1. Owner’s Opportunity to Apply for Building Permits

By: Debra Allgire – Building Services Division

Did you know that residents can apply for building permits themselves in certain circumstances?  Florida Statute 489.103(7) specifies an exemption for owners of property that gives them the opportunity to apply for building permits, when acting as their own contractor and providing direct, onsite supervision themselves of all work not performed by licensed contractors. The Hillsborough County Construction Code Ordinance No. 09-3, 105.15 also gives the Building Official the authority to set standards for the issuance of permits to owners.  By applying for these permits, the owner/applicant acknowledges his responsibility to have the required knowledge to perform the work described.

Types of Permits and Guidelines
A building, electrical, plumbing, or mechanical permit may be issued to any person who is a bona fide owner of real property on which a one- or two-family dwelling or farm outbuilding exists and is to be constructed or improved for his own use in which he lives or intends to immediately live in. The permits also can be pulled by an owner for a commercial building whose total construction cost is less than $75,000, and whose occupancy and use is for the owner and not offered for sale or lease. Building Permits (which may include electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits) for the construction, alteration, repair, or remodeling of a one or two-family dwelling with a garage and other necessary accessory buildings may be contracted to an appropriately licensed contractor for the different categories of work and subcontractor trades under this permit.

Electrical Permits for the installation, extension, alteration, repairs, maintenance, and removal of electrical wiring, and any device in connection for light, heat, or power within a dwelling or accessory building may not be subcontracted by an owner when he obtains these stand-alone permits.  Also Plumbing and Mechanical Permits for any plumbing or mechanical work within a dwelling or accessory building may not be subcontracted by an owner when he obtains stand-alone permits. 

A Low Voltage permit also may be issued to an owner, but is a separate permit from the building permit.  Gas Permits are excluded from this owner opportunity and can only be issued to an appropriate plumbing or gas contractor certified by the State or County.

An Roof or Re-roof owner permit may also be issued for the repair or replacement of a wood shake or asphalt shingle roof on one-, two-, or three-family residences for the occupancy or use of the owner or tenant of the owner and that is not offered for sale within one year after the completion of the work. The property must have been damaged by natural causes from an event recognized as an emergency situation designated by executive order issued by the Governor.  

The owner may hire laborers to assist him with the work, but compliance with Florida Statutes regarding worker’s compensation, insurance, and payroll taxes must be maintained.   

How To Apply
To apply for an owner permit, the owner needs to furnish satisfactory evidence to the Building Official that he has sufficient practical knowledge to perform the proposed work. Application may be made at either of the Building Services Division offices located on the 19th Floor of the County Center or in the South County Office.  Permit applications, building permit checklist, permit fee schedule, and office location addresses may be found and downloaded from the Building Services Division website. The owner must personally appear to sign the building application and satisfy all permitting requirements to qualify for this exemption. Also, not more than one such permit will be issued to the same person in any 12-month period.

A Disclosure Statement/Owner Exemption Affidavit that specifies all requirements of an owner permit must be signed by the owner.  If the requirements are violated, the Building Official will withhold final approval, revoke the permit, or pursue any action or remedy for unlicensed activity against the owner and any other person performing work that requires licensure under the permit issued.

2. New Features for Building Services’ Permits Plus and Velocity Hall

Building Services has introduced several new features to make it more convenient for our customers and to increase our efficiency.

New Way To Submit Declaration Forms - Effective June 1, 2010, declaration forms for on-line permitting will be accepted through walk-ins, fax or the U.S. Postal Service.

Faxed forms must be notarized and signed by the licensed contractor. Walk-ins will be accepted at the County Center location only.  The fax number is (813) 276-8583.

Using this process will expedite the turnaround time for stand-alone permits, to one day. Stand-alone permits do not require plan review and are not part of new construction. These include electrical permits, gas permits, mechanical permits, plumbing permits and roof/re-roof permits.

Online Fee Payment - Effective June 1, 2010, the Division also has added an additional feature to our on-line permitting service. Fees will now be accepted for all permitting activities through our on-line permitting website (Velocity Hall).  This process includes all types of payments and balances owed such as: impact fees, unpaid balances, Code violations, etc.

We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover cards.  Users must have a registered e-mail account with on-line permitting/Velocity Hall.

NOTE:  IN ORDER TO USE THIS SERVICE, THE ENTIRE BALANCE MUST BE PAID IN FULL.

Denied Status Notification - a notification now will automatically be sent to applicants once the status of the permit is posted as DENIED and after comments are entered by the plans examiners and graphic technicians at the L/H/N screen in Permits Plus. 

This feature will eliminate the need for the Division’s plans examiners to make phone calls, send faxes, and/or emails to applicants once their plans are denied. The online system automatically sends these notifications via email and/or fax.