Building Department

Welcome to the Town of South Palm Beach Building Department

We have launched our new project portal, MGO!

My Government Online (MGO) is a convenient platform for contractors, residents, and the like to access information about projects in Town. Please refer to the MGO Information page on the right for more information on its usage.

For direct access to MGO, please visit: https://mgoconnect.org/cp/portal

Permits are required by “any contractor… in accordance with F.S. Ch. 489 who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure, or to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any impact-resistant coverings, electrical, gas, mechanical, plumbing or fire protection system, or accessible or flood resistant site element, the installation of which is regulated by this code, or to cause any such work to be done…” according to Town Code Chapter 10, Section 105.1. For more information, please refer to the “Permit Information” tab on the right of the page.  

To report Code Violations, please contact the Building Department at (561) 588-8889 or e-mail permits@southpalmbeach.com.  You can also file a complaint via the tab “Need to Report a Code Violation” to the right of the page.

Please note that per F.S. 125.69, the acceptance of anonymous complaints is prohibited and are therefore subject to public record, including contact information.

The Building Department is now accepting online payments

E-mail any concerns, suggestions or complaints regarding the Building Department to:
Town Manager Titcomb:   jtitcomb@southpalmbeach.com    -or-   Town Clerk Davenport:  ydavenport@southpalmbeach.com    

Sec. 10-62. - Application; plans and specifications.

(a) Applications for building permits shall be accompanied by two complete sets of plans, drawings, and specifications showing work to be done. Except as otherwise permitted by this Code, all plans, drawings, and specifications must be drawn, prepared, or verified by a state registered architect or engineer, and his seal of office imprinted thereon. Additionally, such plans, drawings, and specifications shall contain the unqualified certification of the architect or engineer, under seal, that the plans, drawings, and specifications are in full compliance with all provisions of the town's Code of Ordinances. Any plans, drawings, or specifications which fail to contain such certification under seal, or which otherwise fail to be in full compliance with the Code of Ordinances, shall be rejected. No plans, drawings, or specifications submitted with an application for building permit, or in connection with changes to previously submitted plans, drawings, or specifications, shall be prepared by any town employee, including the building code administrator, or any associate of the building code administrator or any town employee.

(b) If required by the building code administrator or otherwise required under this Code, an application for a building permit shall be accompanied by two copies of a certified survey and site plan, prepared by a state registered land surveyor, drawn to scale, showing the actual dimensions of the lot to be built upon, the size, shape, and location of the proposed building to be erected, and such other information as the building code administrator reasonably might require to determine whether the application complies with all applicable provisions of this Code.

(c) An application for a building permit for work to be performed on a condominium unit or housing cooperative (hereinafter referred to as "co-op") shall also include an authorized signature on behalf of the condominium association or co-op board, respectively, acknowledging that the association/board has been notified that the work described in the building permit application is to be performed in the condominium unit/co-op unit and that the association/board acknowledges that the town is not responsible for enforcing any applicable condominium/co-op covenants, rules or regulations. The town, in its sole discretion, may reject any application submitted that fails to substantially comply with this subsection.

(d) Applications for building permits, with all supporting plans, drawings, and specifications, as required, shall be filed with the building department. The building department shall make a record of the application. The two copies of the application shall be referred to the building code administrator, who shall examine the plans to determine whether the proposed construction or alteration will comply with the provisions of this Code relative thereto. The building code administrator shall review the application, supporting plans, drawings, and specifications, and any amendments to determine if the work proposed by the application or amendments thereto is in compliance with the zoning provisions of the land development chapter. One set of plans shall be returned to the applicant with a permit, if granted, and the other shall be retained by the town for the use of the building code administrator and as part of the permanent records of the town. No permit shall be issued until after approval of the plans by the building code administrator, receipt and acceptance by the town of the building permit application and any other required documents, and payment of the fee as prescribed by the town council. As a courtesy, the building department will make a reasonable effort to notify condominium associations and co-op boards of the status of each building permit involving their respective condominium and co-op units, including when inspections have been scheduled and when a permit has been closed out. The building department's failure to make such notifications shall not give rise to any cause of action against the town.

(e) Pursuant to section 2-93, the building code administrator may require the plans for the construction to be submitted to and approved by the architectural review board prior to the issuance of a building permit.

(f) It shall be unlawful to vary materially from the submitted plans and specifications unless these variations are submitted in an amended plan to the building code administrator and approved by him. The building code administrator shall determine if the amended plans should be submitted or resubmitted to the architectural review board pursuant to subsection 2-93(a).

(Code 1983, § 150.05(b)—(f); Code 1996, § 10-62; Ord. No. 301 , § 2, 4-13-2021)