At a glance
- Who
- Homeowners in unincorporated Manatee County. Bradenton and Palmetto have their own permit offices.
- What
- Apply through the county's Accela Online Services portal or at 9000 Town Center Parkway, Lakewood Ranch. Residential permits need building plans and a site plan or survey.
- When
- Before work starts. A permit expires after 180 days if no required inspection has been approved.
- Where
- Manatee County Development Services, Building Division: 941-748-4501 ext. 3800, permitting@mymanatee.org.
- Why
- Work done without a permit can cause trouble with the county, and the county keeps a phone line for reports of building activity without a permit.
Which office issues your permit
Manatee County Development Services issues permits for homes in unincorporated Manatee County. If your home is inside a city, that city may run its own permit office. The City of Bradenton and the City of Palmetto both do. Read our pages on Bradenton building permits and Palmetto building permits if your address is in one of those cities.
Not sure which side of the line you are on? Ask the county or the city which office covers your address before you apply.
How to apply and who to call
The county's Permitting Section page lists these ways to reach the office:
- Online: a portal called Accela Online Services at aca-prod.accela.com/MANATEE.
- In person: 9000 Town Center Parkway, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202. The county page says Development Services has moved to this address.
- Phone: 941-748-4501, extension 3800.
- Email: permitting@mymanatee.org.
Use the phone or email for questions about timing, too. The county has not published a turnaround time for a standard residential permit on the pages we read, so the office is the only place to get a straight answer.
Want a permit question answered before you start?
Leave your name and number. We call back by the next business day to set up a free in-home visit and talk through your project.
Prefer to talk now? Call or text (941) 284-2218.
Permit types the county lists
The standard permit types on the county page are Electrical, Plumbing, Residential, Mechanical, Door and Window, and Roof. There are also express types for Residential Electrical and Residential Plumbing. Fence and Concrete are standard permit types as well.
A remodel can touch several of these at once. A bathroom that gets a new shower valve and a new fan could involve Plumbing, Electrical and Mechanical work. That is one reason the county's own list of what does and does not need a permit matters. The county's Building Division page links to a document titled "What work does and does not require a permit?" Read that document or call the office before you decide a job needs none. We could not read its contents when we wrote this page, so we do not repeat its list here.
What you bring with the application
The county's FAQ says a Residential permit needs building plans and a site plan or survey. A Concrete permit needs plans, a site plan or survey, and an erosion form. Fence permits always need plans and a site plan or survey, and the county says a Notice to Building Official and a Private Provider affidavit may also be required.
If you have never seen a site plan, our guide on what a site plan is explains it in plain words.
How long a permit lasts
The county FAQ says permits expire after 180 days if no required inspections have been approved. That is a reason to line up your contractor and materials before the application goes in, not after. We cover this in more detail in our page on permit expiration.
If your lot is in a flood zone
The county says any alteration to a building, any grade change and any fill in the floodplain requires a permit, and to contact Development Services before you start. Homes in a flood zone can also face the 50 percent rule, which looks at the cost of work against the market value of the building. Read about it in the substantial improvement rule. The county's flood page lists lookup tools and a Floodplain Management Section you can call.
What the county does not spell out
Plenty of homeowner questions have no plain answer on the county pages we could open. These include setback distances for additions, whether a garage conversion or a concrete patio needs a permit, and how many days a review takes. We do not guess at them here. For each one, the safest move is a short call to 941-748-4501 ext. 3800 or an email to permitting@mymanatee.org with your address and a one-line description of the job.
Write down the name of the person you spoke with and the date. If a rule matters to your budget, ask for the answer by email.
How Hildebrand handles permits
Hildebrand Construction & Remodeling pulls every permit the job requires and meets the Florida Building Code inspections. We are a Florida Certified Building Contractor (CBC1257253), and you can check the license at myfloridalicense.com. Plumbing and electrical work is done by licensed trade partners that we manage and coordinate under one licensed contractor.
After a free in-home visit we give you a written estimate. See how our process works and our home additions if your plan is bigger than a room refresh. Call or text (941) 284-2218, Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
Questions homeowners ask
What is the phone number for Manatee County building permits?
The Permitting Section lists 941-748-4501, extension 3800, and the email permitting@mymanatee.org.
Where is the Manatee County permit office?
Development Services is at 9000 Town Center Parkway, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202. The county page for the Permitting Section lists that address.
Can I apply for a Manatee County permit online?
Yes. The county uses a portal called Accela Online Services. The county says some permit types also need documents such as plans and a site plan or survey.
How long does a Manatee County permit take to approve?
The county has not published a turnaround time for standard residential permits on the pages we read. Call 941-748-4501 ext. 3800 for the current wait.
Do I pull the permit or does my contractor?
On our jobs, Hildebrand pulls every required permit. Whoever you hire, ask in writing who is pulling each permit before you sign.
Planning work in Manatee County?
Get a free in-home consultation and written estimate from a Florida licensed general contractor serving Manatee County. We handle the permits.