Do I need a permit for interior remodeling in Vero Beach?

Florida and local notes for Vero Beach

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas, and structural work still need a permit regardless of cost. HB 803 bars splitting a project to stay under $7,500 and does not apply in flood-hazard areas. Local departments implement HB 803 individually, so confirm the policy in your jurisdiction. Indian River County's own permitting office is the Indian River County Building Division (Community Development Department), reachable on 772-226-1260 at https://indianriver.gov/services/community_development/building_division/index.php. Its online permit portal is https://indianriver.clearvillageinc.com/CitizenPortal/DefaultIRC.aspx. It issues permits for the unincorporated county. If your city does not run its own building department, and many smaller Florida municipalities do not, this is the office that will handle the job. Each trade normally needs its own permit on top of the building permit, so ask which trade permits your scope will require. The Building Division's HB 803 exemption application lets single-family owners skip a permit for work under $7,500 only if the property is not in a flood hazard area and the work has no structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, or gas work; the request must include the signed contract. For alterations that do not increase the home's footprint, the county/city addition checklist waives the surveys, truss package, and soils report, and waives energy calculations when the alteration is under 30 percent of the structure's value. Vero Beach Code Sec. 64.02(c) exempts interior work on a conforming home from city development review if it does not change floor area, footprint, or height, is not a substantial improvement, and is not below base flood elevation in a flood zone.