Who issues the permit in St. Petersburg?

The local building department for St. Petersburg 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.

Do I need a permit for electrical panel or service upgrade in St. Petersburg?

Permit required

Yes. In Florida, electrical panel or service upgrade generally requires a permit, and St. Petersburg is no exception.

Upgrading or replacing an electrical panel or service, or changing service amperage, requires an electrical permit in Florida and coordination with the utility. Florida has no statewide electrical exemption to fall back on: Section 105.2 of the Florida Building Code, Building, exempts only certain gas, mechanical and plumbing work and has no electrical category. Many Florida jurisdictions do allow a one-for-one swap of a single wall switch, receptacle or light fixture at about 20 amps or less without a permit, but that is a local allowance rather than a state rule, and it never covers new circuits or any change to the panel or service. Confirm the line with your building department.

Local and county notes for St. Petersburg

The device-swap exemption does not cover new circuits, rewiring, or panel work, and varies by jurisdiction. Panel relocation adds structural and inspection steps. A panel change-out, service upgrade, or heavy-up is electrical work that requires a City of St. Petersburg permit and is never covered by the HB 803 $7,500 exemption. A service change usually requires coordination with Duke Energy for the meter disconnect and reconnect after the city inspection passes. In the Special Flood Hazard Area the panel and meter may need to be mounted above the base flood elevation; confirm with the city before relocating equipment. Pinellas County's own permitting office is the Building and Development Review Services Department, reachable on (727) 464-3888 at https://pinellas.gov/applying-for-a-building-permit/. Its online permit portal is https://aca-prod.accela.com/pinellas/default.aspx. It issues permits for the unincorporated county. If your city does not run its own building department, this is the office that will handle the job. Contractor licensing here is countywide, which is unusual. The Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board, established in 1973, regulates construction and home improvement contractors practicing in Pinellas County including all local municipalities, so whoever you hire needs to be licensed through it no matter which city you are in. Reach it on (727) 582-3100 or pcclb@pinellas.gov, 440 Court St, 1st Floor, Clearwater. State legislation has been changing which specialty trades are licensed locally rather than by the state, so confirm the current licence type your trade needs before signing a contract.

Documents you may need

Electrical permit applicationLikely required
Contractor license and insuranceLikely required
Panel or service load calculationLikely required
Utility disconnect and reconnect coordinationLikely required
Electrical permit application submitted through the City of St. Petersburg ePlan Review portalrequired
Service and load details / single-line for the panel or service changeLikely required
State-certified or Pinellas County-registered electrical contractor, or an owner-builder disclosure statementLikely required
Contractor licence number issued or recognised by the countyLikely required

Possible inspections

Electrical rough or panel change-out inspection
Final inspection
Electrical rough / service inspection
Final inspection (coordinated with Duke Energy for meter disconnect and reconnect)

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit for electrical panel or service upgrade in St. Petersburg?: Yes. In Florida, electrical panel or service upgrade generally requires a permit, and St. Petersburg is no exception. Upgrading or replacing an electrical panel or service, or changing service amperage, requires an electrical permit in Florida and coordination with the utility. Florida has no statewide electrical exemption to fall back on: Section 105.2 of the Florida Building Code, Building, exempts only certain gas, mechanical and plumbing work and has no electrical category. Many Florida jurisdictions do allow a one-for-one swap of a single wall switch, receptacle or light fixture at about 20 amps or less without a permit, but that is a local allowance rather than a state rule, and it never covers new circuits or any change to the panel or service. Confirm the line with your building department.
Who issues the permit in St. Petersburg?: The local building department for St. Petersburg 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.