The work was done by the previous owner. Does that matter?

Work done without a permit stays with the property, so it can show up on a notice long after the sale. The permitting and the corrections still go through the building department with jurisdiction. Ask the code office named on your notice how that affects your specific case.

What is an after-the-fact permit?

It is a permit applied for on work that was already built. Under the Florida Building Code, work done without a permit generally has to be permitted after the fact, which can involve drawings, inspections and opening up finished surfaces so the work can be inspected. We apply for it under our licence and carry the inspections through.

Will the walls really have to be opened?

Sometimes, yes. An inspector may have to see framing, wiring or plumbing that is now behind drywall. The building department decides what has to be opened up or changed, and we do the opening and the patching.

Who handles code enforcement for a property in Orlando?

Orlando is an incorporated municipality, so code enforcement is normally run by the municipality itself, though some places contract it out. The office handling your case is named on your notice. Deadlines, hearing dates, fines and liens are questions for that office.

Can you tell me what my fine will be or whether it will stop?

No. We are a contractor, not a law firm. Fines, liens, hearings and appeals are decided by the code enforcement board, special magistrate or local government named on the notice, so those questions go to that office, and legal questions go to a Florida attorney.

What does this kind of job cost?

It depends on what was built, how much of it can be kept, whether drawings are needed, how much finished surface has to be opened for inspection, and which trades are involved. We look at the property first, then put the price in writing before work starts. The estimate is free.

Work done without a permit in Orlando, FL

A notice about unpermitted work means the code office believes construction, alteration or repair was done on the property without the permit the Florida Building Code requires. It may be a garage conversion, an enclosed porch or patio, an addition, a room that was changed, replaced windows or doors, or electrical or plumbing changes. It does not matter who did it. Work a previous owner did without a permit stays with the property. First thing: read the notice all the way through. Write down the compliance date and any hearing date. Note the office and case number printed on it, and contact that office with any question about your own case.

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Call us or send your notice details · free estimate

A screened porch enclosure on the back of a Florida ranch house, a contractor seen from behind measuring the framing at one corner with a tape.

Orlando is an incorporated municipality, so code enforcement is normally run by the municipality itself, though some places contract it out. The notice names the office handling your case. Statewide, code enforcement is handled locally under Chapter 162, Florida Statutes, which lets cities and counties use either a code enforcement board or a special magistrate. The process generally starts with a notice of violation that identifies the problem and gives a reasonable time to correct it. If it is not corrected, the case is usually set for a hearing, and the board or magistrate issues an order with a compliance date. A fine may be imposed for each day the violation continues past that date, and a certified copy of an order imposing a fine can be recorded in the public records, where it becomes a lien on the property. The exact steps, dates and amounts are on your notice and vary by city and county, so confirm them with the code office named there.

While your case is open, don't

Do not start the work before the permit is issued. Work done ahead of the permit usually has to be opened up and inspected anyway, which adds to what has to be put back.
Do not let the compliance or hearing date pass unnoticed. Those dates drive the case, so keep them in front of you and ask the code office named on your notice about anything you are unsure of.
Do not tear out the work before the building department says what it needs. The building department decides what must be opened up, corrected or taken out, and removing things early can destroy the evidence an inspector needs to see.
Do not assume an old permit on the property is closed. An open or expired permit stays on the property record until it is properly closed out, so check its status with the local building department.

What we do

We read the notice with you and look at the propertyWe go through what was cited and walk the unpermitted work, whether that is an enclosed garage or patio, an addition, a converted room, or replaced windows and doors. The estimate is free and we agree the price in writing before any work starts.
We check the permit historyWe look at what was permitted on the property and what was not, including any open or expired permits sitting on the record.
We prepare drawings and apply for the after-the-fact permitWhere the building department needs drawings, we have them prepared. We apply for the after-the-fact permit under our Florida Certified Building Contractor licence CBC1267336.
We open up finished surfaces where an inspector has to see behind themAn after-the-fact permit can mean opening walls or ceilings so framing, wiring or plumbing can be inspected. It is the building department, not us, that decides what has to be opened.
We bring the work up to the Florida Building Code or take it outWhat can be kept gets corrected to code. What cannot be kept is taken out and the area put back.
Trade work goes to licensed trade contractorsElectrical, plumbing and air-conditioning portions are done by our Florida-licensed subcontractors, who pull that trade's permit.
We schedule inspections and work to get the permit closed outWe carry the job through inspections to final and give you the paperwork to show the code office named on your notice.

Work by 360 Home Improvements, Florida Certified Building Contractor CBC1267336. Electrical, plumbing and AC work goes to our Florida-licensed subcontractors, who pull that trade's permit.

How it works in Orlando

Orlando sits inland in Central Florida, and the housing stock here shapes what gets cited. Concrete block and stucco walls, asphalt shingle or tile roofs and slab-on-grade foundations are the norm, with 1920s–1950s bungalows near downtown and large waves of 1970s–2000s subdivisions beyond them. Single-family homes with attached one- or two-car garages predominate, which is why garage conversions and enclosed porches and patios are such common unpermitted work. Along with replaced windows, doors and roofs, these are the kinds of changes that need a permit and that can be seen from the street.

Timing matters too. Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, and storm damage left unrepaired is a common source of code enforcement notices afterward, which sometimes means repairs get made quickly and without a permit. Daily afternoon thunderstorms from June through September, constant humidity and heavy rain all push owners to patch and enclose. Section 105.1 of the Florida Building Code requires a permit for most construction, alteration and repair, and permits are issued by the building department with jurisdiction over the property. Our state certification is valid in every Florida county, so we can pull the permit for work in Orlando and across Central Florida.

Questions people ask

The work was done by the previous owner. Does that matter?: Work done without a permit stays with the property, so it can show up on a notice long after the sale. The permitting and the corrections still go through the building department with jurisdiction. Ask the code office named on your notice how that affects your specific case.
What is an after-the-fact permit?: It is a permit applied for on work that was already built. Under the Florida Building Code, work done without a permit generally has to be permitted after the fact, which can involve drawings, inspections and opening up finished surfaces so the work can be inspected. We apply for it under our licence and carry the inspections through.
Will the walls really have to be opened?: Sometimes, yes. An inspector may have to see framing, wiring or plumbing that is now behind drywall. The building department decides what has to be opened up or changed, and we do the opening and the patching.
Who handles code enforcement for a property in Orlando?: Orlando is an incorporated municipality, so code enforcement is normally run by the municipality itself, though some places contract it out. The office handling your case is named on your notice. Deadlines, hearing dates, fines and liens are questions for that office.
Can you tell me what my fine will be or whether it will stop?: No. We are a contractor, not a law firm. Fines, liens, hearings and appeals are decided by the code enforcement board, special magistrate or local government named on the notice, so those questions go to that office, and legal questions go to a Florida attorney.
What does this kind of job cost?: It depends on what was built, how much of it can be kept, whether drawings are needed, how much finished surface has to be opened for inspection, and which trades are involved. We look at the property first, then put the price in writing before work starts. The estimate is free.

This page is general information about Florida code enforcement, not legal advice. For questions about your own case (deadlines, hearing dates, fines or liens), contact the code enforcement office named on your notice, or a Florida attorney.

Send us the notice

The estimate is free: we read the notice with you, look at the property, tell you what work the violation needs and agree the price in writing before anything starts. Call (954) 906-7864 or send a request through the form on this site — and for questions about the case itself, the deadline or the hearing, contact the code office named on your notice.

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Request a free estimate

Tell us what the notice says and where the property is. We'll look at what the violation needs and agree the price with you before any work starts.

NamePhoneEmailProperty address (the property on the notice)CityZIP code (Florida)What does the notice say?Compliance date (if the notice gives one)Hearing date (if any)Anything else (optional)I agree that 360 Home Improvements may contact me about this request by phone call, text message and email at the number and email I gave, including with automated technology and an AI assistant. Consent is not a condition of any purchase. Message and data rates may apply; reply STOP to opt out of texts.

We use your details only for this request. Not legal advice; for legal questions about your case, contact the code office named on your notice or a Florida attorney. See the privacy page.

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Code Violation Solver is run by 360 Home Improvements, a licensed Florida contractor. We fix the condition behind the violation; the code office named on your notice decides the case.