Sealed structural permit plans for homes in Palm Beach, North Palm Beach and Tequesta: seawalls, docks and boat lifts, additions and remodels, ground-level enclosures under raised homes, and new homes. Photos and a survey are enough to quote.
Permitting in Palm Beach
The Town of Palm Beach Planning, Zoning & Building Department reviews the permit, and applications go through the Town's EPL online portal; contractors register in EPL first. Exterior work often meets design review before the building permit. The Town's Architectural Commission (ARCOM) reviews changes to structures visible from public rights-of-way, new construction and landscaping, while the Landmarks Preservation Commission issues Certificates of Appropriateness for designated landmarks and historically significant buildings. The Town's ARCOM Project Designation Matrix sorts projects into commission, chair and staff review, and its permit checklist asks that drawings match any previously approved ARCOM drawings. Variances, special exceptions and site plans go to the Town Council. In flood zones, when the cost of work reaches 50% of the building's market value (land excluded), the Town treats it as a substantial improvement: the lowest floor and the equipment serving the building (A/C, generators) must be at or above the base flood elevation, and flood vents are required at garage areas below it. The owner signs an affidavit, and the Town re-evaluates if the scope grows during construction. Lots seaward of the state Coastal Construction Control Line need a DEP permit or exemption, and the Town's checklist adds that Army Corps approval is submitted with the application when work falls within Intracoastal right-of-way easements. The Town's permit application lists seawalls as their own marine structure permit. We keep our structural sets in step with the design the boards approved, and the contractor confirms field dimensions. Outside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone: Florida Product Approvals.
Permitting in North Palm Beach
The Village of North Palm Beach Building Division takes permit applications only through its MGO online portal; paper submittals are no longer accepted, and contractors register first. The Village's checklist calls for signed and sealed plans on new construction, additions, pools, docks and boatlifts and structural repairs, with product approvals showing design pressures on window, door and roof permits. For seawalls it asks for a current boundary survey and a signed and sealed engineer overlay of the proposed work, with every waterward extension dimensioned; docks and boat lifts add the DEP package, boatlift spec sheets and an electric sub-permit, and the setbacks from the side property lines extended. Drainage plans may be required on both. Where any part of a property sits in flood zones A, AE, V or VE, new structures, additions and substantial renovations carry extra submittals under Section 12.5-5 of the Village code: the flood zone and base flood elevation, grading and fill, and the location of the Coastal Construction Control Line, or a note that the site is seaward of it. The Building Division may also require an Elevation Certificate in the Special Flood Hazard Area. Improvements that reach 50% of a building's value trigger new-construction flood standards in a flood zone, so we size the scope with that line in mind. For large commercial or multi-family projects the Village's Planning, Zoning and Adjustment Board hears site plan and appearance applications. The contractor confirms field dimensions. Outside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone: Florida Product Approvals.
Permitting in Tequesta
The Village of Tequesta Building Department, at 345 Tequesta Drive, takes building permit applications through its BSA Online portal and reviews against the 2023 Florida Building Code, 8th Edition. Docks and boat lifts follow the Village's own checklist: a DEP permit or self-certification approval, a signed and sealed survey, a site plan locating the structure under Chapter 76, Waterway Control (one division for the Loxahatchee River and Intracoastal Waterway, another for canals), and signed and sealed engineered plans. The checklist limits protrusion to 10 feet from the waterward extension of the adjacent side property line and calls for reflective devices on mooring pilings. Seawalls need a boundary survey and an overlay of the proposed work, drawn at no smaller than 1/8-inch scale and sealed by a professional engineer, showing every waterward extension. Drainage plans may be required, and a final survey may be required at the end. In the Special Flood Hazard Area the Village requires a Floodplain Development Permit before the building permit, and Elevation Certificates for all permitted work there. A building is substantially improved when the cost of improvements equals or exceeds 50% of its market value before the work starts, and it must then meet current flood map standards. The Planning and Zoning Board handles site plan review; the Village's application form excludes the R-1A and R-1 single-family districts. Jupiter Inlet Colony is a separate town with its own building department, so we confirm the jurisdiction by parcel first. The contractor confirms field dimensions. Outside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone: Florida Product Approvals.
What we draw
Questions about permits in Palm Beach, North Palm Beach & Tequesta
Does a pergola or addition in Palm Beach need ARCOM approval?
It depends on the project. ARCOM reviews changes to structures visible from public rights-of-way, new construction and landscaping, and the Landmarks Preservation Commission handles landmarks. The Town's ARCOM Project Designation Matrix sorts work into commission, chair and staff review. Check the matrix or ask Town staff before drawings are finalized, so the structural set matches what the board sees.
How do I submit a building permit in North Palm Beach?
Through the Village's MGO online portal; the Building Division no longer accepts paper or physical submittals. Contractors must register in the portal first, with current license and insurance. Plans submitted on or after January 1, 2024 follow the 2023 Florida Building Code, 8th Edition. We deliver the sealed sheets in the form the portal needs, ready for your contractor to upload.
How do I apply for a building permit in Tequesta?
The Village of Tequesta Building Department accepts building permit applications online through BSA Online, and the Department's page links step-by-step instructions. The Department is at 345 Tequesta Drive. Plans follow the 2023 Florida Building Code, 8th Edition, effective January 1, 2024. We deliver sealed sheets ready for your contractor to upload with the application.
Areas: Palm Beach, Estate Section, North End, Midtown, Palm Beach Shores, North Palm Beach, Lost Tree Village, Old Port Cove, Juno Beach, Lake Park, Tequesta, Tequesta Country Club, Jupiter Inlet Colony, Jupiter.
Our services: Ground-level enclosures for elevated homes · Pool cage & screen enclosure plans · After-the-fact permit plans · Additions & remodels · Seawall, dock & boat lift plans
Nearby: Jupiter · Palm Beach Gardens · Boca Raton · Delray Beach · Wellington · Treasure Coast
Every project is quoted individually as a fixed fee. Fees depend on scope, complexity, size, jurisdiction and turnaround.
(239) 253-0401 · Pamela@fcs-eng.com
© 2026 Floridian Construction Services, LLC d/b/a FCS Engineering · Florida PE No. 96645 · Engineering Business Registration No. 39643 · All rights reserved.
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