Guide
Permits for foundation repair in Orlando
Florida law makes it unlawful to repair or alter a building without a permit from the local building department, and foundation work is structural repair. The contractor normally applies. Your part is knowing which office is yours and checking that the permit exists.
The state rule
The permit requirement is in section 553.79 of the Florida Statutes. A 2026 change to that section lets owners of single-family houses skip the permit for some small jobs. The exemption does not cover structural work, and it does not apply to property in a flood hazard area. Foundation repair stays on the permit side of the rule.
Which office is yours?
| Where the house is | Who issues the permit | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the City of Orlando | Permitting Services Division | City Hall, 400 South Orange Avenue, 1st Floor. 407-246-2271. digitalpermits@orlando.gov |
| Unincorporated Orange County | Orange County Division of Building Safety | 201 S. Rosalind Avenue, 1st Floor. 407-836-5550. Applications go in through the county's Fast Track site. |
| Another city, such as Winter Park, Apopka, Winter Garden or Oviedo | That city's own building department | See the town pages listed on the service area page. |
An Orlando mailing address does not settle which row applies, because some Orlando addresses lie outside the city limits. Enter the address on the Orange County Property Appraiser site. County building staff use the same test: if the record shows Un-Incorporated under Municipality, the county is your building department.
What the City of Orlando asks for
The city's residential permitting guide says permits are required for most construction projects. It lists structural and foundation details among the plan sheets that must be signed and sealed by a licensed engineer or architect, and it names unsealed plans as a common reason for turning an application down.
Before a contractor is issued a permit, the city asks for the state contractor's licence, a business tax receipt and proof of workers' compensation insurance. Ask your company whether a Florida engineer is sealing its repair plan. Permitting Services can tell you what it will require for your address.
Check the paperwork
- Ask for the permit number before work starts, and look it up on the building department's site.
- Ask who will meet the building inspector, and on which days.
- When the job is finished, ask for proof that the final inspection passed and the permit is closed.
- Keep the permit record, the drawings and the engineer's letter with the house papers. A future buyer will ask for them.
- If a company proposes to skip the permit for structural work, take that as a warning about the company.
Permit questions
Can I apply for the permit myself as the owner?
Florida allows owner-builder permits for an owner's own home, with conditions, and the owner then carries the contractor's responsibilities. When a company does the repair, its licensed contractor normally obtains the permit.
Does lifting a sunken porch slab need a permit?
Ask the building department for your address. Florida's small-job exemption leaves out structural work, and offices can differ on where a sunken slab falls.
Ready to have the house looked at?
Only someone standing at the house can tell you what is going on under it. Call, explain what you have noticed, and ask for an inspection.
Describe the problem, book an inspection
Say where the cracks or dips are and when you first saw them. The independent local foundation repair company you reach can set a time to look at the house.
Call (407) 598-8829The call may be recorded. See how referrals are paid for and what happens to your details.