Resources and Contact Information for Permit Inspections

Review the section below pertaining to your type of work.

Commercial Site
Commercial projects are processed by the Building Inspection Division. The Public Works Engineering Division performs several inspections during the construction phase including a pre-construction meeting, interim site inspections, and a final inspection.

Public Works Engineering Inspectors shall be notified through the Community & Economic Development iMS System or IVR system for a pre-construction meeting at least 48 hours prior to beginning any site construction activities.

Beginning January 22, 2024, you can schedule an inspection on your permit through iMS, call the IVR (Interactive Voice Response) number, or text SelectTXT.

IVR: 863.226.1519

SelectTXT: 877.667.1720

Access iMS

In case of difficulties with the iMS or IVR systems, call 863.834.4IMS (863.834.4467).

Construction Resources

Public Works Engineering Inspectors perform inspections for driveways, public sidewalks, solid waste enclosures, erosion control, and other aspects of a project site. All work must comply with the City of Lakeland Engineering Standards Manual.

Below are additional resources to use during construction:
- General Conditions of Approval
- State of Florida Erosion and Sediment Control Manual
Questions

If you have any questions related to a driveway, solid waste enclosure, and/or erosion control please contact our chief inspector, Phil Hart | 863.510.6258.
Demolition
Demolitions are processed by the Building Inspection Division and inspected by the Public Works Engineering Division.

Public Works Engineering Inspectors shall be notified through the Community & Economic Development iMS System or IVR system for a pre-construction meeting at least 48 hours prior to beginning any site activities.

Beginning January 22, 2024, you can schedule an inspection on your permit through iMS, call the IVR (Interactive Voice Response) number, or text SelectTXT.

IVR: 863.226.1519

SelectTXT: 877.667.1720

Access iMS

In case of difficulties with the iMS or IVR systems, call 863.834.4IMS (863.834.4467).

Questions

Please contact our chief inspector: Phil Hart | 863.510.6258

Resources

All work must comply with the City of Lakeland Engineering Standards Manual. Below are some valuable resources to use during construction:
- General Conditions for Approval
- State of Florida Erosion and Sediment Control Manual.
Residential Driveway

Driveways are processed by the Building Inspection Division and inspected by the Public Works Engineering Division.

Public Works Engineering Inspectors shall be notified through the Community & Economic Development iMS System or IVR system for a pre-construction meeting at least 48 hours prior to beginning any site activities.

Beginning January 22, 2024, you can schedule an inspection on your permit through iMS, call the IVR (Interactive Voice Response) number, or text SelectTXT.

IVR: 863.226.1519

SelectTXT: 877.667.1720

Access iMS

In case of difficulties with the iMS or IVR systems, call 863.834.4IMS (863.834.4467).

All work must comply with the City of Lakeland Engineering Standards Manual.

Additional resources to use during construction may be found in the State of Florida Erosion and Sediment Control Manual.

Contact

Please contact Phil Hart at 863.510.6258 for information on how to install your new driveway.
Right-of-Way Use
Any work within the City of Lakeland right-of-way of any nature, including road or sidewalk closures, will require a Right-of-Way Use Permit through the Public Works Engineering Division, prior to commencement of any work.

All work within the right-of-way shall be in full compliance with the City of Lakeland Engineering Standards Manual. A "Maintenance of Traffic Plan" shall be required for all traffic detours, lane closures and/or construction work within City rights-of-way.

Public Works Engineering Inspectors shall be notified through the Community & Economic Development iMS System or IVR system for a pre-construction meeting at least 48 hours prior to beginning any site activities.

Beginning January 22, 2024, you can schedule an inspection on your permit through iMS, call the IVR (Interactive Voice Response) number, or text SelectTXT.

IVR: 863.226.1519

SelectTXT: 877.667.1720

Access iMS

In case of difficulties with the iMS or IVR systems, call 863.834.4IMS (863.834.4467).

Resources

Below are some valuable resources to use during construction:
- Access permitting fee schedule (Permit fees range from $0 to $500 with extensions from $500 to $1500, please see the fee schedule to obtain correct costs.)
- Permit Provisions
- State of Florida Erosion and Sediment Control Manual
Contact
Please contact David Stroud at 863.834.8437 for information on how to apply for a right-of-way use permit. Please contact Phil Hart at 863.510.6258 with any field-related questions.

Fees for Right-of-Way Non-Utility Permit

Tier	Fee	Duration (Calendar Day)	Travel Lane Closure	Sidewalk Closure Length	DRT meeting	Area
1	None	Up to 90 Days	None	Up to 300 feet	Not Required	Outside Downtown
2	$250	91-150 Days	Yes	Over 300 feet	Not Required	Outside Downtown
3	None	Up to 30 Days	None	Up to 150 feet	Not Required	Inside Downtown
4	$250	31-90 Days	Up to 7 consecutive calendar days	151-300 feet	Required	Inside Downtown
5	$500	91-150 Days	8 to 21 Consecutive calendar days	Over 300 feet	Required	Inside Downtown
Extension Fee Schedule	---------------------------	Penalties	--------------------------		Inside Downtown Area	-----------------------------
Extension	Fee	Penalty Description	Fee		Parking Spaces	On-Street Parking Fees
First	$500	Working without a permit	$500		Second	$70 Monthly
Second	$1,000	Violating permit condition	$500		Third	$180 Monthly = $70+$110
Third	$1,500	Substantial inactivity in R/W for 7 or more consecutive days	$250		Fourth	$330 Monthly =$70+$110+$150
					Fifth	$660 Monthly*
					Sixth	$1320 Monthly *
					*fees continue to double for any additional parking spaces and requests for four spaces or more must be approved in writing by the Public Works Director
Sidewalk or Parklet Permit	$100 Annually for duration of the cafe or parklet

Permit Provisions

Permit Provisions which are accepted during the permit process
Right-of-Way Use for Utilities

Any work within the City of Lakeland right-of-way of any nature, relating to internal City of Lakeland utilities (such as Fiber, Water, Wastewater or Electric) or relating to external partners (such as Gas, Cable) will require a Utility Right-of-Way Use Permit through the Public Works Engineering Division, prior to commencement of any work.

All work within the right-of-way shall be in full compliance with the City of Lakeland Engineering Standards Manual. A "Maintenance of Traffic Plan" shall be required for all traffic detours, lane closures and/or construction work within City rights-of-way. The Traffic Operations Division shall approve said plan and shall be notified at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance at telephone number 863.834.3491.

Please use the document linked below to submit your application and initiate the process. Upon approval of the permit, you will receive an email with the attached permit.

Utility Right-of-Way Use Permit

Please contact David Stroud at 863.834.8437 for questions on applying for a right-of-way use permit. Please contact Phil Hart at 863.510.6258 with any field-related questions.
Sidewalk Cafe and Sidewalk Parklet

A business must obtain a ROW Non-Utility permit from the City of Lakeland's Public Works Department to authorize use of the public right of way for a sidewalk cafe or parklet.

Public Works shall be notified through the Community & Economic Development iMS System or IVR system prior to beginning any site activities.

Beginning January 22, 2024, you can schedule an inspection on your permit through iMS, call the IVR (Interactive Voice Response) number, or text SelectTXT.

IVR: 863.226.1519

SelectTXT: 877.667.1720

Access iMS

In case of difficulties with the iMS or IVR systems, call 863.834.4IMS (863.834.4467).

Sidewalk Cafe and Parklets Permit Standards and Conditions

Sidewalk Cafe and Parklets also have an annual recurring fee of $100 per city resolution 5744 adopted February 21, 2022.
Site Alteration (Site Work)
The Public Works Engineering Division performs several inspections during the demolition phase.

Questions

If you have any questions related to your demolition, please contact our chief inspector below::
- Phil Hart | 863.510.6258
Public Works Engineering Inspectors perform inspections for erosion control and other aspects of the project site. All work must comply with the City of Lakeland Engineering Standards Manual.

Resources

Below are some valuable resources to use during construction:
- General Conditions of Approval
- State of Florida Erosion and Sediment Control Manual
Subdivision
The Public Works Engineering Division will issue a Letter of Authorization to Begin Construction upon approval of a set of subdivision plans. Upon approval, the developer is required to schedule a pre-construction meeting at least 48 hours prior to starting construction.

Pre-Construction Meeting

The following individuals shall be invited to the pre-construction meeting:

PUBLIC WORKS
Phil Hart
O: 863.834.6246
C: 863.510.6285

WATER AND WASTEWATER
Gina Graham
O: 863.834.8327

LAKELAND ELECTRIC
Dale Tanner
O: 863-834-6462

PARKS & RECREATION
Bill Koen
O: 863-834-2233

Compliance

All construction shall be in compliance with the City of Lakeland Engineering Standards Manual. A set of the City approved final construction plans shall be kept at the construction site for inspection.

During construction, any modifications to the plans must be re-approved by the City.

Copies of all permits necessary for construction from FDEP, SWFWMD, US Army Corp, FDOT, Polk County, etcetera, shall be kept on-site for the entire duration of construction. Upon completion of the improvements, please make a request to the City inspectors for a final inspection, which will be required prior to the final approval of your construction by the City. The Engineer of Record will also need to submit the required certifications and as-built records to the City for review and approval.

Resources

Below are resources to use during construction:
- General Conditions of Approval
- State of Florida Erosion and Sediment Control Manual
Developers are encouraged to submit plan geometry as early as possible in order to provide time to complete reviews in advance of construction completion.