Building Permit Guide for Martin County, Florida (2026)

Martin County sits at the northern edge of Florida's Treasure Coast, anchored by the city of Stuart on the St. Lucie River and stretching along the Atlantic from Hobe Sound to Jensen Beach. If you own property here — or are planning a construction or renovation project in the area — you need to understand how Martin County building permits work before you break ground on anything. The county is known for its strict environmental protections and careful oversight of coastal development, which means the permit process is thorough and not something to skip. This guide covers everything homeowners and contractors need to know about Martin County building permits in 2026.

Who Issues Building Permits in Martin County?

Martin County's Building Department issues permits for properties in unincorporated Martin County — the large majority of the county's land area, including Palm City, Jensen Beach, Hobe Sound, and the waterfront communities along the Indian River Lagoon and St. Lucie River. The department is part of the county's Growth Management Department, located at 900 SE Ruhnke Street in Stuart.

If your property is within the City of Stuart, permits are issued by the City of Stuart's Building Division, not the county. Stuart is an incorporated city with its own building department at 121 SW Flagler Avenue. Indiantown and Ocean Breeze are also incorporated municipalities with their own permit authority. Before applying, confirm your property's jurisdiction using the Martin County Property Appraiser's website — applying to the wrong office causes delays that can't always be remediated before your contractor's schedule window closes.

What Projects Require a Building Permit in Martin County?

Like all 67 Florida counties, Martin County follows the Florida Building Code, which requires permits for the vast majority of construction, installation, and modification work. Common residential projects that require a permit include:

• Roof replacements: All re-roofing work — both full tear-offs and overlays — requires a permit. See our Florida roof permit guide for full documentation requirements.
• Swimming pools and spas: New pool construction requires a permit and multiple inspections, including pool barrier compliance. Florida's pool safety requirements are covered in our Florida pool barrier guide.
• Electrical work: Panel upgrades, new circuits, generator hookups, and EV charger installations all require an electrical permit. See our Florida EV charger permit guide.
• Plumbing: Water heater replacements, new fixture additions, and repiping require a plumbing permit. Details are in our Florida plumbing permit guide.
• HVAC systems: Replacing or installing central air conditioning, heat pumps, or ductless mini-splits requires a mechanical permit. See our Florida HVAC permit guide.
• Fences: Most fences in unincorporated Martin County require a permit, particularly along waterfront properties where setback and height rules are strictly enforced near the Indian River Lagoon and tidal waters.
• Docks, boat lifts, and seawalls: Martin County has extensive waterfront along the Indian River Lagoon, St. Lucie River, and Intracoastal Waterway. Any dock, pier, boat lift, or seawall modification requires a building permit plus, in most cases, separate state and federal environmental approvals. See our Florida dock and seawall permit guide.
• Solar panels: Rooftop and ground-mounted solar installations require an electrical and building permit. Read our Florida solar permit guide for current requirements.
• Room additions and structural changes: Any expansion of your home's footprint or modification to load-bearing elements requires a permit with engineer-stamped drawings and full plan review.

Projects that generally do not require a permit in Martin County include cosmetic interior work (painting, flooring, cabinetry replacement), minor like-for-like repairs, and — as of July 1, 2026 — qualifying home repairs under Florida's HB 803 permit exemption. Note that the HB 803 exemption explicitly excludes all electrical, plumbing, gas, and roofing work regardless of project cost.

How Do You Apply for a Building Permit in Martin County?

Martin County accepts permit applications through its online e-permitting portal at martinfl.gov. The portal allows homeowners and contractors to submit applications, upload documents, pay fees, and track application status without visiting the office. For simple residential permits — re-roofs, water heaters, HVAC replacements, electrical panels — online submission is the fastest path to approval.

For projects requiring plan review, applicants upload engineering drawings, site plans, and product approval documents through the same portal. The building department communicates correction requests online, and applicants respond by uploading revised documents. Walk-in submissions are accepted at 900 SE Ruhnke Street, Stuart, FL 34994, but online submission is generally faster. For help understanding what to include in a complete application, see our Florida building permit inspection process guide.

How Much Does a Building Permit Cost in Martin County?

Martin County permit fees are based on project construction value or a flat-fee schedule depending on the permit type. For common residential projects, expect to pay in these ranges:

• Re-roof permit: $150–$350 for a standard single-family home
• HVAC replacement permit: $75–$150 for a straightforward equipment swap
• Electrical permit (panel upgrade): $100–$250 depending on panel size
• Swimming pool permit: $400–$900 for residential pool construction (not including dock or screen enclosure permits)
• Room addition permit: Typically calculated as a percentage of construction value — budget $500–$2,500 for additions over 400 square feet
• Dock or boat lift permit: $150–$600 for the county building permit portion; state and federal environmental permits add time and cost beyond the county fee

All applications also include a state surcharge — currently $4 per $1,000 of construction value — that goes to Florida's building code enforcement fund. For a full comparison of permit fees across all residential project types statewide, see our Florida building permit cost guide.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Martin County Building Permit?

Martin County permit timelines are consistent with the Florida average for a mid-sized coastal county:

• Simple permits (re-roof, HVAC, water heater, electrical): 1–5 business days for complete applications. Many straightforward permits are approved same-day or next-day through the online portal.
• Plan review projects (additions, pools, new construction): 10–25 business days for the initial review cycle, depending on project complexity and current department volume. Correction requests restart the clock on affected review disciplines.
• Waterfront projects (docks, seawalls, boat lifts): The county building permit review typically takes 2–4 weeks, but the larger bottleneck is environmental permitting through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and, for navigable waterways, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Combined timelines for waterfront projects in Martin County run 6–18 months. Start the environmental permitting process as early as possible — county building review can often run concurrently once the state applications are submitted.

For strategies that help any Florida permit application move faster, see our Florida permit timeline guide.

What Makes Martin County Permits Different from Other Florida Counties?

Martin County has stronger environmental protections than most Florida counties. Several factors set the local permit process apart:

• Indian River Lagoon corridor rules: Properties adjacent to or draining into the Indian River Lagoon face additional stormwater and impervious surface restrictions. Site plans for additions, driveways, and pools must address drainage and runoff carefully.
• Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL): New construction within the CCCL zone along the Atlantic coast requires a separate FDEP permit and faces additional setback requirements. Martin County's Atlantic shoreline communities — including Jupiter Island and Hutchinson Island — are primarily within the CCCL zone.
• Strict tree and vegetation protection: Martin County's Land Development Regulations include strong protections for native vegetation. Land-clearing associated with new construction or additions may require a separate tree removal permit and mitigation plan. See our Florida tree removal permit guide for context.
• Wind zone considerations: Martin County is in a high-wind design zone. All new construction and permitted work must meet Florida Building Code wind resistance requirements, including impact-rated windows and doors in applicable coastal areas.

Working with a licensed contractor who regularly pulls permits in Martin County is especially valuable here. The sequence and completeness of environmental, county, and state submissions can make or break a project timeline — particularly for waterfront improvements.

What Are the Most Common Reasons Martin County Permits Get Delayed?

Most delays in Martin County are avoidable with careful preparation:

• Missing Florida Product Approval numbers: Every window, door, roofing material, and shutter product must have a valid Florida Product Approval number. Missing or expired approvals are the leading cause of correction requests on residential permits statewide.
• Incomplete site plan: Additions, pools, and fences require a site plan showing the project location, setbacks from all property lines, and proximity to any easements or environmental buffers. Generic plans without property-specific dimensions trigger corrections.
• Contractor licensing issues: Contractors must be licensed with the State of Florida and registered with Martin County. An unlicensed contractor or one whose license has lapsed will stop a permit application in its tracks. Our Florida contractor license verification guide shows you exactly how to confirm credentials before you sign a contract.
• Missing Notice of Commencement: Projects over the statutory threshold require a recorded Notice of Commencement before work can begin — filing it late can cause inspection holds.

Skip the headache — tell us about your project and we'll match you with a licensed permit pro in Martin County.