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14 permits · verified 2026-10-06

What permits do you need to open a contractor or trade in Lee County Fl?

In short

A contractor or trade in Lee County Fl, FL has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 11 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Lee County Tax Collector, Business Tax charges $30 per year, the annual flat tax for each business, profession or occupation set in Lee County Code § 26-58(a); one-half of the year's tax for a receipt commencing April through June and one-fourth for one commencing July through September for the county local business tax receipt. 7 of the 14 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-06 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a contractor or trade in Lee County Fl

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Contractor Registration and Grandfathered Local Contractor Licenseonly if it applies to youLee County Community Development, Contractor LicensingA grandfathered local license holder's Notification of change in business status must be accompanied by a $25.00 fee, as stated on the Contractor Licensing page. Annual renewal fees for grandfathered local licenses are set in the Department of Community Development fee schedule under Lee County Code § 16.5-7(3); the renewal amount is not published on the Contractor Licensing page, so contact Contractor Licensing (239-533-8119) for it.grandfathered local licenses run one year, July 1 through June 30, and must be renewed annually by June 30 (Lee County Code § 16.5-6)2026-10-06
Contractor LicenseFlorida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Construction Industry Licensing BoardCertified: $335 non-refundable application and examination fee. Registered: $100 application fee. Both then pay $200 for the initial license, halved to $100 in the second year of a biennium, and $200 to renew every two years2 years2026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

Local permits that apply to every type of business in Lee County Fl

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
County Local Business Tax ReceiptLee County Tax Collector, Business Tax$30 per year, the annual flat tax for each business, profession or occupation set in Lee County Code § 26-58(a); one-half of the year's tax for a receipt commencing April through June and one-fourth for one commencing July through Septemberannual; under Lee County Code § 26-66(a) receipts are sold beginning July 1, are due on or before September 30, and expire on September 30 of the following year2026-10-06
Zoning Approval and Certificate of Use (commercial location)only if it applies to youLee County Department of Community DevelopmentVaries — formula on the Lee County Fl pageone-time per business location and use; a new location or a change of use needs a new approval2026-10-06
Failing Septic System Repair Permitonly if it applies to youFlorida Department of Health in Lee County, Environmental Health$350 application fee per repair permitone-time per repair permit2026-10-06
Building Permit (Lee County Community Development)only if it applies to youLee County Department of Community DevelopmentVaries — formula on the Lee County Fl pageone-time per construction project; extensions are charged separately2026-10-06
Well Permit (Natural Resources Division)only if it applies to youLee County Natural Resources Division, GroundwaterVaries — formula on the Lee County Fl pageone-time per well or boring permit2026-10-06
New Onsite Sewage (Septic) System Construction Permitonly if it applies to youFlorida Department of Health in Lee County, Environmental Health$390 application fee per new system; plus $155 if a site evaluation is needed, $100 for inspections on outer islands accessible only by boat; a Performance Based Treatment System application is $465one-time per new system construction permit2026-10-06

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

FL registrations that apply to every type of business

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youFlorida Department of State, Division of Corporations$125 one-time filingno expiry, but an annual report is due every year by 1 May2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youFlorida Department of State, Division of Corporations$70 one-time filingno expiry, but an annual report is due every year by 1 May2026-09-03
Annual Report (LLC)only if it applies to youFlorida Department of State, Division of CorporationsVaries — formula on the FL pageannual, due by 1 May2026-09-03
Annual Report (Corporation)only if it applies to youFlorida Department of State, Division of CorporationsVaries — formula on the FL pageannual, due by 1 May2026-09-03
Business Tax Application (Sales and Use Tax)only if it applies to youFlorida Department of RevenueNo fee — no fee to registerno fixed expiry2026-09-03
Local Business Tax ReceiptFlorida Department of State, Division of CorporationsNo feeannual — every receipt expires on 30 September2026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

How much does it actually cost to permit a contractor or trade in Lee County Fl?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 14 records listed for a contractor or trade in Lee County Fl, FL, 3 apply to every business of this type and 11 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

Of the 3 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $30.00. That is a floor, not a total. 7 of the 14 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Contractor Registration and Grandfathered Local Contractor License: A grandfathered local license holder's Notification of change in business status must be accompanied by a $25.00 fee, as stated on the Contractor Licensing page. Annual renewal fees for grandfathered local licenses are set in the Department of Community Development fee schedule under Lee County Code § 16.5-7(3); the renewal amount is not published on the Contractor Licensing page, so contact Contractor Licensing (239-533-8119) for it.

Contractor License: Certified: $335 non-refundable application and examination fee. Registered: $100 application fee. Both then pay $200 for the initial license, halved to $100 in the second year of a biennium, and $200 to renew every two years

The other 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Lee County Fl permits page and the FL state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Lee County Fl?

Permits for a contractor or trade in Lee County Fl, FL come from 8 separate offices: Lee County Tax Collector, Business Tax, Lee County Department of Community Development, Florida Department of Health in Lee County, Environmental Health, Lee County Community Development, Contractor Licensing, Lee County Natural Resources Division, Groundwater, Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, Florida Department of Revenue, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Construction Industry Licensing Board. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.

What does a contractor or trade need in Lee County Fl that other businesses do not?

2 of the 2 permits particular to a contractor or trade here apply to no other business type we cover in Lee County Fl: Contractor Registration and Grandfathered Local Contractor License and Contractor License.

Contractor Registration and Grandfathered Local Contractor License

Lee County Code Ch. 16.5 (Ord. No. 23-09, adopted May 2, 2023) applies to contractors working in unincorporated Lee County and supplements the State's construction-industry regulation. Under § 16.5-2, where the Florida Building Code governs a scope of work and State law requires a license for it, a State-issued construction license is required. Section 16.5-4 lists former local license categories for which, under that section, a license is no longer required, and § 16.5-5 grandfathers existing holders of 31 listed local categories (for example carpentry, drywall, marine, pile driving and journeyman trades) only for so long as they renew. Under § 16.5-6, grandfathered local licenses run July 1 through June 30 and must be renewed by June 30, with renewal opening six weeks earlier; a holder who lets the license lapse loses all rights under it and must obtain a State license to keep contracting in that scope. Renewal requires proof of liability and workers' compensation coverage and payment of the renewal fee set in the Community Development fee schedule (§ 16.5-7). Under § 16.5-9, a grandfathered holder must notify Community Development within 30 days of a change in business name, address, qualifying license holder or registered agent, and the Contractor Licensing page states that a $25.00 fee must accompany that notification. The page also describes registering a State contractor's license with Lee County, by emailing a Lee County Contractor Agreement, a copy of the State license and insurance certificates, so the contractor can pull permits; the page states no fee for that registration.

Contractor License

The two routes cost the same to keep and differ sharply at entry: certification is $335 for application and examination, registration is $100. What you get differs too — a certified license works anywhere in Florida, while a registered one is valid only where you hold local competency approval, so the cheaper route can cost more in practice if you work across county lines. Qualifying a business organisation is a separate license again at $50, with its own $50 biennial renewal, and it is the piece most often missed. An inactive license renews at $50. Letting a license go null and void costs $100 to reinstate, and a delinquency fee is $25.

The other 6 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Lee County Fl, FL; what each one involves is set out on the Lee County Fl permits page. The 6 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across FL and are covered on the FL state page.

How does a contractor or trade compare with other businesses in Lee County Fl?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A contractor or trade also needs Contractor Registration and Grandfathered Local Contractor License and Contractor License. A auto repair shop needs nothing here that a contractor or trade does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Lee County Fl, FL, compared with a contractor or trade
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a contractor or tradeOnly a contractor or trade needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops0020
Childcare centres1021
Coffee shops3023
Fitness studios0020
Food trucks2022
Restaurants3023
Retail stores1021
Salons and barbers2022
Veterinary clinics1021

Sources

Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Lee County Fl permits page and the FL state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Contractor LicensingLee County Department of Community Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
  2. Lee County Code of Ordinances, Ch. 16.5 — Lee County Construction License OrdinanceMunicode / Lee County, Florida · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
  3. Lee County Ordinance No. 23-09, Lee County Construction License Ordinance (adopted May 2, 2023)Lee County Board of County Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-06
  4. Florida Administrative Code rule 61G4-12.009 — construction industry licensing fees (effective 30 October 2017)Florida Department of State, Administrative Code · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.