City of Sarasota permits: status, inspections and expiration
- Permit portal
- Permitting Online Services
- Run by
- City of Sarasota Building and Permitting
- Phone
- Inspections (941) 263-6418
- CityPermits@sarasotafl.gov
- Official page
- sarasotafl.gov
Which permits does the City of Sarasota issue?
The City of Sarasota permits work inside city limits only. Much of the area with a Sarasota mailing address is unincorporated Sarasota County, which has its own portal and rules, so check the jurisdiction before you apply.
How to check a permit's status
The city's online services portal has a public permit search, including a search by contractor, and each record shows its status. Applications are submitted online, and approved permits are emailed to you.
Inspections
Inspections can be scheduled, rescheduled and cancelled, and results checked, through the city's automated line at (941) 263-6998 or by texting "schedule" to (844) 394-2702. Next-day inspections can be booked until 9 p.m., depending on availability. To talk to a person, call (941) 263-6418 or email inspection@sarasotaFL.gov.
Keeping a permit from expiring
Under the Florida Building Code (section 105.4.1), a permit becomes invalid if work doesn't start within six months of issuance, or if work stops for six months after it starts. Work counts as in progress when the permit has an approved inspection within 180 days (section 105.4.1.3). A failed or cancelled inspection doesn't reset the clock.
If the city's record shows an expiration date, that date is the one that counts. Check it after every inspection rather than counting days yourself, and ask the City of Sarasota Building and Permitting about an extension before the date passes, not after.
This guide is general information for contractors, not legal advice. Procedures change; confirm with the City of Sarasota Building and Permitting.
See every City of Sarasota permit on one list
PermitGlance finds your City of Sarasota permits in the city's public search by your company name, so there's no login to connect, and keeps their status and inspections current. It warns you before a permit expires and tells you when an inspection fails, alongside your permits in the 16 other jurisdictions we cover. It only reads; it never changes anything on your city account.