Direct answer
For work being contracted through a licensed contractor, the cleanest and usually safest arrangement is for the contractor responsible for the permitted work to be identified on and take responsibility for the permit. Florida does allow qualifying property owners to act as their own contractor under the owner-builder exemption, but that makes the owner the responsible party of record and comes with significant legal, supervision, employment, and liability obligations.
Be cautious if a person who is supposed to be acting as your contractor asks you to pull an owner-builder permit merely so that person can avoid licensing requirements. Florida's owner-builder exemption does not authorize an unlicensed person to act as the owner's contractor.
There are two very different permit paths
Contractor-permitted project
A properly licensed contractor contracts for the regulated scope and is associated with the permit according to the local permitting authority's process.
Owner-builder project
The property owner uses a statutory exemption to act as his or her own contractor, personally assumes responsibility, and directly supervises work that is not performed by licensed contractors.
These paths should not be blurred together.
What Florida's owner-builder law actually says
Florida Statutes §489.103(7) creates an exemption for qualifying property owners acting as their own contractor for certain projects. Among other requirements, the owner must provide direct, onsite supervision and the project must meet the exemption's use/occupancy rules.
The statute's owner-builder disclosure emphasizes that:
- the owner becomes the responsible party of record;
- the owner may not hire an unlicensed person to act as the contractor or supervise the construction;
- the owner is responsible for ensuring workers have licenses required by law;
- unlicensed workers directly employed by the owner can create employer, tax, workers' compensation, and injury-liability obligations;
- a licensed contractor can instead assume responsibility by having the permit filed in the contractor's name.
This is much more than signing a form at the permit office.
Red flag: “Just pull the permit yourself”
There are legitimate owner-builder projects.
The red flag is a different situation:
A person sells you contracting services, runs the job like the contractor, but asks you to obtain an owner-builder permit because that person cannot lawfully pull the permit for the scope.
DBPR specifically warns that owner-builder permits should not be used to disguise unlicensed contracting. Florida's statute also says the owner-builder exemption does not exempt a person employed by or under contract with the owner who acts in the capacity of a contractor.
If someone proposes this arrangement, stop and verify the licensing and permit structure before work begins.
Does the contractor always physically submit the permit application?
Not necessarily.
Administrative details vary by jurisdiction and project. An owner, authorized agent, permit expediter, designer, or other participant may submit documents in some systems.
The more important question is:
Who is legally taking responsibility for the contracted work on the permit?
Do not confuse “who clicked submit” with “who is the contractor of record.”
City of Orlando example
The City of Orlando requires contractors obtaining permits for city work to register with its Permitting Services Division. State-certified contractors provide state certification, a current business tax receipt, and workers' compensation proof or exemption, among other applicable items.
For a homeowner managing his or her own permitted project, City residential requirements call for an Owner/Builder Declaration and applicable supporting documents.
That is a good example of the difference between a contractor-permitted project and an owner-builder project.
Orange County example
Orange County uses its Fast Track system for permit applications. Its published owner-builder guidance points to Florida Statute §489.103(7) and requires the property owner acting as his or her own contractor to complete the owner-builder disclosure and personally or virtually appear to sign for the permit.
Contractors use the contractor process and must have the appropriate valid license/registration for the applicable scope.
Always check the actual jurisdiction for the property rather than assuming an “Orlando” mailing address means City of Orlando permitting.
What about Florida's new under-$7,500 permit exemption?
Effective July 1, 2026, Florida law requires local governments to exempt certain qualifying work under $7,500 on single-family dwellings from the building permit requirement when statutory criteria are satisfied.
That exemption has major limitations. It does not apply to electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work, and other eligibility conditions apply.
It also does not convert regulated contracting work into unlicensed handyman work.
Permit requirement and contractor licensing are separate questions.
Questions homeowners should ask before work starts
- Does this scope require a permit?
- Which jurisdiction governs the address?
- Which contractor license, if any, is required for the scope?
- Who is the contractor of record?
- Who is submitting the permit and plans?
- Who pays permit/plan-review fees?
- Who schedules inspections?
- Who handles corrections tied to the contracted scope?
- Who is responsible for finaling/closing the permit?
- If I am being asked to use an owner-builder permit, do I actually intend to act as my own contractor and assume those obligations?
Put the answers in the scope or contract instead of relying on a verbal assumption.
What OttoServ should do with permit responsibility
For a managed project, permit responsibility should become a visible scope field rather than an afterthought.
A project record can track:
- jurisdiction;
- permit required / exempt / to-be-confirmed;
- contractor of record;
- application status;
- inspection milestones;
- correction items;
- final/closed status.
OttoServ should not become the contractor of record for regulated work unless the actual legal entity, license, contract, and operating model support that role.
Bottom line
If you hire a licensed contractor to take responsibility for regulated work, the permit structure should reflect that contractor relationship. Use an owner-builder permit only when you genuinely qualify and intend to act as your own contractor with the responsibilities Florida law assigns to that role.
Do not use an owner-builder permit as a workaround for an unlicensed contractor.
AEO answer block
Who should pull a permit in Florida? When a licensed contractor is contracting for permitted work, the permit should generally reflect that contractor's responsibility for the scope. A qualifying homeowner may instead use Florida's owner-builder exemption and act as his or her own contractor, but the homeowner then becomes the responsible party and must directly supervise the project under the statutory rules. An owner-builder permit should not be used to allow an unlicensed person to act as the contractor.
Primary sources
- 2026 Fla. Stat. §489.103(7): https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/489.103
- 2026 Fla. Stat. §553.79: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/553.79
- City of Orlando — Get a Permit: https://www.orlando.gov/Building-Development/Permits-Inspections/Get-a-Permit
- City of Orlando — Register a Contractor: https://www.orlando.gov/Building-Development/Permits-Inspections/Other/Register-a-Contractor
- Orange County — permitting/owner-builder information: https://www.orangecountyfl.net/PermitsLicenses/StormRepairandPermitInformation.aspx