In Florida, building a pool legally requires a swimming pool permit, which pool contractors usually handle for homeowners. The permit process can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few month, depending on location. The paperwork and wait time can be frustrating for those eager to begin construction. This article focuses on the document required for a new swimming pool permit application, many of which are the responsibility of the homeowner.
Who Issues Building Permits
Document requirements for a swimming pool construction project vary according to the jurisdiction issuing the permit.
Swimming pool building permits are issued by the building department of the jurisdiction having authority (JHA) — typically the city or municipality where the property is located. When the property is located in an unincorporated area of the county, i.e. not within any city limits, the county’s building department issues the permit.
Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties still have many unincorporated residential neighborhoods, whereas in Broward County there are very few neighborhoods that are still unincorporated.
Note that the postal address of your property does not necessarily mean it’s within the legal limits of a city. For example, a house with a Miami address may very well be in an incorporated area, in which case Miami-Dade County will be the jurisdiction having authority over building permits.
If your property address is Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, or any other major city in Broward County, the authority having jurisdiction over your swimming pool building permit is mostly likely the city’s building department.
For simplicity, in this article and other articles in our blog we may refer to the jurisdiction having authority in your area as your “city”.
Plans and Documents Required
The pool plans and supporting documents we list below are the ones typically required for new swimming pool construction by most cities in South Florida:
- Pool plans. These are the comprehensive blueprints that detail every aspect of a pool’s construction, helping to ensure a smooth build, maintain structural integrity, and pass local regulatory requirements. The engineering team at AQUAVIX Pools is responsible for developing your pool plans. We encourage you to read the article Swimming Pool Engineering Plans: All Pools Are Not Created Equal to learn more about what’s included in a set of pool plans, and how our well-engineered plans can make a big difference for homeowners in terms of quality, durability, maintenance, energy efficiency, and permit processing speed.
- Permit application. This document must be signed by both the pool builder and the homeowner, and notarized for both signatures. AQUAVIX Pools will prepare this document for your signature and notarize it.
- Sub-permit applications. Plumbing and electrical sub-permits are always required and are prepared by AQUAVIX Pools. You don’t have to sign these.
- Property survey. Most cities require a survey which is less than 1 year old to be submitted along with the permit application for a new swimming pool. The property survey is the responsibility of the homeowner. For new swimming pool construction, the survey must contain certain important details that we describe in our blog article “Property Surveys for Swimming Pool Construction“.
- Owner’s survey affidavit. Some cities will accept an older property survey (but typically no more than 5 years old) if the homeowner provides a signed affidavit that no changes have been made to the property since the date of the survey being submitted.
- Elevation certificate. If your new swimming pool construction project is located in a high-risk flood zone, your city may require an elevation certificate as part of the permitting process — and chances are you already have one. Please read our blog article Elevation Certificate: Why You May Need It for Your New Pool Construction to understand what an elevation certificate is and whether you may need to obtain one.
- Geotechnical report. Many cities in South Florida mandate that a geotechnical analysis, commonly known as a “soil report” be submitted for new swimming pool construction, particularly when the property is in close proximity to water. Providing the geotechnical report is your responsibility as the homeowner, but AQUAVIX Pools can help you. In our blog article Geotechnical Analysis for Swimming Pool Construction: Why You Need a Soil Report we explain what’s in it and whether, why and how you should get yours.
- Child Safety Act election. Florida’s Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act (Chapter 515, Florida Statutes) stipulates that a residential swimming pool must meet certain pool safety requirements. Cities require homeowners to elect at least one of the approved safety features. Each city has their own form that must be signed by the homeowner and the pool contractor to document this election, which is also specified in the pool plans.
- Homeowners’ association approval letter. If the property is part of a homeowners’ association, an approval letter from the association is usually required, and must be obtained by the homeowner. Some jurisdictions (Pembroke Pines, for example) require instead an affidavit of awareness of homeowners’ association regulation, to be signed by the homeowner.
- Septic tank certification. If the property has a septic tank, a certification document from the Florida Department of Health is required. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to provide this document.
- Notice of Commencement (NOC). This is a legal document that officially marks the start of a construction project. Recording this notice with the county is mandatory for swimming pool construction projects. AQUAVIX Pools takes care of recording the NOC.
The document requirements for a new swimming pool permit may be daunting for homeowners, but do not worry: AQUAVIX Pools will work with you and manage the entire process to make things move smoothly.
There are other documents that the city may require depending on the scope of the project. For example:
- Miami Beach, Dania Beach and several other cities in South Florida require a construction cost affidavit.
- Fort Lauderdale and a few other cities in Broward County require a fence affidavit.
- Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale and many other cities in South Florida require a tree mitigation plan when the new swimming pool plans involve the removal of existing trees.
- Pembroke Pines and a few other cities in South Florida require a landscape affidavit.
- Several cities in South Florida require and a dewatering affidavit.
- Cities in South Broward require a drainage permit from the South Broward Drainage District.
Permit Application Submittal: Paper or Digital
Most cities in South Florida, including all major cities in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, have migrated the entire permit application and management process to an online system. A few smaller cities, including Dania Beach and Lauderdale by the Sea, still require printed copies of all documents, to be submitted in person.
For cities that require in-person applications, pool plans and other technical documents must be signed in ink and physically sealed.
Cities that take applications online typically require that all technical documents submitted be digitally signed and sealed, including surveys, elevation certificates and geotechnical reports.
Plan Review Process
Once we have submitted the required documents, the city creates a permit number and proceeds to a technical review of the documents and plans. The review process can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending primarily on the city. We describe the review process and its time impact in detail in another blog article, “Swimming Pool Building Permits in South Florida: The Plan Review Process”.