Building Inspection
Contractors & Repair Info After Hurricane Ian:
Protect Your Home & Business From Unlicensed Activity!
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, many Lakeland-area homes and businesses need storm-related repairs and qualified contractors are in high demand. Unfortunately, these are prime conditions for scam artists and unlicensed contractors to take advantage of property owners.
Avoid becoming a victim of unlicensed activity:
- Know if your repair requires a state contractor's license
- Get more than one estimate
- Verify the contractor's license and permit
- Report unlicensed activity
Find more information and tips here.
Not sure what work needs to be done?
The My Safe Florida Home Program, administered by the State of Florida, Bureau of Emergency Management, is offering free hurricane home inspections to owners of any site-built, single-family residential Florida property constructed before 2008. The owner will receive an inspection report and recommended improvements.
Homeowners can register using the My Safe Florida Home Participant Portal.
Protection Against Termites
Effective May 9, 2022, all new Residential Construction will require proof of termite treatment, pursuant to 2020 FBC R318 Protection Against Termites. The Final Treatment Certificate is to be uploaded into eTRAKiT attachments and the BLDG TERMITE CERT Inspection scheduled, prior to scheduling the Building Final.
This inspection is for certificate verification only and is performed in-house. The Building Final will not be issued until the Final Termite Treatment Certificate is on file. Please contact our office at 863-834-6012 if you have any questions.
Affidavit Inspection Announcement
From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Lakeland and its Community & Economic Development Department adjusted business processes and practices to minimize close in-person interactions to better protect the health and safety of customers and staff alike. One such adjustment was an expansion of affidavits acceptable in lieu of inspections of residential trade permits like roofs, windows and doors.
With life returning to some level of normalcy, however, the Building Inspection Division has returned to providing its residential inspection services in a more traditional, physical form. Accordingly, effective June 1, 2021, affidavit inspections will be available only for residential roof permits. All other residential inspection types for which affidavits have been accepted, i.e. windows, doors, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, etc., must be scheduled and completed with a physical inspection, either on-site or virtually via FaceTime, Skype, GoToMeeting, etc.
Affidavit inspections for roof permits will continue to be accepted under the following conditions:
- Residential shingle roofs only.
- Pursuant to Chapter 468, Florida Statutes, affidavits will only be accepted from licensed contractors, architects, or engineers. No owner-builder affidavits will be accepted.
- Affidavits must be provided for all roof inspections associated with the permit, i.e. decking, in-progress, and final. Physical inspections cannot be completed when prior inspections were accomplished by affidavit.
Roof inspection completed by affidavit will see the associated permit marked "COMPLETE," with a Certificate of Completion available upon request.
Affidavits are not required for inspection and approval of residential roof permits. Traditional inspections remain fully available for scheduling via eTRAKiT or by calling the Building Inspection Division's Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system at 863.213.0481.
We are here to serve you, so please contact us with any questions or concerns.
Thank you!
Introducing Express Permitting
To better serve you, ePlan is now the exclusive method for plans submission, review and approval.
Paper plans for site plans and permits requiring signed and sealed drawings are no longer being accepted.
Training
Staff is dedicated to helping you make the transition smooth. Group and one-on-one training is available free of charge.
Please contact eplanhelp@lakelandgov.net for assistance or for more information.
Verify a License
Building Permit and Inspection Utilization Report
Per FS Chapter 553.80 (7)(b)
| 1. Direct and indirect costs incurred by the local government to enforce the Florida Building Code, including costs related to: | |
|---|---|
| a. Personnel services costs, including salary and related employee benefit costs incurred by the local government to enforce the Florida Building Code. | $2,407,489 |
| b. Operating expenditures and expenses. | $934,530 |
| 2. Permit and inspection utilization information, including: | |
| a. Number of building permits applications submitted. | 10,468 |
| b. Number of building permits issued or approved. | 9,937 |
| c. Number of building inspections and reinspections requested. | 44,197 |
| d. Number of building inspections and reinspections conducted. | 44,228 |
| e. Number of building inspections conducted by a private provider. | 422 |
| f. Number audits conducted by the local government of private provider building inspections. | 0 |
| g. Number of personnel dedicated by the local government to enforce the Florida Building Code, issue building permits, and conduct inspections. | 25 |
| 3. Revenue information, including: | |
| a. Revenue derived from fees pursuant to paragraph (a). | $2,949,933 |
| b. Revenue derived from fines pursuant to paragraph (a). | $0 |
| c. When applicable, investment earnings from the local government's investment of revenue derived from fees and fines pursuant to paragraph (a). | $70,957 |
| d. Balances carried forward by the local government pursuant to paragraph (a). | $1,293,793 |
| e. Balances refunded by the local government pursuant to paragraph (a). | $0 |
| f. Revenue derived from other sources, including local government general revenue. | $0 |
*Data is from: 10/1/2021-9/30/2022