In Plantation only a licensed contractor can file, or book an inspection

The Plantation differenceSection 02 of 15

Here, the contractor is not an option. It is the mechanism.

In most of South Florida an owner can, in principle, pull a permit on their own house. It is rarely a good idea, but it is allowed, and the question of who files is a matter of preference. Plantation removes the preference.

The Department of Building Safety publishes it without hedging: "Only properly licensed Contractors or authorized accounts properly registered and/or activated by the City of Plantation Department of Building Safety will be allowed to submit an application or schedule inspections." Read that twice, because it covers two different things. It is not only the application — it is every inspection, for the whole life of the job. On a Plantation project the licence is not a reassurance printed at the bottom of a proposal; it is the only route the work has into the system at all. And it runs alongside a permit that ages on two clocks: valid for 180 days from issue, or 90 days after an approved inspection, with any extension applied for before it expires and not after.

Who may fileLICENSED, OR ACTIVATED

The City allows applications and inspection scheduling only from licensed contractors or accounts it has itself registered and activated.

What it coversFILING AND INSPECTIONS

Not just the application. The same restriction is written across scheduling inspections for the life of the permit.

The permit clock180 DAYS, THEN 90

Valid for 180 days from issue, or 90 days after an approved inspection. An extension must be applied for before it expires.

What we do hereSection 03 of 15

The work Plantation owners ask us for.

Elbaz Construction is a licensed general contractor working across Broward. Plantation is a large, established city of single-family neighbourhoods with a lot of well-built houses from the 1970s and 1980s, so most of what we are asked for is a serious update to a sound home.

01Kitchen remodelingInside the footprint, or opened into the living space.

The commonest project in the city, and the one where the largest number of separate trades has to be sequenced behind one wall.

02Bathroom renovationIncluding tub-to-shower conversions.

A conversion is a waterproofing job with a bathroom around it, and the membrane is inspected before any tile is set.

03Whole-home renovationEvery room, run as one programme.

One permit record and one licensed contractor, which in this city is also the only way the work reaches the Department at all.

04Room additionsWhere a 1970s or 1980s plan has run out of room.

An addition is a zoning and setback question before it is a construction one.

05Impact windows and doorsGlazing approved for the wind zone.

Broward specifies for high wind loads, and product approvals and anchorage details form part of the review rather than an afterthought.

06Roof and envelope workWhere the weather actually gets in.

Anything opening the envelope is planned around the calendar rather than squeezed into it.

07Electrical upgradesIncluding work that needs power released for testing.

Temporary power for testing is its own notarised application here, signed by owner, general contractor and electrical contractor.

08Flooring throughoutCarried through, or changed deliberately at each threshold.

Substrate and level decisions are made once and are visible for the life of the floor.

09Outdoor livingCovered terraces, summer kitchens and screen enclosures.

Structures outside the house are permitted construction and are filed the same way as everything else.

Completed workSection 04 of 15

Finished rooms, photographed as they were handed over.

South Florida projects by Elbaz Construction

Both sets are Elbaz Construction projects in South Florida. Neither is represented as being in Plantation. The last two frames are the same finished bathroom from two positions, not two different rooms.

Quartz table on brass legs against teal base cabinetry, under a globe chandelier — 01The quartz table on brass legs, built as part of the run

Teal shaker kitchen wrapping a corner of windows, with white quartz counters and a garden beyond — 02The kitchen wrapping its corner of windows

The cooking wall: stainless range and chimney hood between teal wall cabinets with brass handles — 03The cooking wall: range, chimney hood and brass

Closer on the range, hood and marble-look splashback, teal doors either side — 04Closer on the range and the splashback behind it

Project recordSection 05 of 15

What these two projects show.

Colour is a joinery decision, not a paint decision

A deep teal kitchen is sprayed door fronts and matched panels. It is specified and ordered, and it cannot be adjusted at the end of the job.

A table on brass legs is still cabinetry

The quartz table is part of the same run as the bases behind it, which is why it lines through and why it was drawn rather than bought.

A conversion is a waterproofing job first

The orange membrane in the third frame of the second set is the part nobody sees and the only part that decides whether the room lasts.

The strip-out is where the real scope appears

The second frame shows the wall opened. That is the moment an estimate becomes a price, on this job and on every job.

The banquette table with the tall teal run behind it, wall oven and refrigerator built in — 05The banquette, with the tall run behind it

ScopeKitchen refit with a built-in banquette and quartz table

CabinetryDeep teal shaker with brushed brass hardware

WorktopWhite quartz, carried through to the table top

AppliancesRange with chimney hood, built-in wall ovens

Second setTub-to-shower conversion, separate South Florida property

Stage 1Existing bath and shower combination, before any work

Stage 2Strip-out and waterproofing membrane, inspected before tiling

Stage 3Finished walk-in shower with a glass screen, shown from two positions

Why it matters hereSection 06 of 15

In Plantation the licensed contractor is not the convenient choice. It is the City’s stated route in.

Most of what goes wrong on a project here is administrative, and the City has published enough that none of it needs to be a surprise.

01We can file at all

The City restricts who may

Applications and inspection scheduling are limited to licensed contractors and accounts the Department has registered and activated.

02The permit ages on two clocks

180 days, or 90 after an inspection

A permit stays valid for 180 days from issue or 90 days after an approved inspection, so a quiet stretch is what actually kills it.

03Extensions are applied for early

Before expiry, not after

The City allows an extension to be applied for before the permit expires. After is a different and much worse conversation.

04Temporary power is its own process

Notarised by three parties

Owner, general contractor and electrical contractor all sign, a fee is assessed by square footage under City Ordinance #2059, and the City then calls FPL.

05Special inspectors are formalised

Hold harmless letter and insurance

Where a special inspector is used, the City requires a hold harmless letter and liability insurance naming the City as certificate holder.

06Records are open to you

Basic searches need no account

Anyone can search the permit record through the City’s portal, which is exactly what a future buyer will do.

The wind zone, the water table and the wet season apply across South Florida and are planned for on every project we run. What is specific here is that the City has closed the front door to anyone who is not licensed or activated.

A walk-in shower mid-fit, marble-look slabs set, linear drain and niche in place, floor still protected — 06A different shower mid-fit: slabs set, drain and niche in place

Completed workSection 07 of 15

The same standard, room by room.

The second set is a different property, and it is unusual on this site: a tub-to-shower conversion photographed at four stages rather than only at the end.

The original bathroom before conversion: a bath and shower combination against marble-look tile

Stage one: the existing bath and shower combination

The same bathroom stripped out, the wall opened and debris bagged

Stage two: stripped out, the wall opened up

Orange waterproofing membrane bonded over the shower floor and up the walls before any tile

Stage three: the waterproofing membrane, before any tile

The finished walk-in shower behind a glass screen, with the WC and a wall-hung shelf alongside

Stage four: the finished walk-in shower and WC

The same finished room a step further back, screen, niches and shelf in one view

The same finished room, one step further back

The quartz table and its bench seat under the chandelier, tall cabinetry beyond — 12The table and bench seat, seen across the room

Layout strategyA banquette table built as part of the cabinetry run

ColourSprayed teal fronts, specified early because they cannot be adjusted late

Wet areaMembrane bonded and signed off before a single tile was set

DocumentationFour stages photographed, not just the finished room

ProvenanceTwo separate South Florida projects, honestly captioned

SpecificationSection 08 of 15

What gets specified differently here.

Not an exhaustive list — the six decisions where this county, this climate and this City’s published process change the answer.

Windows and doors

Approved for the wind zone

Broward specifies for high wind loads. Every glazed unit carries a product approval and an anchorage detail, and both are reviewed.Keep tracks and weeps clear; check seals and anchors before each season.

Waterproofing

Inspected, then buried forever

In a conversion the membrane is bonded and signed off before tiling starts. Putting it right later means removing a finished room.Check sealant and movement joints annually; act on the first sign of a leak.

Sprayed joinery

Ordered early, adjusted never

A coloured shaker kitchen is a manufactured item with a lead time. The colour is agreed before anything is ordered, because it cannot be changed at the end.Clean with a soft cloth only; touch-up lacquer is kept from the original batch.

Quartz

Templated from what is actually built

The worktop, and here the table, are cut to a template taken after the cabinets are set, which is why they cannot be ordered early.No sealing needed; avoid direct heat and use a board.

Electrical

First fix, and sometimes a separate application

Circuits and appliance supplies are first-fix scope with their own inspection, and where power has to be released for testing that is its own notarised form.Label the panel properly at handover; test protective devices annually.

Extraction

Ducted, and inspected with the mechanical work

A chimney hood over a range is ducted to outside air. The route is drawn at first fix because it crosses structure and joinery.Clean or replace filters on schedule; check the external terminal yearly.

The photographs on this page are Elbaz Construction projects in South Florida. None is represented as having been taken in Plantation.

How we run itSection 09 of 15

Nine stages, in order.

Address and scope

What the work is, what kind of building it is, and which separate permits it will need alongside the main one.

Survey and conditions

What is actually there. On a house of this city’s typical age the surprises are in the services rather than in the structure.

Who files, settled at the start

On a Plantation job this is not a formality. The application and every inspection go in under our licence, and the owner is told exactly what that means.

Drawings, resolved

A set complete enough to be reviewed once rather than three times.

Products and approvals

Glazing, doors and equipment selected with their approvals attached, because in this county that documentation is part of the review.

The application, filed complete

Submitted through the City’s system with everything attached, rather than nearly everything.

Comments answered as a set

A partial answer starts another cycle, and each cycle spends the permit clock.

Inspections that keep the permit alive

Booked when the work will pass — and booked with the second clock in mind, because 90 quiet days after an approved inspection is what expires a permit.

Closeout and the record

Final inspections, any certificate that applies, and the documents handed over.

City of PlantationSection 10 of 15

The City’s own rules, as it publishes them.

Who is allowed to file

The Department of Building Safety states: "Only properly licensed Contractors or authorized accounts properly registered and/or activated by the City of Plantation Department of Building Safety will be allowed to submit an application or schedule inspections."

What that covers

Both halves. It is not only the application — scheduling inspections carries the same restriction, which means it applies for the entire life of the permit, not just at the start.

How long a permit lasts

The City states: "A permit is valid for 180 days from the day it was issued or 90 days after an approved inspection." An extension may be applied for before it expires.

Which clock actually bites

The 90-day one. A job that starts well and then goes quiet — waiting on a product, a decision or a subcontractor — is the job that finds its permit has aged out.

Temporary power for testing

It "requires the notarized signatures of the owner, general contractor and electrical contractor". A fee is assessed based on the square footage of the job as per City Ordinance #2059, and once approved "the city will call FPL to release the power".

Fixturing permits

A fixturing permit "is required for the installation of racks, shelves unmovable and/or energized cubicle/furniture or gondolas", and is obtained before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued.

Special inspectors

Under Florida Building Code Administrative Section 110.10 they must be certified architects or engineers approved by the Building Official, and "a hold harmless letter must be submitted to the City, along with a copy of liability insurance with the City of Plantation as the certificate holder". Private providers are authorised separately under Florida Statutes 553.79.

Searching the record

Records run through the Accela Citizen Access portal, available around the clock, and basic record searches can be performed without an account.

What is not ours to state

Fee amounts, how long an extension takes to grant, and whether a particular account will be activated are all the Department’s to answer. We ask with you rather than guessing on your behalf.

Every statement above is the City of Plantation’s published position as read on 19 August 2026 at plantation.org. Municipal procedure changes; confirm the current requirement with the Department of Building Safety before relying on any of it. No fee is quoted here.

The routeSection 11 of 15

From an address to a closed record.

Five steps. The second is the one that is genuinely local, and on a Plantation project it decides whether there is a route into the system at all.

Place the property

What kind of building it is, roughly when it was built, and which separate permits the scope will need alongside the main one.

Settle who files

The application and every inspection go in under our contractor’s licence, because the City allows nothing else. The owner is told what that means before anything is signed.

Decide the scope

Which trades it involves and how much of the envelope comes off. That decides the inspection list and therefore how the permit clock will run.

File complete

One submittal with the drawings, the product approvals and any separate application — temporary power, for instance — identified up front.

Inspect and close

Inspections called when the work will pass and spaced so the permit never goes 90 quiet days, then the certificate and the documents handed over.

Owner’s guideSection 12 of 15

What actually moves a Plantation project.

We do not publish prices, and we do not publish the City’s fees or review durations as if they were ours to promise. What follows is where the number and the calendar actually move.

What moves the number

Whether services move

Keeping a sink, a hob or a soil stack where it is costs far less than relocating it, because relocation is work in the floor.

How much is structural

Removing a wall means engineering before it means construction, and engineering is a cost and a lead time at once.

What the strip-out finds

The real scope is settled when the finishes come off, not when the estimate is written. The second photo set on this page is that moment.

How many separate applications it needs

Temporary power, fixturing and special inspection are each their own process with their own paperwork.

Sprayed joinery and stone

Coloured fronts and templated worktops are where a good kitchen becomes an exceptional one, and where the budget goes.

Product approvals

Glazing and doors are specified with their documentation. A late substitution is a revision rather than a swap.

Access and protection

Working around an occupied house is slower than working in an empty one.

Reinstatement

Making everything good afterwards is invisible in the finished photograph and it is genuinely part of the job.

What moves the calendar

How complete the submittal is

A package reviewed once moves; a package reviewed three times does not.

Whether the permit clock is being watched

Ninety quiet days after an approved inspection expires a permit in Plantation, and the extension has to be asked for before that happens.

Lead times on sprayed joinery

Coloured fronts are manufactured to order and cannot be hurried once the colour is signed off.

Lead times on stone

Templating happens after the cabinets are set, and the wait after that cannot be compressed.

Whether a separate application was spotted early

Temporary power needs three notarised signatures. Discovering that late costs more time than obtaining it does.

Weather

Anything opening the roof or the envelope is planned around the wet season rather than surprised by it.

Bring to the first call

The property address.
What kind of building it is, and roughly when it was built.
What you want to do, in plain words.
Whether anything is moving: a wall, a sink, a soil stack.
Whether there is already an open permit on the property.
Any drawings, survey or permit paperwork you already hold.

Before you callSection 13 of 15

What a first conversation covers.

Twenty minutes on the phone, or at the property, answers most of it. We will talk about what the scope opens, which separate applications it will need, and whether anything is already open on the property.

The property address and roughly when the house was built.
Whether the work stays inside the existing footprint.
Whether there is an open or expired permit on the property.
Whether the work needs power released for testing.

The finished tall run: refrigerator, wall ovens and full-height teal doors — 13The finished tall run: refrigerator and wall ovens

Questions, answered.

Plantation questions

Can I pull the permit myself as the homeowner?

The City’s published position is that only properly licensed contractors, or accounts it has itself registered and activated, may submit an application or schedule inspections. Whether your particular situation could be activated is a question for the Department of Building Safety, and it is worth asking before you assume either way.

Does that restriction apply to inspections too?

Yes. The City’s sentence covers submitting an application and scheduling inspections together, which means it applies for the whole life of the permit rather than only at the point of filing.

How long does a permit stay valid?

The City states a permit is valid for 180 days from the day it was issued, or 90 days after an approved inspection. An extension may be applied for before it expires.

Which of those two clocks catches people out?

The 90-day one. A project that is progressing gets inspected regularly and resets it. A project that pauses — waiting on a product, a decision or a trade — is the one that quietly runs out.

What is the temporary power for testing process?

The City states it requires the notarized signatures of the owner, general contractor and electrical contractor, that a fee is assessed based on the square footage of the job as per City Ordinance #2059, and that once approved the city will call FPL to release the power.

What is a special inspector, and would I need one?

Under Florida Building Code Administrative Section 110.10 a special inspector must be a certified architect or engineer approved by the Building Official, with a hold harmless letter and liability insurance naming the City as certificate holder. Whether your scope needs one is settled during design, not on site.

Can I look up the permit history on my house?

Yes. Records run through the City’s Accela Citizen Access portal, it is available at any hour, and basic record searches do not require an account.

Do I need a permit to remodel a bathroom?

Almost certainly, because a bathroom remodel involves plumbing and usually electrical work. What your specific scope requires is the Department’s to state, and it is a short call rather than a guess.

How much are the fees?

We do not publish the City’s fees, and the temporary power fee in particular is assessed on the square footage of the job under City Ordinance #2059 rather than as a flat figure. The Department will state the current amounts.

Do you handle the permit and the inspections?

Yes — and in this city that is not a service, it is the mechanism. The application and every inspection go in under our licence, we answer the review as a set, and we keep the permit alive on both of its clocks.

Why Elbaz.

Licensed general contractor

Licence CBC1265280 — licensed, bonded and insured, which in this city is also the City’s own stated route into the permit system.

We file, and we schedule

Both halves of the City’s restriction are covered by the same licence, for the whole life of the permit.

We watch the 90-day clock

Inspections are spaced so the permit never ages out during a quiet stretch, and an extension is asked for before expiry rather than after.

We spot the separate applications early

Temporary power, fixturing and special inspection each have their own paperwork. Finding them late is what costs time.

We inspect when it will pass

A failed inspection costs the visit and spends the clock at the same time.

Honest about what is not ours to answer

Fees, extension decisions and account activation belong to the Department. We will tell you exactly who to ask, and ask with you.

Financing available

Financing options are available — ask and we will explain what applies to your project.

Closed records at handover

A closed permit record and the documents to prove it — and in this city anyone can search it, including a future buyer.

Proof & ReadingSection 14 of 15

What South Florida homeowners say.

Reproduced verbatim from our Google Business Profile. Nothing here has been edited, merged or rewritten.

Redid my whole bathroom and kitchen. Great service - Great quality - very quick - very professional !! Highly recommended!

Adir DavidovGoogle review

They are amazing! Very professional. Met my exact requests with so much patience and knowledge. They renovated my whole house and the whole process was such a breeze. I highly recommend them!

Lee MoraliGoogle review

We hired them to renovate our investment property and they provided exceptional quality service for an affordable price!

Shir PartushGoogle review

Amazing experience with the entire company! They did a great job in my house for some work that needed to be completed, and I am extremely happy with the result. Super professional & great service. I highly recommend Elbaz Construction.

Mia ZafraniGoogle review

After I've been Looking for a good company to renovate my house , I found those guys! These people are super professional super honest super Fast !! Don't hesitate to Rent their service! They are number one!!

carmit cohenGoogle review

I highly recommend them for home improvement. They renovated my master bathroom and a few upgrades for other guest bathrooms. They are very professional, courteous and transparent. They are great at communicating and finding ways to streamline the work. Sean has impeccable project management and customer relationship management skills. Very pleased with the work!

Omri BGoogle review

Home remodeling in Plantationwhere the licence is not a credential,it is the front door.

Tell us the address and the scope.

Thanks — that came through.

Here, the contractor is not an option. It is the mechanism.

The work Plantation owners ask us for.

Finished rooms, photographed as they were handed over.

What these two projects show.

Colour is a joinery decision, not a paint decision

A table on brass legs is still cabinetry

A conversion is a waterproofing job first

The strip-out is where the real scope appears

In Plantation the licensed contractor is not the convenient choice. It is the City’s stated route in.

The City restricts who may

180 days, or 90 after an inspection

Before expiry, not after

Notarised by three parties

Hold harmless letter and insurance

Basic searches need no account

The same standard, room by room.

What gets specified differently here.

Nine stages, in order.

Address and scope

Survey and conditions

Who files, settled at the start

Drawings, resolved

Products and approvals

The application, filed complete

Comments answered as a set

Inspections that keep the permit alive

Closeout and the record

The City’s own rules, as it publishes them.

From an address to a closed record.

Place the property

Settle who files

Decide the scope

File complete

Inspect and close

What actually moves a Plantation project.

What moves the number

What moves the calendar

Bring to the first call

What a first conversation covers.

Questions, answered.

Why Elbaz.

Licensed general contractor

We file, and we schedule

We watch the 90-day clock

We spot the separate applications early

We inspect when it will pass

Honest about what is not ours to answer

Financing available

Closed records at handover

What South Florida homeowners say.

Further reading.

Service Areas

Send the address and the scope.

What happens next

Thanks — that came through.

Home remodeling in Plantation
where the licence is not a credential,
it is the front door.