How to Get a Building Permit in Lee County, FL — A Step-by-Step Guide

Lee County's building permit process has changed significantly since Hurricane Ian. The Lee County Building Department has increased staffing, updated its electronic plan review (ePlan) system, and tightened enforcement of wind load and flood zone requirements. If you're planning a construction project in Lee County — whether it's a new home, an addition, a renovation, or a commercial build-out — here's what you need to know about the permit process.

Step 1: Determine Which Jurisdiction Applies

Lee County has multiple building jurisdictions. The Lee County Building Department handles permits for unincorporated Lee County. The City of Fort Myers has its own building department. Cape Coral has its own building department. Fort Myers Beach has its own building department (which was significantly impacted by Hurricane Ian and has since been rebuilt). Bonita Springs and Estero have their own departments as well. Make sure you're submitting to the correct jurisdiction — submitting to the wrong department will delay your project.

Step 2: Determine What Documents You Need

The documents required depend on the project type. For new residential construction, you typically need: site plan, floor plan, elevations, foundation plan, structural drawings (stamped by a Florida-licensed PE), energy calculations (Florida Energy Code compliance), truss engineering (if applicable), and a FEMA Elevation Certificate for flood zone properties. For additions and renovations, the requirements vary based on scope. For commercial projects, MEP drawings are also required. Lee County's building department website has permit application checklists for each project type.

Step 3: Prepare Your Permit Set

All structural drawings must be stamped by a Florida-licensed Professional Engineer. Architectural drawings for projects requiring architectural services must be stamped by a Florida-licensed Architect. Lee County requires electronic submission through its ePlan review portal. Documents must be submitted as PDFs with specific naming conventions and formatting requirements. Pineland Engineering prepares complete permit sets — architectural drawings, structural drawings, MEP documents, energy calculations, and all required forms — formatted for Lee County ePlan submission.

Step 4: Submit Through ePlan

Lee County uses an electronic plan review system for most permit applications. You create an account, submit your application and documents online, and pay the permit fee electronically. The building department assigns your application to reviewers in each discipline (structural, zoning, fire, etc.) who review the documents and issue comments or approvals through the system. You can track your application status online.

Before You Upload: Match the Address, Jurisdiction, and Review Path

Lee County Community Development serves unincorporated Lee County. Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Bonita Springs, and Estero have separate jurisdictions, so an address check comes before any drawing package is assembled. For an unincorporated property, start with Lee County Community Development’s Application & Information Center and eConnect portal. Confirm the parcel, zoning district, floodplain status, permit type, and whether any separate environmental, driveway, utility, or right-of-way review applies. A complete technical package submitted to the wrong authority still loses time.

How Floodplain Review Changes a Lee County Permit Strategy

Lee County’s Community Development department maintains a separate floodplain-management process alongside building permits. That matters for new construction, additions, substantial improvements, and storm-related repair in mapped flood areas. Before finalizing foundation elevations or a repair scope, confirm the current map panel, base flood elevation where shown, local freeboard, and whether the project could be evaluated as substantial improvement or substantial damage. The county also publishes flood-zone, 50% Rule, map-change, and elevation-certificate resources; those records should be checked before a plan set is released for review.

Build a Correction-Ready Submittal Package

A strong first submittal is not simply a collection of PDFs. It is a coordinated set in which the site plan, architectural plans, structural details, product approvals, energy documents, and scope description tell the same story. Include a clear revision protocol from the beginning: keep the original reviewer comment number, identify the drawing sheet changed, explain the response, and upload only the current marked revision set. This makes it easier for the owner, contractor, architect, engineer, and reviewer to trace a correction without re-opening unrelated issues.

Step 5: Respond to Plan Review Comments

Most permit applications receive at least one round of plan review comments before approval. Comments can range from minor clarifications to substantive design changes. Your engineer or architect responds to comments by revising the drawings and submitting a response letter explaining how each comment was addressed. Pineland Engineering responds directly to Lee County plan review comments on behalf of our clients, which typically reduces the number of correction cycles.

When a Private Provider May Fit the Project

Florida law provides a private-provider option for eligible plan review and inspections, but it is a project-delivery decision rather than an automatic shortcut. The owner and provider must follow the notice and documentation process that applies to the jurisdiction, while zoning, site, utility, floodplain, and other approvals may remain outside the provider’s scope. Compare the schedule benefit with the cost, the provider’s available inspection capacity, and the need for a coordinated response to county comments before choosing this route.

Common Causes of Permit Delays in Lee County

The most common causes of permit delays in Lee County are: incomplete document packages (missing required sheets or calculations), flood zone compliance issues (incorrect base flood elevation, missing FEMA Elevation Certificate), wind load design deficiencies (connections not explicitly designed for the required wind speed), and zoning or setback issues identified during review. Working with an experienced local engineer who knows Lee County's specific requirements significantly reduces the risk of these delays.

After-the-Fact Permits in Lee County

If work was done without a permit, Lee County requires an after-the-fact permit to legalize the work. This process typically requires a licensed engineer to assess the existing construction, prepare as-built drawings, and certify that the work meets current code requirements. Post-Ian, Lee County has been actively pursuing unpermitted work, particularly in flood zones. See our full guide to after-the-fact permitting in Florida for more detail.

Frequently Asked Questions