Which remodeling work needs a permit?
The city’s Kitchen/Bath Renovation Checklist says installation, alteration or major repair requires permits. It is dated June 2020. Read it together with the city’s current guidance, including the newer limited exemption below, rather than apply it as a blanket rule to every finish update. City remodeling checklist.
Before work, have the provider confirm the requirements for your address and complete scope with Pompano Beach Building Permits & Inspections. Separate cabinet or finish changes from plumbing, wiring, ventilation, gas and structural work in that conversation.
The limited exemption for smaller house projects
The city’s October 20, 2026 guidance describes an exemption for qualifying minor work on single-family houses. The Building portion must be under $7,500, the property must be outside a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, and the exempt work cannot include structural or excluded trade work. Condos, duplexes, apartments and commercial properties do not qualify.
It is not automatic: submit the exemption request through ePlan before work begins. Do not split a larger project to meet the limit. Any required electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas, zoning or engineering permits still apply and must be submitted with the request. Read the city’s current exemption guidance.
Have the city confirm eligibility. A low total price alone does not establish an exemption, and this is not permission to begin a kitchen or bathroom renovation without checking its scope.
Condo approvals and flooring documents
The city checklist includes an association approval letter for non-single-family work. It also addresses flooring plans and sound-barrier reports for second-level-and-above work, excluding single-family residences. Kitchen/Bath Renovation Checklist.
Use the condo remodeling guide to organize the association, flooring and access questions. Confirm current documents with the building and city rather than assuming a previous owner’s renovation establishes approval for yours.
Check the contractor and the business name
Florida DBPR explains how to verify a contractor’s license and the business that the contractor qualifies. Check both the person and the company you are considering, using the actual names on the proposal. DBPR verification guidance.
DBPR also notes that some limited finish trades may not require a state license. Ask the local building department about the credentials required for the exact work. Do not treat a cabinet installer and a contractor responsible for a full room renovation as interchangeable without checking scope.
Keep the project documents together
Ask who will submit applications, answer review comments, arrange inspections and provide completion records. Keep the accepted scope, product information, approval documents and written changes where you can refer to them.
You do not need to finish that work before making an enquiry. Get a Remodeling Quote with your room, location and project idea; approval and technical details can be developed with the provider and the responsible authority.