The Short Answer
If your bathroom remodel touches plumbing, electrical, or the waterproofing membrane behind shower tile, you need a permit. Florida's building code doesn't set a statewide dollar threshold that exempts small jobs the way some states do — the requirement is driven by scope, not price. A $2,000 job that relocates a toilet drain needs a plumbing permit. A $6,000 job that swaps a vanity and mirror in place, with no plumbing or electrical changes, typically does not.
This trips up more homeowners in bathrooms than in any other room of the house, because bathroom work almost always looks smaller than it legally is. A "quick shower refresh" that includes new tile is, from the county's perspective, a waterproofing job that requires inspection — regardless of how modest the material budget looks on paper.
What Triggers a Permit
| Work Involved | Permit Required? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Relocating a toilet, sink, or shower drain | Yes | Plumbing permit — any change to supply or drain line locations |
| Retiling a shower or tub surround | Yes | Building permit — waterproofing membrane must be inspected under FBC Section R702.4 before tile is set |
| Adding or moving electrical outlets, a vanity light, or exhaust fan circuit | Yes | Electrical permit — required for new circuits or relocated devices |
| Removing or relocating a wall | Yes | Building permit — even non-load-bearing partitions require inspection |
| Tub-to-shower conversion | Yes | Involves plumbing changes and new waterproofing — both inspected |
| Like-for-like vanity swap (same location, same plumbing) | Usually no | Cosmetic, no systems affected |
| Replacing a toilet in the same location | Usually no | No supply or drain relocation |
| Painting, hardware, mirror, or light fixture swap (existing wiring) | No | Cosmetic only |
The pattern is the same one that governs kitchen remodels: if a licensed trade needs to open a wall, move a pipe, or run new wire, the work needs a permit. If it's finish-level cosmetic work with every system staying exactly where it is, it typically doesn't.
The Waterproofing Wrinkle
Bathrooms have a permit trigger kitchens don't: shower waterproofing. Any time shower or tub-surround tile is removed and replaced, Florida Building Code Section R702.4 requires a code-listed waterproofing membrane behind the new tile, verified by inspection before the tile goes up. That inspection happens under the building permit. In practice, this means almost any bathroom remodel that includes retiling the shower needs a permit — even if plumbing fixture locations aren't changing — because the waterproofing itself is the thing being inspected.
This surprises homeowners who assume "we're not moving any pipes" means "we don't need a permit." A straight tile-for-tile shower retile, with the drain staying exactly where it is, still requires a permit for the waterproofing inspection alone.
What Counts as a "Minor Repair" Exemption
Some Florida counties carve out an informal exemption for genuinely minor repairs — patching a small section of grout, replacing a single cracked tile, or swapping a faucet cartridge. That exemption is narrow and does not extend to a full retile, a new shower pan, or any plumbing relocation, no matter how the job is priced. Don't lean on the dollar amount of your quote as a guide to whether a permit applies — lean on whether a wall, floor, or system is being opened up.
The permit mistake we see most often: homeowners convert a tub to a walk-in shower and assume it's a like-for-like swap because "it's still just a shower." It isn't. A tub-to-shower conversion almost always changes the drain type and size, which is a plumbing permit trigger, plus it requires full new waterproofing, which is a building permit trigger. We've been called in to fix conversions done without a permit where the drain wasn't properly sized or sloped — the pan held water instead of draining it. Both problems are invisible until the shower's been in use for a few months, and by then the fix means tearing back out tile that was just installed.
Do you need a permit for a bathroom remodel in Florida? Yes, in most cases. A permit is required for any bathroom remodel that relocates plumbing, adds or moves electrical circuits, retiles a shower or tub surround (waterproofing inspection under FBC Section R702.4), or removes a wall. A like-for-like vanity, toilet, or fixture swap with no plumbing, electrical, or tile changes typically does not require a permit. Permit fees for a standard bathroom remodel in Florida run $200–$700, and skipping a required permit can void insurance claims and complicate a future home sale.
What Happens If You Skip the Permit
- Insurance claims can be denied. If water damage traces back to unpermitted plumbing work or a waterproofing membrane that was never inspected, your homeowner's insurance carrier has grounds to deny the claim.
- Home sales get complicated. Buyers' inspectors routinely check permit history against visible renovations. A remodeled bathroom with no permit on file can delay closing or force a retroactive permit process before the sale can proceed.
- Code enforcement fines. Florida counties can cite unpermitted work, with some jurisdictions assessing fines daily until it's resolved.
- Forced demolition to legalize the work. Retroactively permitting unpermitted work typically requires opening the wall or floor back up so the county can inspect what's already been covered — meaning new tile or drywall may need to come out.
Fixing Unpermitted Work You Inherited
If you bought a home with a bathroom that was clearly remodeled but you can't confirm a permit was pulled, most Florida county building departments have a public permit-history lookup you can search by address in about five minutes. If nothing shows up for work that obviously happened — a retiled shower, a relocated vanity — you have two options: leave it alone and accept the resale risk down the line, or have a licensed contractor evaluate it and pull a retroactive permit, which usually means exposing the waterproofing and plumbing for inspection. It's not a fun conversation, but it's a far cheaper fix now than a stalled closing later.
Permit Process and Fees by County
| County | Typical Permit Fee (Standard Bathroom) | Typical Turnaround (No Plan Review) |
|---|---|---|
| Palm Beach County | $250–$700 | 5–10 business days |
| Broward County | $300–$750 | 7–12 business days |
| Orange County / Orlando | $200–$600 | 5–10 business days |
| Hillsborough County / Tampa | $225–$650 | 7–14 business days |
| Collier County / Naples | $250–$700 | 7–12 business days |
| Sarasota County | $200–$600 | 5–10 business days |
A permit involving structural wall removal or a load-bearing change takes longer in every county, typically adding 2–4 weeks for plan review on top of these baseline numbers.
Who Pulls the Permit
A licensed General Contractor pulls the permit as contractor of record and is legally responsible for the work passing every required inspection, including the waterproofing inspection. If a contractor tells you a shower retile or tub-to-shower conversion "doesn't need a permit," that's a red flag, not a shortcut — Florida law and the waterproofing code both say otherwise for that scope of work. Some homeowners try to pull an owner-builder permit to save on contractor fees; Florida allows this for your own primary residence, but you take on the legal liability for every inspection yourself, and most insurance carriers scrutinize owner-permitted work more closely at claim time.
Bottom Line
Assume you need a permit if your bathroom remodel touches plumbing, electrical, or shower tile. Assume you don't if it's a like-for-like fixture swap with every system staying exactly where it is. When you're not sure, a licensed contractor can tell you in five minutes whether your specific scope requires one — before you spend a dollar on materials or open a wall you'll have to pay to close twice.