Before a kitchen remodel, most homeowners want to know one thing: "Do we actually need a permit for this?"
The honest answer is that it depends on what you're changing. Here's the straightforward breakdown.
Short answer: If you're moving plumbing, changing electrical, or removing or altering walls, plan on a permit. Purely cosmetic work that leaves every system where it is often needs none. The building department for your address enforces the Florida Building Code, and it can add local amendments and its own procedures. It has the final word on whether your project needs a permit.
Start With the Right Building Department
"Lee County" and "Collier County" are not always the office that reviews your permit. As of October 2026, Lee County Community Development says it serves the unincorporated areas of the county. It directs residents of incorporated cities, such as Fort Myers, Estero and Bonita Springs, to those cities' own departments. In Collier County, confirm whether your address is in a city or the unincorporated county.
So the first question is simple: is your home in a city or town, or in the unincorporated county? That decides which office reviews your plans, issues the permit and sends the inspector. Your contractor should know the answer before the estimate is final.
What Usually Needs a Permit
Section 105.1 of the Florida Building Code covers an owner who intends to "construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or structure." That owner must "first make application to the building official and obtain the required permit." The same section covers work on an "electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system." In a kitchen, that usually means work like this:
- Moving or adding a sink (plumbing)
- Running a new gas line for a range (plumbing or gas)
- Adding or changing electrical circuits, or upgrading a panel (electrical)
- Moving or adding outlets (electrical)
- Removing or altering a wall, load-bearing or not (building)
- Adding a window or changing a window opening (building)
- A range hood that needs a new duct through an exterior wall or the roof (building or mechanical)
Work That Often Needs None
Cosmetic work that leaves plumbing, wiring and structure alone is often exempt. Common examples include painting cabinets, replacing cabinet doors, replacing a faucet in the same spot, new backsplash tile and swapping an appliance on the same connections. Whether a specific item is exempt is still the building department's call, so confirm it before you assume.
Florida also has a statewide exemption for small jobs, in section 553.79(1)(g), Florida Statutes. Under it, a local government must exempt the owner of a single-family home, or the owner's contractor, from a building permit for "any work valued at less than $7,500." The exemption does not cover "any electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work." It also does not apply to a property partly or entirely in a flood hazard area. The owner or contractor must submit a written request with the contract or other proof of the work and its value. As of October 2026, Collier County's building permits page says the exemption began there on July 1, 2026, and it describes the county's request process.
In a kitchen, that exemption usually reaches only cosmetic work, because moving a sink, adding a circuit or changing a wall falls in the excluded trades. If you're also planning a cooking area outside, our guide to outdoor kitchen permits in Lee and Collier County walks through that project.
Gray Areas in a Kitchen Remodel
Cabinet replacement is where most questions come up. Replacing cabinet boxes in the same locations, with no plumbing or electrical changes, may need no permit at all. The picture changes once the project grows. An island with a new circuit, a sink moved to the island or a dishwasher where there wasn't one brings plumbing and electrical work. Those parts of the job need permits.
If you're unsure: Call the building department for your address, describe what you're planning and ask. It is the only office that can give you a firm answer for your home.
Permit Types for Kitchen Remodels
Most kitchen remodels involve more than one trade, so they often involve more than one permit:
| Permit | What it covers | Kitchen examples |
|---|---|---|
| Building | Structural work | Removing or altering a wall, a new opening, a window change |
| Plumbing | Water supply, drain lines and gas piping | Moving a sink, adding a pot filler, running gas to a range that used to be electric |
| Electrical | New circuits, panel upgrades and new wiring | Dedicated appliance circuits, new or moved outlets, island power |
| Mechanical | HVAC and ventilation | A new range hood duct to the outdoors |
How a department groups these, what it charges and how long review takes all vary by office and by project. Your contractor's estimate should list the permit fees for your job, and our kitchen remodel cost guide shows where those fees fit in the overall budget. You can check any office's current fee schedule on its own website.
How a Kitchen Permit Moves From Application to Close-Out
The steps are similar everywhere, even though the details are local:
- The contractor submits the application with drawings or plans.
- The building department reviews the plans.
- The permit is issued, and work can begin.
- Inspectors visit at set stages, such as rough-in before the walls close and a final at completion.
- The permit is closed out after the final inspection passes.
That last step matters. An open permit can surface when you sell or refinance, so ask for proof that every permit on your job was closed.
The Notice of Commencement
Florida adds one more document, and the owner signs it. Under section 713.13, Florida Statutes, the owner or the owner's authorized agent must act before work begins. They "shall record a notice of commencement in the clerk's office" and post a certified copy, or a notarized statement that the notice has been filed for recording along with a copy. The statute also says, "The owner must sign the notice of commencement and no one else may be permitted to sign in his or her stead." The form in the statute warns that the notice must be recorded and posted on the site before the first inspection.
There is one exception for small jobs. Under section 713.02(5), Florida Statutes, "any improvement for which the direct contract price is $2,500 or less" is exempt from this part of the law, except section 713.05. A kitchen remodel priced above that amount needs a recorded notice of commencement.
Flood Zones and the 50 Percent Rule
Many coastal homes in Lee and Collier County sit in FEMA flood zones. The federal definition of a substantial improvement is in 44 CFR 59.1. It is work "the cost of which equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the structure before the 'start of construction' of the improvement."
When a project crosses that line, the whole home may have to be brought up to current flood requirements. That can include elevation. Local floodplain rules can be stricter than the federal minimum, and each community's floodplain administrator decides how it counts costs and market value. If your home is in a flood zone, ask about this before design starts so the scope fits the threshold.
What Skipping a Kitchen Permit Costs You
Skipping a permit never ends well.
Stop-work orders and penalties. When unpermitted work comes to light, the local government can stop the job and pursue penalties under its own code. You will usually need an after-the-fact permit, and the inspector may ask to open finished walls to see the work.
Insurance trouble. Read your homeowners policy, and ask your agent how it treats work done without a permit before you decide to skip one.
Resale problems. Buyers, lenders and inspectors often check permit history. Unpermitted work can mean a lower price, a demand for repairs or a deal that falls apart.
Safety. Permits exist because inspections catch problems: wiring done wrong, gas piping that isn't supported and drains that won't drain. Finding those during construction costs far less than a fire, a flood or a gas leak finding them later.
Pulling the Permit Yourself vs. a Contractor-Pulled Permit
Florida law lets property owners act as their own contractor in limited cases. Under section 489.103(7), Florida Statutes, an owner-builder must provide "direct, onsite supervision" of the work. The owner-builder also signs a disclosure statement that says, "I understand that, as an owner-builder, I am the responsible party of record on a permit."
That is the core issue. When the contractor pulls the permit, the licensed contractor is the party of record and answers for the work. When you pull it, you are.
The red flag: a contractor who asks you to pull the permit yourself is shifting responsibility to you. The same statutory disclosure warns that "it is a frequent practice of unlicensed persons to have the property owner obtain an owner-builder permit." If you hire a contractor, the contractor should pull the permits for the work it performs. Our guide to choosing a remodeling contractor lists other questions to ask before you sign.
Permits on a HomeWorks Kitchen Remodel
Chad is on every HomeWorks project, and permits are part of the job from the start. We pull the permits our work requires under license CBC-1261775. On any remodel, ours included, ask for proof that every permit was closed before you make the final payment.
Our quotes disclose a 15 percent contingency up front, so a surprise behind the wall has a plan before demolition starts. Our track record is 81 percent of projects finished on schedule, and 4.8 stars across 60 Google reviews.
Planning a Kitchen Remodel in Lee or Collier County
If you're planning a kitchen remodel in Lee or Collier County and want to know which permits your project may need, call us at (239) 880-4700. We'll walk through your scope and tell you which building department your address falls under.
Or, if you're ready, request a quote and we'll look at your kitchen in person.
HomeWorks Construction and Design, LLC. License CBC-1261775. Serving Fort Myers, Naples, Estero, Bonita Springs, and surrounding Southwest Florida communities.
