Do I need a permit for interior remodeling in Unincorporated Martin County?
It depends. Whether interior remodeling needs a permit in Unincorporated Martin County comes down to the details of your project.
Cosmetic interior work such as painting, flooring, cabinets, and drywall patching generally does not need a permit, while remodeling that involves electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas, or structural changes does. Florida HB 803, effective July 1 2026, exempts single-family work under $7,500 from a building permit, but it excludes those five trades and does not apply in flood-hazard areas. Most permit-worthy remodels involve one of those trades.
Local detail for Unincorporated Martin County: Permits for unincorporated Martin County. Applications submitted through the Accela Citizen Access (ACA) online permit system.
Florida and local notes for Unincorporated Martin County
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. Martin County's own permitting office is the Martin County Building Department, reachable on (772) 288-5400 at https://www.martin.fl.us/building. Its online permit portal is https://www.martin.fl.us/resources/online-permit-system. 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. Martin County lists kitchen and bathroom remodels and shower or tub enclosure replacements as permitted work, while painting, papering, flooring, cabinetry, and similar finish work need no permit. Under HB 803, non-structural work on a single-family home under $7,500 outside a flood hazard area can be exempted, but only after a Permit Exemption Request Application is approved. The application goes to bldexempt@martin.fl.us with the signed contract and a $100 fee ($75 waiver fee plus $25 plan review). Exempt work is not inspected by county staff, so the owner and contractor carry full responsibility for code compliance, and splitting a larger project into smaller ones is prohibited.
Documents you may need
- Permit application (for trade or structural work)Sometimes required
- Scope description or plansSometimes required
- Trade subpermits (electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas)Sometimes required
- Licensed contractor informationSometimes required
- Martin County Building Permit Application (Accela Citizen Access portal or permit counter)Sometimes required
- Complete set of sealed plansSometimes required
- Electrical load calculations and riser diagramSometimes required
- Permit Exemption Request Application with the signed contract and $100 feeSometimes required
Possible inspections
- Rough inspections for any electrical, plumbing, or mechanical changes
- Framing inspection if walls are altered
- Final inspection
- Rough trade inspections where trades are involved
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a permit for interior remodeling in Unincorporated Martin County?
- It depends. Whether interior remodeling needs a permit in Unincorporated Martin County comes down to the details of your project. The documents and inspections sections on this page list what the building department typically asks for.
- Who issues the permit in Unincorporated Martin County?
- The local building department for Unincorporated Martin County handles permitting. This page lists its contact details and online portal. Your mailing city is not always the permitting authority, so confirm the jurisdiction before you apply.
- How do I find out the exact requirements for my project?
- Run the free PermitRoadmap check for your specific project and answers. It returns the likely permits, documents, inspections, and next steps, each linked to its official source.
PermitRoadmap is an independent informational service and is not affiliated with any city, county, state agency, or permitting authority. Results are informational and do not replace confirming requirements with the local permitting authority.