Jacksonville’s Building Inspection Division handles residential and commercial construction permits, plan review, and inspections. Permit applications are submitted electronically through JaxEPICS, and the online review process can involve Building, Fire Marshal, Zoning, Concurrency, and Development Services. Projects that require approval from another agency must obtain that approval as part of the permitting workflow.
Land-development responsibilities are divided among several city functions. Development Services reviews site-development plans, plats, floodplain issues, right-of-way permits, zoning matters, and tree mitigation. Downtown is handled differently: the Downtown Investment Authority oversees land-use amendments, zoning, site review, rezoning, and historic-preservation matters within the Downtown boundary, while Planning and Development handles comparable land-use functions elsewhere in Jacksonville.
Floodplain and tree requirements can add site-specific review. Properties within a Special Flood Hazard Area are subject to additional development regulations, and building, grading, filling, or substantial improvements may require floodplain compliance review. Site clearing and development affecting protected trees can also require permits, tree surveys, preservation measures, or mitigation.
Historic properties have another approval layer. Exterior and site work on locally designated landmarks or properties within Jacksonville’s local historic districts requires a Certificate of Appropriateness, with applications handled through the city’s land-use portal. Applicants can start with the City’s online permit submission guidance and then identify any zoning, floodplain, tree, historic, or right-of-way reviews that apply.