A marketing service, not a licensed contractor. Impact window and door
installation and wind mitigation work is performed by independent licensed
local contractors.
Window and door permits in Lee County, explained
Every window and door replacement in Lee County runs through a permit,
and the permit is not paperwork theater: it is the public record that
the right product went into the right opening the right way. This page
is the plain-English walkthrough: which office handles your address,
what the reviewer checks, what you as the owner are responsible for, and
how to clean up work that was done without one. The installer we match
you with files this routinely; understanding it keeps you in control.
Which office handles your address
Lee County splits permitting by jurisdiction:
Unincorporated Lee County
(including North Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres, and San Carlos Park):
Lee County Community Development, filed online through the
eConnect portal
(guidance at
leegov.com
).
Inside city limits: the
municipal building department for Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Bonita
Springs, Fort Myers Beach, and Sanibel, and the Village of Estero's
building services. Same code, different counter; each city page on
this site names the office for that address.
What the reviewer checks
Two records, mostly. First, that every unit on the application carries a
current
Florida product approval
or
Miami-Dade NOA
appropriate to the opening and the design pressure at your address
(mapped values run about 160 mph ultimate around Cape Coral, about 170
mph on the barrier islands; check yours on the
ASCE Hazard Tool
). Second, at final inspection, that the installation matches the
approval's installation instructions: anchors, spacing, embedment, and
flashing. The Wind-Borne Debris Region rule (impact rated or shuttered;
Lee LDC Appendix M, FBC 1609) is enforced here, at the permit desk, not
by the salesperson.
What you are responsible for as the owner
Confirming a permit exists before work starts. Ask for the permit
number; look it up yourself in the jurisdiction's records.
Keeping the closed permit and final inspection date with your house
records. They anchor the 1802 form, the DOR refund claim, and the
disclosure package when you sell.
Knowing that notices of commencement, HOA approvals where applicable,
and owner-builder rules are owner-side items your installer will walk
you through, not skip.
Why the permit record pays you back
The permit is the cheapest evidence you will ever buy. It proves the
upgrade to your insurer's wind mitigation inspector (form OIR-B1-1802,
credits under
FS 627.0629
), to the Florida DOR if you claim the up-to-$500 refund on
qualifying 2026 to 2029 purchases (HB 7031), and to the buyer's
inspector when you sell. The
Lee County wind mitigation guide
shows where the permit sits in the full insurance chain, and the
replacement page
walks the project sequence around it. When you are ready for quotes, the
impact windows page
covers how to read them.
Verify your installer and your product
Florida window and door replacement work is performed under a state
contractor license: a certified general (CGC), certified building (CBC),
or specialty glazing license. Every product installed in a Lee County
opening needs a current Florida product approval number or Miami-Dade
NOA, and the finished work is documented for your insurer on form
OIR-B1-1802. All four records are public. Check them yourself before you
sign anything, whoever you hire.
Which Florida license does the work run under, and may I have the number to check on the DBPR site?
What is the Florida product approval number or Miami-Dade NOA for each unit in my quote?
Who files the permit, and will I get the permit number for my records?
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to replace windows in Lee County?
Yes. Window and door replacement requires a building permit everywhere in Lee County, filed through the county eConnect portal for unincorporated addresses or with the municipal building department inside city limits. The permit exists to verify the product approval and the installation, which is also what your insurer and a future buyer will want proof of.
What is the difference between a Florida product approval and a Miami-Dade NOA?
Both are public records proving a product passed the required testing. The Florida product approval is the statewide system; the Miami-Dade NOA is the county-level approval from the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, which is accepted across Florida and is generally the stricter of the two. In Lee County either satisfies the permit reviewer, and every unit on your quote should carry one.
Can I pull a window permit myself as an owner-builder?
Florida allows owner-builder permits with restrictions, including that you do the work yourself or supervise it directly, occupy the home, and accept the legal responsibility a contractor would otherwise carry. For window and door work, most homeowners let the licensed installer pull the permit under their license, which also keeps the workmanship responsibility where it belongs.
What happens if windows were replaced without a permit?
Unpermitted openings surface at sale, at refinance, at insurance inspection, or at the next permit application. The fix is usually a legalization permit: documenting the installed product, sometimes opening up trim for inspection, and paying an added fee. Disclose it to your installer up front; it is routine work, and hiding it costs more.
Want the permit handled properly?
We match you with an independent Florida-licensed installer who files Lee County window and door permits as routine work.
