Sealed structural permit plans for Treasure Coast homes from Vero Beach to Hobe Sound: pool cages and screen rooms, docks, seawalls and boat lifts, ground-level enclosures under raised homes, additions, and new homes and ADUs. Photos and a survey are enough to quote.
Permitting in Port St. Lucie
The City of Port St. Lucie Building Department reviews the permit. Licensed contractors apply through the City's Contractor E-Permits Portal; homeowner-builder permits are applied for in person. The City publishes its own Aluminum Screen Enclosure checklist (updated October 2025): sealed plans, a layout, and an as-built showing where the enclosure sits. If the enclosure will serve as the pool safety barrier, its permit goes in together with the pool permit. Public Works' residential handout says a pool deck and screen enclosure may reach into the rear 20-foot drainage and utility easement only with an approved Revocable Encroachment Permit, and it caps impervious area at 80%. In nine named neighborhoods, including Sawgrass Lakes, South River Shores and Vikings Landing, the HOA approves the site and drainage plans instead of City Public Works. The City's dock checklist asks for sealed plans, a plot plan with side and rear setbacks, approval letters from the Army Corps of Engineers, FDEP and the South Florida Water Management District, and a recorded licensing agreement when a dock sits on City property without riparian rights. In flood zones, improvements that reach 50% of the building's value trigger new-construction flood standards, so we size additions with that line in mind. Outside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone: Florida Product Approvals.
Permitting in Jensen Beach
Jensen Beach is unincorporated Martin County, so the Martin County Building Department in Stuart reviews the permit, and applications go through the county's Accela Citizen Access portal. We confirm the jurisdiction by parcel first, because nearby municipalities such as Stuart permit separately. The county publishes separate checklists for screen enclosures, pool enclosures, decks, docks, boat lifts, dock pilings and seawalls. The screen enclosure checklist (revised February 2026) asks for sealed plans and a survey or site plan showing NAVD elevations, flood zone, setbacks and easements, on sheets no larger than 24 by 36 inches. For seawalls, the county's checklist requires engineered drawings and says FDEP must provide either a permit or an exemption for any construction on the water; new seawalls also start with a pre-application evaluation from the Growth Management Department. In a flood zone, Martin County requires new or substantially improved structures to sit at least one foot above the base flood elevation, enclosures included, and improvements that reach 50% of a structure's value must bring it into compliance. The county's flood map links elevation certificates on file, mostly for homes built after 1991. Lots on Hutchinson Island seaward of the state Coastal Construction Control Line add a state coastal permit. Outside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone: Florida Product Approvals.
Permitting in Palm City
Palm City is unincorporated Martin County, so the Martin County Building Department reviews the permit through the county's Accela Citizen Access portal; we confirm the jurisdiction by parcel before quoting. The county's "Do I Need a Building Permit?" page lists decks, screen rooms and enclosures, patios and patio covers, pool enclosures and seawalls, and its checklist library adds guest houses, additions and new single-family residences. County plans carry a 24 by 36 inch maximum sheet size, and the checklists cite the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023). Seawalls need a county permit, engineered drawings, and either an FDEP permit or an FDEP exemption; docks, boat lifts and dock pilings each have their own county permit. To find a property's flood zone, the county directs owners to its FEMA Flood Zones Map by address or parcel ID. In a Special Flood Hazard Area, improvements that reach 50% of the structure's value must bring the building into compliance with the county floodplain ordinance and the Florida Building Code, so we scope additions against that line. Outside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone: Florida Product Approvals.
Permitting in Hobe Sound
A Hobe Sound address can sit in two jurisdictions, so we confirm the permitting authority by parcel first. Most of Hobe Sound is unincorporated Martin County, where the Martin County Building Department reviews the permit through the county's Accela Citizen Access portal. The Town of Jupiter Island runs its own Building Department (Town Hall, 2 Bridge Road, Hobe Sound) for zoning, permitting and plan review inside the Town. In Martin County, docks, boat lifts and seawalls each need a county permit; the county's seawall checklist requires engineered drawings and says FDEP must provide a permit or an exemption for any construction on the water. In a flood zone, the county requires new or substantially improved structures to sit at least one foot above the base flood elevation, and improvements that reach 50% of the structure's value must bring it into compliance. Oceanfront lots seaward of the state Coastal Construction Control Line, set for Martin County in Florida Administrative Code 62B-26.015, add a state coastal permit. Outside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone: Florida Product Approvals.
Permitting in Vero Beach
Inside the city, the City of Vero Beach and Indian River County share one Building Division, so the building permit comes from the county; the City's Planning & Development Department separately approves site plan, historic preservation and code compliance before the building permit is issued. The Division serves both the City and unincorporated Indian River County, which is why we confirm the jurisdiction by parcel: the building permit is the same office, but the planning approvals differ. Applications and resubmittals go through the county's MyGovernmentOnline portal. The City's code compliance application asks for two sets of engineer-sealed drawings for residential docks and seawalls, plus copies of any FDEP and Army Corps applications, and notes that no permanent structure may sit on City easements. The county's residential checklist asks for a signed and sealed soils investigation report on waterfront lots. In flood zones, the City states that improvements reaching 50% of a building's market value must meet new-building standards, and remodels of non-elevated buildings need a cost estimate. Oceanfront lots seaward of the state Coastal Construction Control Line (Florida Administrative Code 62B-26.018) need a state permit, and turtle protection zones get specific review. Outside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone: Florida Product Approvals.
What we draw
Questions about permits on the Treasure Coast
Do I need an engineer for a pool cage in Port St. Lucie?
The City's Aluminum Screen Enclosure checklist asks for plans signed and sealed by a licensed Florida design professional, a layout, and an as-built showing the enclosure's location. If the cage will act as the pool barrier, its permit is submitted with the pool permit. We prepare the sealed structural plans; your contractor files them through the City's portal.
Do I need an engineer for a pool cage in Jensen Beach or Palm City?
Martin County requires a permit for a screen enclosure, with or without an existing slab. Its checklist asks for sealed plans plus a survey or site plan showing the flood zone, setbacks and easements. We prepare the sealed structural plans; your contractor files them through the county's online portal.
Do I need an engineer for a pool cage in Hobe Sound?
In Martin County a screen enclosure needs a permit, with or without an existing slab, and the checklist asks for sealed plans and a survey or site plan showing flood zone, setbacks and easements. Inside the Town of Jupiter Island, the Town's building department handles it. We prepare the sealed structural plans after confirming which office applies.
Do I need an engineer for a pool cage in Vero Beach?
The county and City share the Building Division, and its residential checklist asks for signed and sealed plans. Inside city limits, the City's Planning & Development Department also gives its own approval before the building permit is issued. We prepare the sealed structural plans after confirming the jurisdiction by parcel.
Can an engineer do my plans without a site visit?
Yes. We work remotely: photos and a survey are enough to quote, and your contractor confirms field dimensions before building. We prepare the sealed plans, and your licensed contractor files them with the building department.
Areas: Port St. Lucie, St. Lucie West, Tradition, Sandpiper Bay, Jensen Beach, Hutchinson Island, Sewall's Point, Palm City, Palm City Farms, Martin Downs, Hobe Sound, Jupiter Island, Port Salerno, Vero Beach, Riomar, Indian River Shores, Sebastian.
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: Stuart · Cocoa Beach, Satellite Beach & Melbourne Beach · Palm Beach, North Palm Beach & Tequesta
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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