Question 1

What is an open permit?

Accepted Answer

An open permit is a building permit that was issued but never received a final inspection or was never closed out by the building department. The permit remains "open" in the local building department’s records, indicating that the permitted work was either: never completed, completed but never inspected, or inspected but failed and never corrected. Open permits are a common issue in Florida real estate transactions and can affect: the ability to sell the property, the ability to obtain title insurance, the ability to obtain homeowner’s insurance, and the ability to obtain new building permits.

Question 2

Why are open permits common in Florida?

Accepted Answer

Commonality: Florida’s construction boom (particularly in the 2000s and 2020s) created a large volume of permits, homeowners and contractors frequently completed work but failed to schedule the final inspection, some permits were opened for work that was never started (the homeowner changed their mind), and older permits may have been "forgotten" over time (some jurisdictions have permits dating back decades). The issue is particularly prevalent for: roof permits, window and door permits, HVAC permits, and pool permits.

Question 3

How are open permits resolved in Florida?

Accepted Answer

Resolution: determine the status (contact the local building department to identify all open permits on the property), schedule inspections (if the work was completed, schedule the final inspection with the building department), remediate deficiencies (if the work does not pass inspection, hire a licensed contractor to bring the work into compliance), and close the permit (once the work passes final inspection, the building department will close the permit and issue a certificate of completion). If the work was never started: some jurisdictions will allow the permit to be cancelled. If the work was done by a previous owner: the current owner is responsible for resolving the open permit.

Open Permit

Open Permits in Florida Real Estate

What It Means

Impact

Resolution

Related Terms

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