Building or Remodeling in Boca Raton: City or County, Product Approvals, Appearance Review and Historic Districts

Boca Raton is the southern end of Palm Beach County, with planned communities, gated neighborhoods, beachfront condos and a downtown that keeps growing. Building here works differently from Broward and Miami-Dade in a few important ways, starting with something as simple as which government issues your permit.

This guide covers what is specific to building and remodeling in Boca Raton.

Step one: city or county?

A Boca Raton mailing address does not mean the property is in the City of Boca Raton. Large areas west of the city limits, including many gated communities, are in unincorporated Palm Beach County. Those properties get their permits from Palm Beach County's building division and follow county zoning, not the city's. The quickest way to check is the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser's record for the property, which shows the municipality. We check this before we price a job, because it changes the permit process, the forms and sometimes the rules.

Permits in the city run through Boca eHub

• Online applications. The city's Boca eHub portal handles permit applications, fee payments, permit status and inspection scheduling, with electronic plan review.
• Checklists. The city publishes separate application checklists for one- and two-family projects and for multifamily and commercial projects, and a permit fee estimator.
• Permit history. The city offers a permit history lookup, which is worth checking before you buy or start work.

Outside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone

Miami-Dade and Broward are in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, where windows, doors and roofing need HVHZ approval, usually a Miami-Dade NOA. Palm Beach County, including Boca Raton, is outside that zone. Products here can use Florida Product Approval, with numbers that start with FL, at the design pressures the house requires, which usually opens up more product choices and sometimes lower prices. Boca Raton is still a hurricane area, and openings still need impact-rated products or approved shutters. Our post on NOA versus Florida Product Approval explains the difference.

The Community Appearance Board

Boca Raton is known for a consistent look, and the city's Community Appearance Board reviews exterior alterations to buildings other than single-family homes, such as condos, townhouse communities, commercial and office buildings. If you are changing the exterior of one of those, including colors, materials, windows or signage, plan for that review before the building permit. Most single-family homes are not reviewed by the board, but many sit in HOA communities with their own architectural review; our post on HOA approval explains how that works.

Historic districts

Boca Raton has two local historic districts, Old Floresta and Pearl City, plus individually designated historic sites. Exterior work on those properties, including walls, fences, lighting, steps, paving, landscaping and signs, needs a Certificate of Appropriateness from the city's Historic Preservation Board. The board usually meets monthly, on the third Tuesday, and applications are due three weeks before the meeting, with plans, elevations, material samples, colors and photos of the existing conditions.

Condos and older buildings

• Milestone inspections. Condo and co-op buildings three or more habitable stories tall need Florida's milestone inspection. In unincorporated Palm Beach County, the first one is due at 25 years for buildings within 3 miles of the coastline. See our guide to milestone inspection requirements.
• City recertification. The City of Boca Raton also has its own Building Recertification Inspection Program. Ask the city whether your building is on it and how it lines up with the milestone inspection.
• Condo remodels. Association approval and building rules apply, as described in our condo renovation guide.

Near the water

Properties near the Intracoastal and the beach can be in FEMA flood zones, where large renovations may trigger the 50 percent rule. Beachfront work on the ocean side of the Coastal Construction Control Line needs a state permit as well; see our post on CCCL permits.

The bottom line

In Boca Raton, start by confirming whether the property is in the city or the county, then check whether the Community Appearance Board, the Historic Preservation Board or an HOA has a say in the exterior. Product approvals work differently here than in Broward and Miami-Dade, which can widen your choices. We handle home renovations, additions, impact windows and doors and concrete restoration in Boca Raton and across Palm Beach County. Tell us about your property.