Permits › HOA & Condo Approval
Your HOA Said Yes. That Still Isn't a Building Permit, and the Permit Isn't HOA Approval Either.
It's the most common mix-up we hear from Sarasota homeowners. Here's what each approval covers, when you need one or both, and how we run them side by side so your remodel doesn't stall.
Licensed & Insured · Every Permit Pulled · Serving Sarasota County Since 2018
Quick Answer
What's the difference between HOA approval and a building permit?
In the HOA approval vs building permit question, they're two separate approvals. The building permit comes from the City of Sarasota or Sarasota County and checks code safety. HOA or condo approval comes from your association and enforces its own rules under Florida Statutes §720.3035 and §718.113. Getting one never covers the other.
Side by Side
HOA Approval vs. Building Permit: How Are They Different?
| Building permit | HOA / condo approval | |
|---|---|---|
| Who issues it | City of Sarasota, Sarasota County, or your town's building department | Your HOA's architectural committee or your condo board |
| What it checks | Safety: plumbing, electrical, structure, waterproofing, per the Florida Building Code | The association's rules: appearance, common elements, noise, contractors, work hours |
| Governing law | Florida Building Code, local ordinances | Your declaration and rules; FL Stat. §720.3035 (HOAs), §718.113 (condos) |
| Typical timing | About 1-4 weeks for bathroom work | Often 2-6 weeks for condo review; depends on the board's meeting schedule |
| Skip it and… | Stop-work orders, after-the-fact permits, opened walls, resale and insurance trouble | Fines, orders to undo the work, legal action by the association |
| Does it cover the other? | No | No |
The building department doesn't ask whether your HOA signed off, and your HOA doesn't check your plumbing. That's exactly why the HOA approval vs building permit mix-up is so common: people assume one covers the other. Neither office is looking at the other one's paperwork.
Houses in an HOA
Do I Need HOA Approval to Remodel a Bathroom in a House?
Often not for the bathroom itself. Florida Statute §720.3035 limits an HOA's architectural review to what its declaration allows, and says the association can't review interior work that isn't visible from the front of the home, a neighbor's lot, the common areas, or a golf course. A new shower and vanity inside your house in Palmer Ranch or Lakewood Ranch usually falls outside that review.
So do I need HOA approval to remodel a bathroom? For the interior design, usually no. But these parts of a bathroom job often do reach the HOA:
- ✓A new or resized window, or glass block, on an exterior wall
- ✓A new exhaust fan vent through the roof or an outside wall
- ✓An outdoor shower or pool bath, or any bathroom addition
- ✓A dumpster or storage pod in the driveway, contractor signs, and parking
- ✓Work hours and noise rules, which many Lakewood Ranch and Palmer Ranch neighborhoods set
Every declaration is different, so we read yours, or ask the management company, before we schedule demo. It takes a phone call, and it avoids a violation letter halfway through the job.
In an HOA or a condo?
Send us your association's remodeling rules. We'll tell you what needs approval and handle the paperwork.
Condos Are Different
Why Do Condo Bathrooms Almost Always Need Board Approval?
In a condo, your bathroom shares pipes, floors, and walls with your neighbors. Florida Statute §718.113 bars owners from work that affects the safety or soundness of the common elements, and most Sarasota condo documents spell out exactly what needs approval.
Plumbing and drain stacks
The main drain and water risers are often common elements. Tying in a new shower drain or moving a toilet can touch them, so boards usually want plans and a licensed plumber.
Flooring and sound
Switching to tile or stone can require an approved sound-control underlayment so the unit below doesn't hear every step. This catches a lot of people off guard on interior-only work. See our tile and flooring guide for options.
Waterproofing
A shower leak in a Longboat Key or downtown tower damages the unit below. Many boards want to see the waterproofing method, and some want to inspect it before tile.
Contractor logistics
Certificates of insurance naming the association, elevator reservations and pads, work hours (often weekdays only), and debris rules. In season, some buildings limit noisy work altogether.
We've done enough condo bathrooms on Longboat Key, Siesta Key, Lido Key, and in the downtown towers to know the pattern: the board approval takes longer than the building permit, so we submit both at the same time. See our downtown Sarasota and Longboat Key pages for building-specific notes.
How We Run Both
How to Get HOA Approval and a Permit Without Delays
Read the Documents
We review your declaration, rules, and any remodeling application form before we finalize the scope.
Submit in Parallel
The association package and the permit application go in the same week, so the waits overlap instead of stacking.
Match the Two
If the board asks for a change, like a different underlayment, we update the permit drawings so both records agree.
Start With Both in Hand
No demo until the permit is issued and the association has approved in writing.
Questions We Get
HOA and Condo Approval Questions
No. The building permit from the City of Sarasota or Sarasota County covers code compliance. Your HOA or condo association has its own approval process under its declaration and Florida Statutes §720.3035 and §718.113. You may need both, and getting one does not waive the other.
An HOA can deny approval for work that falls under its architectural authority, require changes, fine you, or take legal action if you go ahead without required approval. But under §720.3035, a Florida HOA can only review what its declaration allows, and generally can't review interior work that isn't visible from the front, neighboring lots, common areas, or a golf course.
Usually, yes, for anything beyond cosmetic updates. Most Sarasota condo documents require approval for plumbing changes, new flooring (often with a sound-control underlayment), and waterproofing, plus proof of the contractor's license and insurance. Check your declaration and rules, or ask your management company.
Condo architectural review commonly takes two to six weeks, depending on how often the board or committee meets. Building permit review for bathroom work is often one to four weeks. We submit both at the same time so the waits overlap.
Generally not in a single-family home, because it's interior and not visible from outside. In condos, cosmetic work like paint or a vanity swap usually doesn't need approval either, but changing flooring can, because of sound transmission to the unit below.
Stuck between HOA approval vs building permit paperwork? We run both for Sarasota homeowners every week.
Call (941) 394-7111This page is general information, not legal advice. Your association's declaration and rules control. For disputes with an association, talk to a Florida-licensed attorney.
Permits & HOA Guides
Keep Reading: Permits, Code & HOA in Sarasota
Bathroom Remodel Permits
What needs a permit in Sarasota, what it costs, and how it works.
You're here
HOA Approval vs. Permit
Two separate approvals. Why one never covers the other.
County vs. City of Sarasota
Which building department your address actually uses.
Unpermitted Work From a Previous Owner
Open permits, liens, resale, and how to fix it.
What Doesn't Need a Permit
Cosmetic work, the gray areas, and the six-inch rule.
Ready to Start?
Let's Talk About
Your Bathroom.
When it comes to bathroom remodeling Sarasota homeowners deserve straight answers, licensed work, and a crew that pulls every permit and finishes what they start.
Free in-home consultation. No commitment. We'll look at your space, tell you what we see, including what's behind the walls if it matters, and give you a realistic picture of scope and cost before you decide anything.
Mon–Sat 8am–6pm · Licensed & Insured · Sarasota County FL