structural work	Yes, with plans

If a contractor tells you a roof replacement does not need a permit, that is the end of the conversation. Stop there.

Who is allowed to pull the permit?

The licensed contractor performing the work. That matters more than it sounds, because it is the point where a broker gets exposed: a company that subcontracts the electrical cannot pull the electrical permit under its own licence, so the permit comes out under a name you have never heard of and have no contract with.

Florida also allows a homeowner to pull a permit on their own residence in some circumstances, by signing a disclosure accepting responsibility for the work and the inspections. Contractors sometimes push homeowners toward this because it is faster for them. It moves the liability onto you. Do not do it.

What are the inspection stages on a roof replacement?

Roofing is inspected in stages because most of what matters gets covered up. Broadly:

Deck and fastening, once the old covering is off and the sheathing is exposed. This is where re-nailing to current code is verified.
Dry-in, after the secondary water barrier goes down and before the covering goes on. Miss this one and the covering has to come back off.
Final, once the covering, flashing, edge metal and ventilation are complete.

The exact sequence and naming varies between municipalities, and tile has an extra stage in some jurisdictions. What does not vary is that the inspector has to see the roof before it is closed up.

Electrical and solar

A panel or service change is inspected once, usually the same day or the next, and involves a scheduled power interruption plus a disconnect and reconnect by the utility. Getting that coordination right is most of the job.

Solar carries two permits, building and electrical, plus a separate interconnection agreement with the utility that has nothing to do with the city. The system can be finished and inspected and still not be allowed to export until interconnection clears. Any installer who does not mention interconnection in the estimate has not planned the last two weeks of your project.

What does an open permit cost you?

An open permit is attached to the property, not the contractor. It shows up in a title search. At that point you are dealing with it under time pressure, with the original contractor possibly unreachable, and the city may require inspections on work that has been covered up for years. Closing a permit retroactively can mean opening a finished roof.

This is the single most common way homeowners get hurt by contractor paperwork, and it is entirely avoidable.

Does Broward differ from Palm Beach?

Both counties permit at the municipal level, so the real variation is city to city rather than county to county. Submittal formats, whether plans go in digitally, how far out inspections book and how revisions are handled all differ. A contractor who works one city well is not automatically fast in the next one over.

We file in these municipalities regularly, among others:

Questions worth asking before you sign

Whose licence is the permit coming out under, and is that the same company on my contract?
Is the permit fee inside the price or billed separately?
Who schedules the inspections and who meets the inspector?
What is the permit number, and where do I look it up?
Who closes the permit out, and how will I know it is closed?

The short version

Roofs, panels and solar all get permitted. The licensed contractor doing the work pulls it, the city inspects in stages, and somebody has to close it. Ask for the number, watch it online, and do not accept a finished job until the permit is finished too.

Common questions

Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Florida?: Yes. A roof replacement requires a permit from the municipality where the property is located, in every city in Broward and Palm Beach. The licensed roofing contractor performing the work pulls it, and the city inspects at the deck, dry-in and final stages.
How long does a roofing permit take to issue?: It varies by municipality, from a few days to a few weeks, and it depends on whether the submittal is complete first time. Permitting is a separate timeline from construction, and any contractor giving you a start date should be telling you both.
Can I pull the permit myself as the homeowner?: Florida allows it on your own residence in some circumstances, with a signed disclosure. It shifts responsibility for the work and the inspections onto you and removes the contractor's licence from the paperwork. If a contractor asks you to do this, treat it as a warning rather than a convenience.
What happens if a contractor leaves a permit open?: The open permit stays attached to the property and typically surfaces in a title search when you sell. Closing it later can require inspections of work that is now covered up, which sometimes means opening a finished roof or wall. Get the permit number at the start and confirm closure at the end.
Does solar need more than one permit?: Usually yes. A building permit and an electrical permit from the municipality, plus a separate interconnection agreement with the utility. The system can pass city inspection and still not be permitted to export until interconnection clears, so ask where that stands before final payment.
Do small roof repairs need a permit?: Often yes, depending on the area involved and the municipality's threshold. Florida code also has provisions that can require a larger scope once damage passes a proportion of the roof. Ask specifically rather than assuming a small repair is exempt.

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