Frequently Asked Questions
Residential
Q. What department do I go to in order to begin the process for a Residential permit?
A. You need to begin with the Engineering Department.
Q. Do I need to submit a Residential permit for all areas in Port St. Lucie?
A. No. There are several areas that do not require submittal to the Engineering Department. They are Vikings Landing/Lookout, Sawgrass Lakes, Osprey Ridge, South River Shores, Bay St. Lucie, Charleston Oaks, and Kitching Cove. These can go directly to the Building Department.
Q. I tried calling the AIRS system to schedule my Engineering inspection. Why didn't it go through?
A. The Engineering Department is not currently automated to the AIRS system. Please call our department (772) 871-5177 to schedule driveway, final or final pool inspections. Also try to call before 3:30 p.m. in order to get the inspection on the next day's schedule.
Q. I found a rejection slip at my jobsite today. If I pay the fee before 3:30 p.m., can I get it reinspected the next day?
A. No. Any rejections, if the fee has been paid, cannot be put on the next day's schedule. An additional day is required, allowing the contractor the necessary time to fully address all of the rejection issues.
Q. I have a Residential Engineering inspection scheduled. How can I find out the results?
A. First, you'll want to check the jobsite to see if your permit card was signed, or a rejection slip was left (Permit cards should be placed outside of the house, in an easily accessible location for the inspectors). If you do not see either of these, you can call the Engineering Department (772) 871-5177 after 4:00 p.m. for the results. The results in the AIRS system will be posted after 4:30 p.m. if you will be calling for the Certificate of Occupancy (C.O.). You can also access results from the "Access the Engineering Residential Inspection Results" link in the navigation bar.
Q. What payment types do you accept?
A. The Engineering Department accepts only CASH or CHECK.
Q. After I submit my Residential plot plan, will the driveway culvert stakeout be scheduled automatically?
A. No. To get a Residential driveway culvert stakeout on a schedule, you must call the Engineering Department (772) 871-5177. Please have the permit number handy when you call. Make sure you call them in early, because there is a waiting time. We have so many to take care of that we handle them by the date they were scheduled. Check with the front office of our department for this posting or contact the Engineering Department (772) 871-5177.
Q. I noticed that the inspectors came out and did the Residential driveway stakeout. Where do I get stakeout information?
A. Once the driveway stakeout is completed, you can come to the Engineering Department to pick up the culvert stakeout cutsheet. They are located in the front area of the department on the wall. The cutsheets are put in alphabetical order, by builder name or homeowner's last name.
Q. How soon can I come back to pick up the Residential plot plan I dropped off?
A. Based on the number of plot plans that are dropped off daily, the turnaround time may take up to 2 weeks for approval. The Engineering Department will call or email you once the plot plans have been approved, so there's no need to call to check on the status.
Q. I am having drainage issues on my property. Who do I call?
A. Depending on the location of the issue, certain departments should be contacted:
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On an existing home: the front swale area - Public Works (772) 871-5100
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An existing home with new construction around the existing home - Building Department (772) 871-5132
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Existing home: the sides and back areas - Ultimately the homeowner should try to keep these areas of their property maintained to prevent any drainage problems from occurring, but if you should have concerns or questions, please contact the Engineering Department (772) 871-5177
** Please give at least 72 hours to allow the water to recede properly before calling.
Q. I am a contractor & would like to get a courtesy inspection. How can I do this?
A. If you are at the Final Grade stage and cannot get the property to slope properly, call the Engineering Department (772) 871-5177 to schedule a courtesy inspection. An Engineering representative will go to the job, at their earliest convenience, and take a look at the job site. Afterwards, the Engineering representative will contact you with several options to get the property to grade properly. You can then choose which option to use for the job site. A second inspection does not need to be done at this point.
Q. The sidelot swales are too deep and cannot maintain the 3:1 slope off of the house. What can I do?
A. Many graders choose to install 6" diameter sch40 PVC pipe to solve the problem. If you choose to do this, please contact the Engineering Department (772) 871-5177 to have an inspection done, after the pipe has been installed. Make sure to keep the pipe exposed, since the grades and joints need to be inspected prior to backfill, and prior to any Engineering inspection for the rest of the property.
Q. I would like to modify my driveway. Do I need to submit to the Engineering Department?
A. Yes, if you are going to modify the driveway all the way down to the road. This permit is called a Driveway Modification. This permit is necessary when you modify the driveway all the way down to the road, going over the culvert pipe. You will need to submit a site plan showing the location and the size of the modification. Please download a copy of the,driveway modification application form which is required with each modification submitted. Once the paperwork is submitted, it is given to our inspectors, who go to the site to inspect the condition of the culvert pipe. We will contact you to let you know if the culvert pipe will need to be replaced. Please note that the existing driveway cannot be taken out and modifications cannot be done prior to approval of the driveway modification permit.
Q. Can I get more information on Driveway Modifications?
A. Go to the Residential Inspection [pdf file] page, the Footer Detail [pdf file] page and the Driveway Culvert Elevation Detail [pdf file] page for more detailed information. You can also call the Engineering Department (772) 871-5177 if you have any other questions.
Q. What requirements are necessary to get a bond on a residential property?
A. A bond is used if there is a critical need, such as no sod available or no liner available to complete the house. You need to contact the Engineering Department (772) 871-5177 for this request. Our department will review this, to make sure that it qualifies for a bond. If it qualifies, we will contact you and let you know the dollar amount of the bond. Bonding is covered in the City Code under Section 150.402(3). The amount of the bond is determined by the City Engineer and it will be double the cost of the actual work. You will then come into our department with a check and a letter of request for the bond. You should have the name, address and phone number of your company on the letter, along with the legal description and address of the property being bonded. Once this is completed, you will have 30 days to complete this property (Please contact our department if an extension is required). When the property is ready, call our department to schedule an inspection. After our inspection has been signed off, we will release the bond check back to you. Please allow one to two weeks for the release of this check from our Finance Department. We will contact you once the check has arrived in our department.