Orange County, FL
Orange County plumbing permit cost
An Orange County plumbing permit for new construction
an addition or an alteration is $75.00 plus $6.00 per fixture, and twelve named stand-alone jobs — a water heater, a solar water heater, a backflow preventer, a water softener, a sewer replacement, a re-pipe, a spa with permanent connections, a mobile home, a second irrigation meter, an expired replacement and a few more — are $38.00 each. A swimming pool is $64.00, a lawn irrigation system is $38.00 to 100 heads, $54.00 to 200 and $64.00 above, and a gas permit is priced on valuation at $64.00 to the first $1,000 plus $6.00 per additional $1,000. Every one of them carries a 2.5% state surcharge with a $4.00 floor.
How this fee is calculated
These are the components the schedule defines for this permit, as they applied on 2026-09-28. A component only applies to your project if its conditions match — read that column before assuming a figure. Want a figure for your own project? Estimate this fee with the permit fee calculator.
| Component | Formula | Applies when | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas permit, by valuationPermit fee | $64.00 + $6.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $1,000, or fraction thereof | plumbing item is gas piping and equipment | — |
| Plumbing fixture, added, plugged, moved or future openingPermit fee | $6.00 per fixture | plumbing item is one of new construction, addition, alteration and Fixtures over 0 | — |
| Lawn irrigation system, 1 to 100 headsPermit fee | $38.00 flat fee | plumbing item is irrigation system and irrigation heads up to 100 | — |
| Lawn irrigation system, 101 to 200 headsPermit fee | $54.00 flat fee | plumbing item is irrigation system and irrigation heads over 100 and irrigation heads up to 200 | — |
| Lawn irrigation system, 201 heads and upPermit fee | $64.00 flat fee | plumbing item is irrigation system and irrigation heads over 200 | — |
| Plumbing permit, new construction, addition or alterationPermit fee | $75.00 flat fee | plumbing item is one of new construction, addition, alteration | — |
| Swimming pool permit, plumbingPermit fee | $64.00 flat fee | plumbing item is swimming pool | — |
| Re-inspectionInspection fee | $38.00 per inspection | plumbing item is reinspection | — |
| Stand-alone plumbing jobPermit fee | $38.00 flat fee | plumbing item is one of water heater, solar water heater, backflow preventer, water softener, sewer replacement, re pipe, spa with permanent connections, mobile home, expired replacement, second irrigation meter | — |
| Florida Building Code surcharge, 2.5% with a $4.00 minimumState surcharge | 2.5% of calculated permit fee | Every permit of this type | min $4.00 |
A real permit fee is these components added together. The department’s final calculation is the one that applies — this is the schedule it will be based on.
A worked example
Follow the arithmetic by hand. Every line is produced by the engine from the rules above, so the total cannot drift away from the schedule behind it.
Worked example
A new house in unincorporated Orange County with six plumbing fixtures — two water closets, two lavatories, one bath tub and one kitchen sink — permitted as a plumbing permit.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Fixtures | 6 |
| Plumbing item | new_construction |
Example total
$115.00
An estimate, not an official fee. It is calculated from the published fee schedule as it applied on 2026-09-28. The permit office’s own calculation is the one that applies, and your project may fall under rules this schedule does not describe.
Fee schedule as of 2026-09-28Rules applied 3Rules considered 10
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Plumbing fixture, added, plugged, moved or future openingPermit fee"Per Plumbing Fixture charge, (added, plugged, moved or future opening) 6.00" — charged on the same permit as the $75.00 above it, which is what the parenthetical in that row means.Show the working
| $6.00 per fixture | $36.00 |
Plumbing permit, new construction, addition or alterationPermit fee"Permit Fee for New Construction, Addition or Alteration (Commercial or Residential, plus $6 per fixture charge, unless specified otherwise) $75.00".Show the working
| $75.00 flat fee | $75.00 |
Florida Building Code surcharge, 2.5% with a $4.00 minimumState surcharge"NOTE: A surcharge will be assessed at the rate of 2.5% of each permit (building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, roof, and gas) fee associated with the enforcement of the Florida Building Code as per Florida Statutes section 468.631 and 553.721. The minimum amount collected in accordance with the Florida Statutes mentioned above on any permit issued shall be $4.00." The two statutes are the same 1% and 1.5% Miami-Dade quotes separately; this is the County that adds them up first.Show the working
| 2.5% of calculated permit fee | $4.00 |
| Total | $115.00 |
Fees that do not apply here
Listed so you can see what was considered and left out, rather than wondering whether something is missing. A rule can also be left out because it is not published for this permit at all, and that is stated where it matters.
- Gas permit, by valuation — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Lawn irrigation system, 1 to 100 heads — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Lawn irrigation system, 101 to 200 heads — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Lawn irrigation system, 201 heads and up — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Swimming pool permit, plumbing — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Stand-alone plumbing job — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Re-inspection — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 3 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
The permit fee is the flat $75.00 the schedule prints for new construction, addition or alteration, and the fixture charge is six times $6.00, $36.00, on the same permit. The subtotal of $111.00 is the base the surcharge is charged on: 2.5% of it is $2.78, which is less than the $4.00 the County's own note sets as the minimum collected on any permit, so the surcharge is $4.00. Total: $115.00.
Three nearby readings, to show what moves the number. A stand-alone water heater is $38.00 plus the $4.00 floor, $42.00 — the fixture charge does not apply to it. A lawn irrigation system with 150 heads is in the second band, $54.00 plus $4.00, $58.00; with 100 heads it is $38.00, and with 250 heads $64.00, because the three rows are alternatives rather than a rate per head. A gas permit for $8,000 of equipment, materials and labour is $64.00 plus seven thousands at $6.00, $106.00, plus the $4.00 floor — $110.00 — and at $50,000 of valuation it is $358.00 plus $8.95, $366.95.
The one thing the estimate cannot do is tell you which of the twelve stand-alone rows applies. A water heater replacement that also moves a drain is a stand-alone job; the same replacement inside a larger remodel is part of the $75.00 permit and the fixture count, and the page says so rather than picking one.
What is different in Orange County
This is the simplest schedule on the site, and the $4.00 surcharge floor is what makes it interesting. Six fixtures on one permit come to $75.00 + $36.00 = $111.00, and the surcharge on it is 2.5%, or $2.78 — so the county collects the $4.00 minimum instead, and the total is $115.00. A stand-alone water heater is $38.00 and pays $42.00, of which $4.00 is the state. The floor is worth knowing before comparing trades: 2.5% of anything below $160.00 is less than $4.00, and most of this schedule's rows are below $160.00.
The rule that decides which row applies is the parenthetical in the first one: "Permit Fee for New Construction, Addition or Alteration (Commercial or Residential, plus $6 per fixture charge, unless specified otherwise) $75.00". "Unless specified otherwise" points at the list of stand-alone rows, and that list is where a plumbing job usually lands. It is worth reading closely for two entries. A re-pipe appears twice, once residential at $38.00 and once commercial "per unit" at $38.00, so a re-pipe across an eight-unit building is eight charges. And a swimming pool is not on the list: it has its own $64.00 permit row, while the spa with permanent connections is on the list at $38.00 — and the pool's electrical wiring is a separate $59.00 on the electrical page, not included here.
The fixture charge is the row to avoid double-counting. It is a charge "(added, plugged, moved or future opening)" for each fixture, and it rides on the same permit as the $75.00 rather than replacing it. The site adds it once per fixture the caller reports.
Gas is the one part of this schedule priced on valuation, and it is its own schedule in the same document: "Equipment, Ventilation, Combustion Air, Piping, Boilers and any other installation(s) which requires(s) a Gas Permit — valuation based on cost of all equipment supplied by owner or contractor, materials and labor — up to and including the first $1,000 $64.00; for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof 6.00". It is priced on this page because the same division issues it, and because a gas permit with no plumbing permit beside it is the ordinary case for a water heater replacement.
The mechanical schedule lives in the same section and is not modelled anywhere on this site: air conditioning is priced per ton in marginal bands from $75.00 for up to three tons, and refrigeration, ductwork, hoods and boilers are priced on valuation at $38.00 to the first $1,000, then $10.00 per additional $1,000 to $25,000 and $6.00 above that, with a $38.00 re-inspection row and one footnote that matters: under the Florida Power Plant Siting Act, mechanical equipment directly related to electrical power generation is valued at 25% of its actual cost for the purpose of the permit fee.
What this figure does not include
Impact fees, utility connections and other departments’ permits are the usual omissions, and in some jurisdictions they are larger than the permit fee itself.
Not included in these figures
This estimate is the plumbing permit row and fixture charge that apply, the gas row when the job is a gas job, and the 2.5% state surcharge. It excludes:
- The mechanical permit on the same project: air conditioning per ton, and refrigeration, hoods and ventilation on valuation.
- The electrical work: a pool's wiring is a separate electrical permit at $59.00, and a water heater that needs a new circuit is a separate permit too.
- Irrigation backflow and water service charges from the utility, and the site's own water and sewer connection fees.
- After-hours inspections at a four-hour $212.00 minimum, and the $11.00 collection fee on a re-inspection unpaid for more than sixty days.
- The $32.00 administrative extension and the $38.00 replacement of a permit expired within six months.
- The penalty for working without a permit, at double the permit fee or $103.00, whichever is greater.
- The private provider reduction under F.S. 553.791, which takes a permit fee down to 55% or 10% of the total but never below the minimum.
What you need before applying
- One permit fee plus one charge per fixture, unless the job is on the stand-alone listRequired
"Permit Fee for New Construction, Addition or Alteration (Commercial or Residential, plus $6 per fixture charge, unless specified otherwise) $75.00" and "Per Plumbing Fixture charge, (added, plugged, moved or future opening) 6.00". The parenthetical is what decides most plumbing permits: a job that is on the stand-alone list — a water heater, a solar water heater, a backflow preventer, a water softener, a sewer replacement, a re-pipe, a spa with permanent connections, a mobile home, a second irrigation meter, or a replacement of a permit that expired less than six months ago — pays $38.00 and no fixture charge, and everything else pays $75.00 plus $6.00 a fixture. In the commercial case the per-unit re-pipe row is expressly "per unit", so a re-pipe across a building with eight units is charged eight times.
- A permit is valid for 180 days, and one extension is availableRequired
"A permit expires 180 days after the date it was issued or 180 days from the last passed inspection." The County offers "A one-time 90-day permit extension" on active permits, priced in the directory's Other Fees section at $32.00, and a permit that expired inside six months can be replaced rather than re-applied for, at $38.00. Past six months the extension is gone and "plans will be discarded and applicant shall be required to resubmit plans and pay another submittal fee".
Common questions
How much is a plumbing permit for a new house?
$75.00 plus $6.00 for each fixture, and the fixture charge is on the same permit rather than instead of it: "Permit Fee for New Construction, Addition or Alteration (Commercial or Residential, plus $6 per fixture charge, unless specified otherwise) $75.00" and "Per Plumbing Fixture charge, (added, plugged, moved or future opening) 6.00". Six fixtures is $111.00, which with the $4.00 state surcharge floor is $115.00.
Orange County Fee Directory, FY 2025-2026, pages 38-39
Which jobs are charged $38.00 instead of the $75.00 permit fee?
The stand-alone list: a replacement permit issued for one that expired within six months, mobile home plumbing, a water heater, a solar water heater, a backflow preventer, a water softener, a spa with permanent connections, a sewer replacement, a residential re-pipe, a commercial re-pipe per unit, a second irrigation meter, and a swimming pool permit — except that the pool is $64.00 rather than $38.00. None of them takes the $6.00 fixture charge.
Orange County Fee Directory, FY 2025-2026, page 39
Is a sprinkler system charged per head?
No — it is a three-row table: 1 to 100 heads $38.00, 101 to 200 heads $54.00, 201 and up $64.00. One head and one hundred heads cost the same, and the only way to pay more is to cross a break. The same page prices a second meter for irrigation at $38.00.
Orange County Fee Directory, FY 2025-2026, page 39
How is a gas permit priced?
On valuation, in its own schedule in the same section: $64.00 up to and including the first $1,000 of "cost of all equipment supplied by owner or contractor, materials and labor", then $6.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof. There is no fixture count and no tonnage. A $50,000 gas job is $358.00 before the $4.00 surcharge floor.
Orange County Fee Directory, FY 2025-2026, page 39
Is the water heater's electrical or mechanical work included?
No. The plumbing permit covers the plumbing side of the water heater at $38.00; a new circuit is a separate electrical permit, and the air conditioning on the same project is a separate mechanical permit with its own schedule. This site prices the electrical permit on its own page; the mechanical one is not modelled anywhere on the site.
Orange County Fee Directory, FY 2025-2026, pages 37-38
Why does a $38.00 permit cost $42.00?
The state surcharge has a floor. It is 2.5% of each permit fee — which would be 95 cents on $38.00 — but "the minimum amount collected in accordance with the Florida Statutes mentioned above on any permit issued shall be $4.00". Every row on this page below $160.00 therefore pays $4.00 rather than 2.5%.
Orange County Fee Directory, FY 2025-2026, page 44
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- County websiteCounty
Division of Building Safety — permits, fees and frequently asked questions
Read 2026-09-24. Not a fee schedule, and load-bearing anyway, because it is where the County states what its own fee directory does and does not cover. It answers "How much does a permit cost?" by pointing at the directory and then warning that "it's not possible to provide the total cost of a permit before it's ready to issue"; it says "Permits for mechanical, electrical, plumbing or gas work are usually based on the estimated cost of scope of work to be completed", which is a rule the electrical and plumbing schedules do not actually follow — they price a service by amperage and a fixture by count; and it answers the expiry question with a number: "A permit expires 180 days after the date it was issued or 180 days from the last passed inspection", plus "A one-time 90-day permit extension can be granted on active permits for a fee", which the directory prices at $32.00.
- Fee schedule (PDF)CountyPrimary source
Orange County Fee Directory, Fiscal Year 2025-2026
The whole directory, 1,157,045 bytes, sha256 beginning 8eb4eaaec6770373, read in three pdftotext modes and compared. It is the document the Division of Building Safety's own FAQ points to: "Please see Orange County's Fee Directory, Building Safety fees are in Section 3." Two details about its own dating are worth recording. Every content page in the Building Safety section is footed "Effective July 2025", while the table-of-contents pages still carry a stale footer reading "Effective 10/1/13" — the effective date on these pages is taken from the content pages, and the stale one is left in the document rather than tidied. And the document is dated by fiscal year, not by date: "Fee Directory Fiscal Year 2025-2026, Prepared by: Office of Management and Budget". The rows this site models are the Building Safety section's building, electrical, plumbing and gas schedules (pages 26-45), its shared Inspection Fees section (page 40), the commercial architectural review (page 44), and the residential plans review printed in the Zoning Division section (page 57).
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.