City of Seminole Building Division

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON THE WHEN, WHERE AND HOW TO OBTAIN A PERMIT, AND WHEN

IT’S REQUIRED.

WHEN DO I NEED A PERMIT

Required. Any owner or authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move,

demolish, or change the occupancy of the building or structure, or to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair,

remove, convert or replace any required impact-resistant coverings, electrical, gas, mechanical or

plumbing system, the installation of which is regulated by this code, or to cause any such work to be

done, shall first make application to the building official and obtain the required permit.

If you are unsure about what you can and cannot do without a permit, please don’t hesitate to contact

the Building Division. We will be more than happy to answer any of your questions or concerns at 727-

392-1966.

How do I find out if my house is in the City of Seminole vs. Unincorporated County?

To find out if your house is located in the City limits, there are two easy ways to find out, you can either

call the Pinellas County Property Appraisers office at (727) 464-3207, or you can check your address on

line at http://www.pcpao.org/. When you check the property appraiser’s website please double check

the Tax Information to see if it says SM, only if it says SM is your house located in our City

limits, otherwise it’s Unincorporated County.

Can I pull a permit online?

Yes, please visit the Building portion of the City of Seminole website (www.myseminole.com) for more details.

When is a Notice of Commencement required?

When the value of work exceeds $2500.00 or greater, unless it’s a Mechanical permit then the work

must exceed $7,500.00.

Where can I file a Notice of Commencement?

You can file at any of the Pinellas County Courthouse locations, call (727) 464-3000, to get address

information. www.pinellascounty.org

How much will my permit cost?

Our fee schedule is located on our website; it’s based on the valuation of the job. Our website is

www.myseminole.com.

How to pay for a permit?

City of Seminole accepts cash, major credit cards (subject to a 3% transaction fee), or check for

payment of permits, checks should be written to City of Seminole.

Interior Permits:

• Room or other additions to existing buildings.

• Modifications to bearing walls or posts or removal, extension or new interior or exterior walls.

• Interior remodel of any room in your house

• Change out of air conditioning system

• Change out of electrical panel, or relocating any electrical

• Relocating of any plumbing (does not include changing out of toilets or sinks)

• Shower pan

Exterior Permits:

• Window /Door Replacement

• Shutters

• Garage Door replacement

• Accessory structures such as: sheds, gazebos, utility buildings and similar items

• Concrete slabs, sidewalks, patios

• Driveway paver or concrete or asphalt

• Patio covers and enclosures

• Screen room

• Sunrooms

• Carports

• Fences (unless you are replacing an existing fence with the same kind of material (e.g. chain link to chainlink, solid to solid, same height, in same location), that is considered maintenance)

• Pools and spas

• Birdcages around pools

• Roofs

• Seawalls, seawall caps and seawall tie backs

• Docks

• Commercial signs

• Fire suppression system, sprinklers and alarms

• Propane tanks (not used for gas grill)

• Stairways install and repair

• Handicapped ramps

• Soffit/fascia

• Decks install or repair

• Sewer line

• Grubbing or digging Florida native vegetation

• Tree Removal

• Sheds, utility structures, accessory structures

• Driveways

HOW DO I GET A PERMIT?

Who is eligible to obtain a permit?

Permits can be obtained by either a licensed contractor within the appropriate construction

trade or by an owner –occupant, provided such owner signs an owner affidavit that he will act

as his own general contractor.

What are the permitting requirements?

Permit applications are located online or in our office. The completed application together with

the necessary construction plans must be submitted in person, at the permit counter where it

will be logged into our computer system and assigned a plan review number. Plans are

reviewed in the order in which they are received; plan reviews take up to ten days to be

completed.

How long is my permit good for?

Once you have obtained your permit your permit is good for 180 days from the day you

obtained it, to begin. If construction has begun you will need to have an inspection every 6

months in order to keep the permit active. If construction has not begun, your permit will

expire at the end of the 180 days, and you will have to begin the permit process again.

What permits can you acquire over the counter with no plan review?

• Mechanical Air Conditioning and Heating systems

• Electrical Panel change/service upgrade

• Roof permits – must have the Florida Product approval numbers with you to obtain the permit

• Garage Doors- must have Florida Product Approval and specs to obtain the permit

• Soffit/Fascia

• Plumbing-small repairs –water heaters etc

Why are plan reviews performed?

Plan reviews are performed to ensure mandatory minimum requirements for the Florida

Building Codes are met. When the plan review is complete and all other approvals have been

met, you will be notified either to come in to obtain your permit or if needed, to amend your

plans to meet the requirements.

How to submit plans?

The City of Seminole requires you to submit two sets of plans for residential and three sets for

commercial projects.

Plans must be prepared by a legally registered architect or engineer under the laws of the State

of Florida regulating the practice of architecture or engineering, and who shall affix an official

seal to said drawings.

All the drawings shall be drawn to scale, show all dimensions, have the structural design criteria

clearly indicated, and be designed to meet the minimum wind load of 123 m.p.h.

Plan Review Minimum Requirements:

• Signed and sealed survey- will show the existing structure, setbacks, property lines, proposed

structures, and flood zone information if you are in a flood zone.

• Site Plan- showing all existing, proposed structures, setbacks, driveways, walks, pools, new and

existing grades, landscaping.

• Foundation Plan-showing footing and reinforcing sizes, or footing schedule and the locations of

all vertical and horizontal reinforcement. If there is a crawl space shows access and ventilation

per code.

• Floor Plan- showing all bearing, non-bearing and shear walls, columns, all plumbing fixtures, all

windows and doors, show a complete description of the proposed structure.

• Elevations of planned structure showing roof pitch, eave height, roof overhangs, exterior wall

finishes, roof ventilation, chimney, handrails, steps, flashing etc.

• Roof plan- showing all roof penetrations and flashing, chimneys, if required, gutters and

downspouts.

• Roof framing plan-showing the direction, spans, bracing and spacing of roof structure, the

design loads, connection details bracing details; if gable end, show gable end connection details

and all hold down connectors. If you are using conventional framing, show everything required

plus size, grade and species of lumber.

• Truss Engineering-SIGNED AND SEALED

• Stair details

• Section Drawings –typical wall sections

INSPECTIONS SECTION 109 OF THE 2007 FLORIDA BUILDING CODE

Construction or work for which a permit is required shall be subject to inspection by the Building

Official and such construction or work shall remain accessible and exposed for inspection

purposes until approved. Approval as a result of an inspection shall not be construed to be an

approval of a violation of the provisions of this code or of other ordinances of the jurisdiction.

Inspections presuming to give authority to violate or cancel the provisions of this code or of

other ordinances of the jurisdiction shall not be valid. It shall be the duty of the permit applicant

to cause the work to remain accessible and exposed for inspection purposes. Neither the

building official nor the jurisdiction shall be liable for expenses entailed in the removal or

replacement of any material required to allow inspection.

Inspections are an independent examination of construction activities by a person

knowledgeable in building codes and the various building trades. Our inspectors confirm that

actual job site conditions are in accordance with approved plans, verify that the construction

materials are installed in a proper manner in accordance with the approved plans and with the

applicable codes.

REQUIRED INSPECTIONS SECTION 109 2007 FLORIDA BUILDING CODE

The building official upon notification from the permit holder or his or her agent, shall make the

following inspections, and either release that portion of the construction or notify the permit

holder or his or her agent of any violations which must be corrected in order to comply with the

technical codes. The building official shall determine the timing and sequencing of the

inspections and what elements are inspected at each inspection.

BUILDING

1. Foundation inspection

• Stem wall

• Monolithic slab-on-grade

• Piling/pile caps

• Footers/grade beams

2. Framing Inspection

• Window/door framing

• Vertical cells/columns

• Lintel/tie beams

• Framing/trusses/bracing/connectors

• Draft stopping/fire blocking

• Curtain wall framing

• Energy insulation

• Accessibility

• Verify rough opening dimensions are within tolerances.

3. Sheathing inspection

• Roof sheathing

• Wall sheathing

• Sheathing fasteners

• Roof/wall dry-in

4. Roofing Inspections

• Dry-in

• Insulation

• Roof coverings

• Flashings

Final Inspection-to be made after the building is completed and ready for occupancy.

ELECTRICAL

• Underground inspection

• Rough In

• Final

PLUMBING

• Underground

• Rough in

• Final

MECHANICAL

• Underground

• Rough in

• Final

GAS

• Rough piping

• Final piping

• Final inspection

The type and number of inspections will vary with the type of project.

HOW TO CALL IN FOR INSPECTIONS

It shall be the duty of the permit holder to provide access to and means for the inspections of

such work that is required by the Florida Building Code.

All inspections should be not be requested unless all work is ready to be inspected and is

completed. If the inspector is called to inspect incomplete work and has to return later, a re-

inspection fee could result.

To arrange for an inspection, call the City of Seminole’s inspection hotline at (727)398-3110, 24

hours prior to the inspection, in other words if you want an inspection for Tuesday, you must

call your inspection in by 4:30pm Monday. When calling in your inspection you can request AM

or PM however we can’t give out a specific time, but will do our best to accommodate your

request.

Make sure to have your pink placard and the approved set of plans are available for the

inspector, place the placard and plans in the bag that we provide you in a conspicuous place for

the inspector to review and sign.

If you would like to speak with the inspector you can call the office between the hours of

8:00am to 4:30pm, however he is out in the field most of the day you may need to leave a

message or try to call either right after 8:00am or after 3:00pm, again our number is (727) 392-

1966.

How to keep my permit active?

The building code specifies that construction projects must progress at a reasonable pace. If no

inspections are called for within 180 days after the permit has been issued, the permit will

become null and void. You must pass an inspection within the 180 days to keep your permit

active, and for every inspection you receive you pass another 180 days.

What is a stop work order?

If work has begun without a permit, the inspector may issue a stop work order. Permits must

then be obtained and any improper work corrected. The stop work order must be in writing and

shall be given to the owner of the property involved, or to the owner’s agent, or to the person

doing the work. The stop work order shall state the reason for the order, and the conditions

under which the cited work will be permitted to resume.

WINDOW PERMITS One of the most frequently asked questions our department receives concerns window permits,

and storm protection permits.

Below are a few terms you may hear used by contractors:

• Argon Gas: injected between layers of glass to increase the insulation value of

the window. Argon gas has no smell or color, and is heavier than oxygen.

• Laminated Glass: glass that is manufactured by permanently bonding two or

more lites of clear, tinted, low-e, patterned, wired or reflective glass with one or

more interlayer’s of tough, polyvinyl butyral (PVB) resin sheeting in an air

autoclave under heat and pressure to create a single, solid construction.

• Low-E: stands for "low emissivity". Low-E coating on a window pane lets light in,

yet reflects heat and keeps harmful UV rays out in the summer and keeps heat

inside during the winter.

• NFRC Rating: National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) provides unbiased

energy performance ratings for windows, doors and skylights. Independent NFRC

ratings provide the basis for the Energy Star's® window performance

requirements

• R-Value: marks a window's resistance to heat loss or gain. The higher the R-

value, the better the window reduces heating and cooling bills.

• Tempered Glass: type of glass that, when broken, shatters into small pieces to

protect you from injury

• Thermal Break: part of a window or door that reduces transfer of cold or heat

from one surface to another

• U-Value: the amount of heat entering or escaping through a window. The lower

the U-value, the better the insulation value

• Awning Window: similar to a casement window, but the window opens at the

bottom by turning a hand-held crank.

• Casement Window: window that opens from one side, like a door, by turning a

hand-held crank.

• Double Hung Window: a window in which both the top and bottom sash move

up and down.

• Egress: the size opening a window creates for access

• Single Hung Window: a window with only one sash-usually the lower one-that

moves up and down

Do I need a permit to replace my windows?

Yes, you require a permit for replacing your windows, even if they are the same size an exact

replacement you will need to secure a permit.

What is required to secure a permit for windows?

Permit applications are located in our office, or you can access them online at our website

www.myseminole.com . The completed application together with the manufactures

specifications on the windows or doors that you are installing along with the Florida product

Approval numbers for the windows/doors that you are installing.

Is the City of Seminole located in a windborne debris region?

Yes, portions of hurricane-prone regions that are within 1 mile of the coastal mean high water

line where the basic wind speed is 110mph or greater; or portions of hurricane-prone regions

where the basic wind speed is 120mph or greater.

Pinellas County Wind Speed Line Description

Barrier islands are considered to be in the 130 mph wind

Speed zone. Mainland wind speed is 123 mph.

Below is a copy of the wind speed lines in the State of Florida.

2007 Florida Building Code-Building Protection of Openings:

In wind-borne debris regions, glazing in buildings shall be impact resistant or protected with an

impact resistant covering meeting the requirements of the Florida Building Code.., basically

what the code is saying is that in this area you would need to install Impact Resistant Windows,

however not everyone can afford Impact Windows so there is exceptions to the code.

Wood structural panels (plywood) with a thickness of 7/16 inch and maximum span of 8 feet

shall be permitted for opening protection in one-and two-story buildings. Panels shall be pre-

cut so that they shall be attached to the framing surrounding the opening containing the

product with the glazed opening. Panels shall be pre-drilled as required for the anchorage

method and all required hardware shall be provided. Attachment shall be designed to resist the

components and cladding loads determined in accordance with the provisions of ASCE7, with

permanent corrosion-resistant attachment hardware provided and anchors permanently

installed on the building.

In other words you can put in windows that meet the minimum standards of the Florida Building

Code that are non-impact as long as you have protection for the windows that you or your

Contractor are installing, such as plywood or shutters.

If you are installing shutters yourself, be aware there are two different designs to installing

shutters. Shutters for wood frame buildings, and shutters for masonry block structures. For

more information on how to install shutters below is a few good websites that will explain

exactly how to install them.

www.apawood.org

www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/shutters/index2.html

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ae412

IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER

WORK COVERED UP TO PRIOR TO A REQUIRED INSPECTION WILL HAVE TO BE UNCOVERED.

BEWARE OF ALLEGED CONTRACTORS WHO ASK TO BE PAID ONLY IN CASH OR ASK FOR LARGE

PAYMENTS UP FRONT.

MAKE SURE YOUR CONTRACTOR OBTAINS A PERMIT AND POST IT ON THE FRONT OF THE

PROPERTY.

MAKE SURE THE RECORDED “NOTICE OF COMMENCEMENT” IS IN THE BUILDING DIVISION

BEFORE YOUR FIRST INSPECTION.

MAKE SURE YOU CHECK WITH THE LENDING INSTITUTION PRIOR TO FILLING YOUR NOTICE OF

COMMENCEMENT.

DO NOT MAKE THE FINAL PAYMENT UNTIL YOUR CONTRACTOR PROVIDED YOU WITH THE

COPIES OF LIEN WAIVERS FROM HIS SUBCONTRACTORS AND SUPPLIERS.

DO NOT MAKE THE FINAL PAYMENT UNTIL ALL FINAL INSPECTIONS ARE SIGNED ON THE

INSPECTION PLACARD.