Unpermitted Work Violation: what to do next in Port St. Lucie, FL
Port St. Lucie grew from huge 1960s-era platted subdivisions into fast-building western communities like Tradition and Verano, and with that mix of homes comes a mix of past owners and past projects. An unpermitted work violation usually means a code officer found work that needed a permit and has none on record. A converted garage, an enclosed patio or replaced windows are common examples. Start with the notice. Read it, write down the compliance date and any hearing date, and call the code office named on it with questions about your case.
Call us or send your notice details · free estimate
In Port St. Lucie, an incorporated municipality, code enforcement is normally run by the city itself, though some places contract it out. The notice names the office. Under Chapter 162, Florida Statutes, Florida cities and counties hear these cases through a code enforcement board or a special magistrate. The process generally starts with a notice that gives a reasonable time to correct the problem. If it is not corrected, a hearing is set. The exact steps, deadlines and amounts are stated on your notice, so confirm them with that office.
While your case is open, don't
- Don't start more work without a permit. Adding work on top of unpermitted work can make the permit file harder for the building department to review.
- Don't lose track of the dates. The compliance date and any hearing date on the notice apply as written, so keep them where you can see them and ask the code office if anything is unclear.
- Don't tear out the work on your own. The building department decides what must be opened up, changed or taken out, and removing finished work first can leave the inspector with nothing to review.
- Don't assume a past owner's work is not your concern. Work done without a permit stays with the property, so it can appear on a notice even if you did not do it.
What we do
- We read the notice and look at the propertyThe estimate is free. We go through the notice with you, then look at the work that was cited and tell you what the violation needs.
- We check the permit historyWe look at what the building department has on record, so we know whether the work was never permitted or only partly permitted.
- We prepare drawings and apply for the permitWhere the building department needs drawings, we prepare them. We then apply for an after-the-fact permit under our Florida Certified Building Contractor licence, CBC1267336.
- We open surfaces and bring the work up to codeAn inspector may need to see framing, wiring or plumbing behind finished walls or ceilings, so we open those surfaces where required. We then bring the work up to the Florida Building Code, or take it out where it cannot be kept.
- Our subcontractors handle the trade workElectrical, plumbing and air-conditioning portions are done by our Florida-licensed subcontractors, who pull their own trade permits.
- We schedule inspections and give you the paperworkWe schedule inspections through to final and work to get the permit closed out. You get 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 Port St. Lucie
Many Port St. Lucie homes are single-family houses on slab with block and stucco walls, and attached one- and two-car garages are nearly universal. Garage conversions, enclosed porches and patios, and replaced windows, doors and roofs are the kinds of work that need a permit and can be seen from the street. The city also spans older platted subdivisions and newer communities such as St. Lucie West, Verano and Del Webb at Tradition, so a violation can involve a project that is decades old or very recent.
Weather plays a part. Port St. Lucie sits in a high-risk hurricane corridor, humidity is high all year, and salt air from the Atlantic reaches much of the city. Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, and demand for repairs and inspections picks up before and during it. Compliance dates on a notice still apply as written, so bring the notice to us early. The building department decides what product approvals and wind-load details apply to windows, doors and similar work.
Questions people ask
- What counts as unpermitted work?
- The Florida Building Code (section 105.1) requires a permit for most construction, alteration and repair work. Work done without one generally has to be permitted after the fact. The building department with jurisdiction over your property can confirm what applies.
- Will the inspector make me open my walls?
- It can happen. An after-the-fact permit can mean opening finished surfaces so the inspector can see what is behind them. The building department, not the contractor, decides what must be opened up or changed.
- I bought my Port St. Lucie home recently. Is earlier work my problem?
- Work a previous owner did without a permit stays with the property. Ask the building department about the permit history, and bring the notice to us for a free look at the work.
- Does hurricane season change my deadline in Port St. Lucie?
- Not on its own. The compliance date on your notice applies as written. If you have a question about a date, ask the code office named on the notice.
- Can you handle my hearing or the fines?
- No. We are a contractor, not a law firm. We do not represent owners at hearings or negotiate fines or liens. Those are decided by the board, magistrate or local government named on your notice, and legal questions go to a Florida attorney.
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, and we agree the price in writing before work starts. Call (954) 906-7864 or send a request through the form on the website; questions about the case itself go to the code office named on your notice.
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.
Other violations in Port St. Lucie
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.