Building permits and zoning in Clermont

Clermont projects need zoning approval, then a building permit from Building Services at City Hall, 685 W. Montrose St. Call 352-241-7315.

Last checked Oct. 8, 2026. Facts on this page come from the City of Clermont Building Services, Zoning Division and Growth Management pages and the city’s permit FAQ.

Building permits, zoning approval and business tax receipts in Clermont all go through the city’s Growth Management Department at City Hall, 685 W. Montrose St. The department has three divisions: Building Services, Planning (which includes development review) and Code Enforcement.

Who to call

Building permits and inspections: Building Services, 352-241-7315, inspection@clermontfl.org

Business tax receipts: 352-241-7300 or 352-241-7306, businesstax@clermontfl.org

Comprehensive plan update: Economic Development Director Nathan Norris, NNorris@ClermontFL.org

Online permits and inspections: the city’s eTRAKiT portal

First, check you are in the city

A Clermont mailing address does not always mean the city limits. The city’s advice: look up your parcel on the Lake County Property Appraiser property search and check the millage group. A number means unincorporated Lake County, which has its own permit office; letters such as GR or MI mean Groveland or Minneola.

Zoning approval, then a building permit

Inside the city limits, home and business improvements need zoning approval first, to confirm the project meets the city’s Land Development Code, then a building permit. Zoning decides how a property can be used, its setbacks, parking, landscaping and signs.

Setbacks depend on your zoning and the kind of structure. Building Services gives them out by phone at 352-241-7315.

What needs a permit

The city says almost all work needs one. Common residential permits, each with a city guide to the documents, reviews and fees:

New single-family homes and accessory dwelling units
Additions and alterations
Pool enclosures, aluminum structures and sheds and other accessory structures
Roofs and re-roofs and rooftop solar
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work
Fences, including repairs and replacements; retaining walls; driveways and patios
Tree removal: a site plan showing every canopy, understory and palm tree and the ones coming out. The city decides whether you must plant replacements.

No permit is needed inside a home for painting, flooring or tile, swapping a faucet, toilet or light fixture, or re-screening, the city says.

Fences can be up to 6 feet tall behind the building line and 4 feet in front of it.

How to apply

Fill in the building permit application (PDF).
Contractors apply, pay and book inspections in eTRAKiT. They register first with the qualifier form, their state license and proof of insurance.
Homeowners who own and live in the home can act as their own contractor. They sign an owner-builder affidavit and must apply in person at Building Services. The city warns that an unlicensed contractor asking you to pull your own permit may be a red flag.
Plans Review checks the work against the Florida Building Code (8th edition, 2023, with no local amendments) and city rules on zoning, drainage and floodplains. The Fire Department and Public Services may also review.
Book inspections by 4 p.m. the day before. Homeowners email inspection@clermontfl.org.
Keep the permit alive with at least one approved inspection every six months. The last inspection brings a certificate of occupancy or completion.

Fees, including impact fees, are in the city’s building services fee schedule (PDF) and residential impact fee schedule (PDF).

Rezoning, variances and the Planning and Zoning Commission

Growth Management reviews requests for rezoning, land use map changes, variances, conditional use permits and site plans. Rezonings and land use changes are ordinances that go to the Planning and Zoning Commission at City Hall. At its Oct. 6 meeting the commission took up the city’s new 2045 Comprehensive Plan and two rezonings to planned unit developments, near Oakley Seaver Drive and Hunt Trace Boulevard and near Hooks Street and Sandhill View Boulevard. Its next meeting is a special session at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12. Agendas and packets are on the city’s agenda portal.

The city is rewriting its Comprehensive Plan, form-based code and downtown master plan with the planning firm DPZ CoDesign. Updates are on the Planning Division page.

Opening a business

Every business in the city, including one run from home, needs a Local Business Tax Receipt before it opens. Bring proof of state registration for a corporation or LLC and any fictitious name filing. A home business also shows proof of residency. Many commercial spaces need a fire life-safety inspection before they open. The application (PDF) can be emailed to businesstax@clermontfl.org.

What this means for you

Check your millage group before you call: the county, not the city, permits outside the limits.
Fences and tree removal both need permits in Clermont.
Homeowner permits are in person only.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit for a fence in Clermont?

Yes. The city requires a permit for new fences and for fence repair and replacement. Fences can be up to 6 feet tall behind the building line and 4 feet in front of it.

Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Clermont?

Yes. The homeowner or tree contractor submits a site plan marking every tree and the ones to be removed, and Building Services decides whether replacements are needed.

Can a homeowner pull their own permit in Clermont?

Yes, if you own and live in the home. You sign an owner-builder affidavit and must apply in person at Building Services in City Hall.

How do I know if my Clermont address is inside the city limits?

Look up your parcel on the Lake County Property Appraiser’s property search. A Clermont millage group means city limits; a number means unincorporated Lake County.

How long is a Clermont building permit good for?

The permit stays active as long as it gets at least one approved inspection every six months.