Port St. Lucie building permits come from City Hall Building B (772-871-5132); zoning questions go to the Planner of the Day at 772-871-5213.

Last checked Oct. 10, 2026. Sources: the City of Port St. Lucie Building Department, its permits, fees and checklists page, the inspections page and the Planning and Zoning Department.

Building permits in Port St. Lucie come from the city’s Building Department in City Hall Building B, 121 SW Port St. Lucie Blvd. Zoning, site plans, rezonings and variances belong to the Planning and Zoning Department. Properties outside city limits, such as much of unincorporated St. Lucie County, go to the county instead.

Who to call

  • Permitting: 772-871-5132, Permitting@cityofpsl.com
  • Inspections: 772-871-5040, inspections@cityofpsl.com
  • Planner of the Day (zoning, setbacks, land use): 772-871-5213
  • 1PSL general service line: 772-871-1775
  • Lobby hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday

Are you in the city?

Port St. Lucie is big, about 120 square miles, but not everything with a Port St. Lucie mailing address is inside city limits. The city’s advice: look up the address on the St. Lucie County Property Appraiser’s site, open the record card and read the jurisdiction line. The appraiser’s number is 772-462-1000.

Applying for a building permit

Licensed contractors apply, upload documents, schedule inspections and track status in the Contractor E-Permitting Portal. The qualifier registers first by emailing a member application to contractorlicensing@cityofpsl.com. Since Nov. 18, 2024, sign permits go through the portal too.

Homeowners acting as their own contractor must apply in person. Under Florida Statute 489.103(7)(b), the owner signs the application personally and must show the work is for their own use, not for sale or lease. The city publishes a handout on the risks of owner-builder permits.

The applications, fees and checklists page holds the forms, from accessory structures such as sheds and detached garages to changes of use. Things to know:

  • All permit fees carry a State of Florida surcharge.
  • Electronic payments carry a 2.35% service fee from a third-party vendor.
  • New single-family and duplex homes pay impact fees; the current schedule took effect Oct. 1, 2026.
  • An application with no action in 180 days is considered abandoned under the Florida Building Code.
  • Permit extensions are 90 days each, requested in writing before expiration, with a $25 fee.

The city also lets anyone search permits on a property, which is worth doing before you buy a house.

Inspections

Inspections are scheduled online only, either from a contractor login or on the Schedule Inspection page with the permit number and the 3-digit PIN from your receipt.

  • Book before midnight for the next business day. Time slots are not guaranteed.
  • An owner or representative 18 or older must be there to let the inspector in.
  • Have the permit card and approved plans on site.
  • Virtual inspections by FaceTime or WhatsApp are offered for A/C changeouts, water heater changeouts and pool heaters, in one-hour slots between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. weekdays.

The city enforces the 2023 Florida Building Code, 8th Edition, and the 2020 National Electrical Code. A drop box at the front of Building B takes after-hours paperwork.

Zoning and land use

Find your district on the city’s zoning map: the Zoning tab shows the district and the Future Land Use tab shows the planned use. Setbacks are confirmed by phone with the Planner of the Day.

Answers the city gives most often:

  • Accessory dwelling units and tiny homes: the code allows no more than one principal building or use on a lot.
  • Chickens: fowl are not on the list of animals allowed within city limits.
  • Trees: platted single-family lots outside a planned unit development are exempt from the tree preservation rules if minimum landscaping is kept; commercial and common areas in a PUD need a tree removal permit.
  • House plans for your home: ask the Building Department through a public records request.

Much of the original city was platted into single-family lots by General Development Corp. starting in the 1950s, which is why so many neighborhoods follow one grid of lots. St. Lucie West and the areas west of Interstate 95, including Tradition and Southern Grove, are not part of that original plat and mostly use planned unit development zoning with their own standards.

Site plans, rezonings and hearings

Development applications go through the city’s Development Application Review portal. Smaller site plans, under 50 homes or 10,000 square feet of nonresidential space, are decided by the Site Plan Review Committee. Larger ones go on to the City Council.

The Planning and Zoning Board meets the first Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. If you get a Notice of Public Hearing in the mail, a project near you is coming before a board or the council, and you can speak during public comment. The city’s Coming Soon to PSL page lists projects the Site Plan Review Committee has approved.

What this means for you

  • Contractor jobs: online portal. Owner-builder: in person at Building B.
  • Book inspections online by midnight for the next business day.
  • Check your zoning on the city map, then call 772-871-5213.
  • Check permits on a house before you buy it.

Related: property taxes, new businesses, who to call at City Hall and moving to Port St. Lucie.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a building permit in Port St. Lucie?

Licensed contractors apply online through the city’s E-Permitting Portal. Homeowners pulling an owner-builder permit must apply in person at City Hall Building B, 121 SW Port St. Lucie Blvd. Call 772-871-5132.

How do I find my zoning in Port St. Lucie?

Open the city’s zoning map and click the Zoning tab; the Future Land Use tab shows planned uses. The Planner of the Day answers at 772-871-5213.

How do I schedule a building inspection in Port St. Lucie?

Online through the E-Permitting Portal, with your permit number and the 3-digit PIN on your receipt. Inspections booked before midnight happen the next business day.

When does the Port St. Lucie Planning and Zoning Board meet?

The first Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m.

Can I build an accessory dwelling unit in Port St. Lucie?

The zoning code allows no more than one principal building, structure or use on a lot, so a second home on a single-family lot generally is not allowed. Ask the Planner of the Day at 772-871-5213 about your lot.