Skip to main content
SafeGuard Impact Windows, Doors & Roofing logoSafeGuard Impact home
Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning & Building
Permit Guide · Palm Beach County

How to Pull a Palm Beach County Impact Window Permit (2026 Guide)

Step-by-step process for pulling an impact-window permit anywhere in Palm Beach County — non-HVHZ rules, Florida Product Approval, the difference between county-level and city-level permits, review windows, and the four mistakes that send applications back.

Last updated May 2026Reviewed by Aldo Dellamano, FL CGC1525289
Have us pull the permit(954) 408-4000

At a Glance

Palm Beach County Impact Window Permit — Key Facts

Permit required?
Yes — Florida Building Code §105.1, countywide
Issued by
Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning & Building (PZB)
2300 N Jog Rd, West Palm Beach FL 33411
Online portal
pbcgov.com/pzb
Where do you pull?
Incorporated cities at the city; unincorporated Palm Beach at the county
Typical review window
County: residential ~30 days · commercial ~50 · cities often faster
Permit fee
Sliding scale + ~20% processing up-front
Key documents
Signed/sealed plans (×2), Florida Product Approval per product, processing-fee receipt, Notice of Commencement (>$2,500)
HVHZ-specific?
No — Palm Beach County is outside Florida's HVHZ
Inspection required?
Yes — at least one passed inspection within 180 days

Quick Answer

Across Palm Beach County, a building permit is required for every impact-window installation under Florida Building Code §105.1. Palm Beach is OUTSIDE the HVHZ — Florida Product Approval is accepted (Miami-Dade NOA is not required), with ~30 business days of review at the county and a final inspection within 180 days.

Palm Beach County sits outside Florida's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. That single fact is the most important difference between Palm Beach permits and the stricter Miami-Dade and Broward processes — Florida Product Approval (statewide) is accepted, design wind speeds are lower (~150 mph), and small-missile impact testing is acceptable in some zones. The first decision is whether you're filing at the county or at a city — every incorporated municipality (West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Jupiter, Wellington, etc.) pulls its own permits separately, while unincorporated Palm Beach goes through the county's PZB department.

Do You Need a Permit to Replace Impact Windows in Palm Beach County?

Answer

Yes — Palm Beach County requires a building permit for every window replacement under Florida Building Code §105.1, whether you file with an incorporated city or the county directly. Even outside the HVHZ, unpermitted work voids insurance claims and triggers stop-work orders.

Florida Building Code §105.1 requires a permit for any work that changes a building's structure, weather envelope, or life-safety systems. Window replacement does all three — a single opening counts. Palm Beach County is non-HVHZ, so the rules are slightly different than Miami-Dade or Broward — Florida Product Approval is accepted instead of Miami-Dade NOA — but the permit requirement itself is the same.

Florida insurers routinely deny hurricane-damage claims when post-loss inspections find unpermitted window work. At resale, every Palm Beach title search runs a permit-history check; an open or missing permit on file blocks the closing until it's resolved.

6-Step Application Process

Answer

Identify the right jurisdiction (city vs unincorporated county), file in the appropriate portal, attach signed/sealed plans plus the Florida Product Approval for each product, pay the processing fee, then track the application until you pass final inspection.

  1. 1

    Identify the right jurisdiction

    If your property is inside an incorporated city (West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Jupiter, Wellington, etc.), you pull the permit at the city. If you're in unincorporated Palm Beach, you go through the county's Planning, Zoning & Building department (PZB).

  2. 2

    Open the application in the ePZB portal

    For unincorporated Palm Beach, go to pbcgov.com/pzb → ePZB and start a Building Trade — Windows & Doors application. For incorporated cities, the city's portal is the entry point.

  3. 3

    Complete the application

    Fill in the property owner, the licensed contractor's CGC number, scope of work, and project value. Project value drives the fee — under-reporting triggers a re-review.

  4. 4

    Compile required documents

    Two sets of signed/sealed plans, the Florida Product Approval per product (Palm Beach is NOT HVHZ — statewide approval is accepted), the processing-fee receipt, and a Notice of Commencement if the project is over $2,500.

  5. 5

    Submit and wait for review

    Upload through the appropriate portal. County reviews run ~30 business days for residential and ~50 for commercial. City-level reviews are usually faster (~25 days). Same-day re-submissions on reviewer comments keep you at queue position.

  6. 6

    Pass inspection within 180 days

    At least one final inspection must clear within 180 days of permit issue or the permit voids and you re-pay. Schedule the final inspection through the portal as soon as install completes.

Required Documents Explained

Answer

Each application needs two signed/sealed plan sets, a Florida Product Approval per product, the processing-fee receipt, a recorded Notice of Commencement for projects over $2,500, and engineer-sealed wind-load calculations.

  • Two sets of signed and sealed plans

    Plans must be sealed by a Florida-registered architect or engineer. They detail opening dimensions, the anchoring schedule, and any structural reinforcement around the rough opening.

  • Florida Product Approval (FL#)

    Search every product at floridabuilding.org → Product Approval. Each window line carries its own FL# approval. Miami-Dade NOA also satisfies if the manufacturer supplies that route.

  • Processing fee

    Roughly 20% of total permit cost is paid up-front to start review. Balance is billed at issuance based on final project value. Each city sets its own schedule; the county runs its own.

  • Notice of Commencement

    Required for any project over $2,500. Recorded with the Palm Beach Clerk of the Court & Comptroller before work begins; a copy is uploaded to the permit application.

  • Wind-load calculations

    Derived from your building's design wind speed (typically 150 mph in Palm Beach County) and exposure category. The engineer's calculation specifies the exact pressure rating per opening.

Permit Fees & Timeline

Answer

Palm Beach County review averages 30 business days for residential, 50 for commercial. City-level reviews typically run faster (~25 days). You have 180 days from issue to pass at least one inspection.

  • ~30 days
    Residential review window
    Unincorporated PBC (county-level)
  • ~50 days
    Commercial review window
    Larger scope, longer queue
  • 180 days
    Deadline to pass first inspection
    From permit issuance
  • ~20%
    Processing fee (up-front)
    Sliding scale on project value

City-level reviews typically clear faster than the county queue — West Palm Beach averages ~25 days, Boca Raton ~25, Delray Beach ~28. Confirm against the published fee schedule of the specific jurisdiction handling your permit.

Palm Beach (non-HVHZ) vs HVHZ Counties — The Key Differences

Answer

Palm Beach County is outside Florida's HVHZ, so PBC permits accept Florida Product Approval (not Miami-Dade NOA), allow lower design wind speeds (~150 mph), and may permit small-missile impact testing — meaningfully less strict than Miami-Dade or Broward.

Contractors used to working in Miami-Dade or Broward sometimes over-spec products for Palm Beach jobs, paying for HVHZ-rated glass when the code doesn't require it. The opposite mistake is more common, though — out-of-state contractors arrive with statewide product approvals that don't quite match the Palm Beach exposure category, and the city or county flags it.

Palm Beach County (non-HVHZ)Miami-Dade & Broward (HVHZ)
Product approvalFlorida Product Approval (FL#)Miami-Dade NOA required
Impact testSmall or large-missile per zoneLarge-missile (9 lb 2x4 @ 34 mph)
Design wind speedTypically 150 mph in PBCUp to 175 mph
Inspection rigorSingle final typicalMultiple inspections (rough + final)

4 Reasons Palm Beach Rejects Impact Window Permit Applications

Answer

Most rejections trace to a small set of mistakes — Florida Product Approval mismatch between submitted product and plans, missing wind-load calculations, an unrecorded Notice of Commencement on a project over $2,500, or an unlicensed contractor named on the application.

  • Product Approval mismatch

    The product specified in the plans doesn't match the FL# listed on the application — or the approval has expired and a renewed version exists. Reviewers compare every line.

  • Missing wind-load calculations

    No engineer-sealed calculation for the building's design wind speed and exposure category. Generic spec sheets don't substitute for a building-specific calc — even at 150 mph design speeds.

  • Notice of Commencement not recorded

    Projects over $2,500 require the NoC recorded with the Palm Beach Clerk of the Court & Comptroller before work begins. A copy goes into the permit; without it, the permit can't be issued.

  • Wrong jurisdiction

    Filing the application at the county when the property is inside an incorporated city (or vice versa). The application gets routed back; check your address against the city limits before filing.

After the Permit — Inspections

Answer

Schedule each inspection through the appropriate portal. Outside the HVHZ, a single combined final inspection is typical — anchoring, flashing, glazing intact, and the product-approval tags retained.

  1. 1

    Schedule the final inspection

    After install completes. Outside the HVHZ, Palm Beach jurisdictions typically run a single combined final inspection covering anchoring, flashing, and glazing in one visit.

  2. 2

    Retain the FL# / product-approval tags

    Stickers must remain on the glass at inspection. Pulling them before the inspector arrives is a common reason for a re-inspection trip.

  3. 3

    Close the permit

    Once the final clears, the permit auto-closes and shows as "finalized" in the portal. That status is what title searches see at resale.

Why Most Palm Beach Homeowners Hire a Permit-Pulling Contractor

Answer

A permit-pulling contractor handles the application, the sealed plans, the product-approval paperwork, the Notice of Commencement, and the inspection — eliminating the common rejection reasons before a Palm Beach reviewer ever sees the file.

A licensed contractor pulls the permit under their CGC and stays the responsible party through final inspection — that's a meaningful difference from owner-builder permits, which require the homeowner to occupy the home, prohibit selling for one year after the work, and shift legal responsibility for code compliance.

SafeGuard handles every Palm Beach impact-window permit end-to-end across both county and city jurisdictions: signed/sealed plans, Florida Product Approval verification, Notice of Commencement filing, portal submission, reviewer-comment turnaround, and inspection. Request a free estimate and we'll cost the project including the full permit pathway.

FAQs

Palm Beach County Impact Window Permits — Common Questions

Do I file my Palm Beach permit at the county or at the city?
Depends on your address. Properties inside an incorporated municipality (West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Jupiter, Wellington, etc.) pull permits at that city. Unincorporated Palm Beach addresses go through the county's PZB department.
Does Palm Beach County require Miami-Dade NOA for impact windows?
No. Palm Beach County is outside the HVHZ, so Florida Product Approval (FL#) is accepted statewide. Miami-Dade NOA also satisfies the requirement if the manufacturer carries that approval, but it's not mandatory the way it is in Miami-Dade and Broward.
How long does Palm Beach County take to approve an impact window permit?
Around 30 business days for residential and 50 for commercial at the county PZB level. City-level reviews typically clear in ~25 business days. SafeGuard tracks every submission and re-submits same-day on any reviewer comments.
Can the homeowner pull the permit themselves in Palm Beach?
Technically yes, as an owner-builder. Palm Beach jurisdictions require the homeowner to occupy the home, prohibit selling for one year after the work, and shift legal responsibility for code compliance — including any failed inspections — to the homeowner.
What happens if I install impact windows in Palm Beach without a permit?
Stop-work orders, fines from the city or county, voided insurance claims, problems at resale where every title search flags unclosed permits, and exposure to demolition-and-rebuild orders if a later inspection turns up the unpermitted work.
Do I need impact windows or hurricane shutters in Palm Beach County?
Either passes the building code. Impact windows replace shutters entirely — no deploying before each storm, plus daily benefits like UV protection, sound insulation, and a wind-mitigation insurance discount that Palm Beach homeowners use to offset insurance premiums.
What wind-load rating do I need in Palm Beach County?
Design wind speeds are typically 150 mph in Palm Beach County (lower than HVHZ Miami-Dade and Broward). The engineer's wind-load calculation specifies the exact pressure rating per opening based on building height, exposure category, and roof geometry — beachfront properties pull stronger numbers than inland parcels.
Does the permit need to be closed before I sell my Palm Beach home?
Yes. Open or expired permits show up on every Palm Beach County title search and routinely delay or kill closings until they're resolved. The county's lien-search system flags every unclosed permit on the property.

Want SafeGuard to handle the permit?

Free estimate that includes the full permit pathway — sealed plans, product-approval verification, Notice of Commencement, and inspections.

Request a free estimate(954) 408-4000

Content Disclosure

This article is provided for general information only and reflects current Florida Building Code requirements, common South Florida construction practices, and SafeGuard's field experience. Actual project costs, permit requirements, material availability, and timelines vary based on your home, municipality, and project scope. Florida law requires that any residential construction work over $1,000 be performed by a licensed contractor — always consult a Florida-licensed contractor before starting an impact-window, impact-door, or roofing project and verify credentials through the Florida DBPR license lookup. This guidance is not a substitute for a project-specific estimate or on-site evaluation by a licensed professional.