Yes, plan on a permit for impact-window and exterior-door replacement in Sarasota and Manatee. A size-for-size job is simpler than cutting a new opening, but it is still regulated work. The permit ties the approved product and installation to your address.
The exact office depends on the parcel. An address in the City of Sarasota, Bradenton, or Venice goes to that city, not the county. We confirm the jurisdiction before we price or submit anything.
As a Florida Certified General Contractor, Salty LLC can keep the whole job under one contract: product, permit, installation, inspection, structural opening work, and the finish work around it. That matters when a window becomes a slider or a header, stucco, trim, drywall, and paint edge are part of the scope.
Do I need a permit to replace windows or doors size for size?
In unincorporated Sarasota County, yes—treat a size-for-size window or door replacement as an alteration permit. The county’s own permit material classifies size-for-size doors and windows as RES-ALT or COM-ALT, and its inspection portal specifically lists a one-opening, size-for-size window or door replacement as eligible for a virtual inspection. Sarasota County’s recovery permit FAQ and online permitting page support that workflow.
In unincorporated Manatee County, yes. The county’s online permit information lists Residential Door and Window Express and Door/Window Standard permit paths, along with Florida Product Approval/NOA documentation for door-window work. Manatee County’s permit FAQ also identifies a door/window buck inspection and a building final for the standard path.
In the City of Sarasota, yes. The city lists windows as a single-trade over-the-counter permit type, and its permit notice says an owner, authorized agent, or contractor must apply for and obtain the required permit before regulated installation, alteration, repair, removal, conversion, or replacement work begins. City of Sarasota Building & Permitting and the city’s permit notice are the starting points.
In the City of Bradenton, yes. The city’s “work not requiring a permit” list excludes whole-window replacement and exterior doors, while its permit application has a specific Exterior Door & Window category. Bradenton’s exemption list and permit application are clear enough not to treat exterior replacement as handyman work.
In the City of Venice, yes. Venice’s replacement-window checklist begins with an online permit application; its door-replacement instructions say to apply online and require the Florida Product Approval or notice of acceptance to be posted at the jobsite. City of Venice’s replacement submittal page sets out those items.
What goes in an impact window permit package?
The permit set should make it easy for a reviewer and inspector to match each opening to the actual approved product and fastening method. Florida’s Product Approval materials say windows, exterior doors, shutters, and impact protective systems are building-envelope categories subject to the state approval system; building officials must accept Florida Product Approvals, although they may ask for additional information. Florida Building Code product-approval guidance explains the statewide path.
| Package item | What it needs to show | Why it belongs in the file |
|---|---|---|
| Permit application | Correct jurisdiction, property, scope, contractor and valuation | It establishes who is responsible for the work. |
| Opening schedule or marked floor plan | Each window, entry door, slider, garage door, or shutter opening; size and location | Venice asks for a floor plan for window replacement, and Manatee’s alteration checklist calls for existing and proposed plans in renovations. Venice’s checklist Manatee’s plans-review checklist |
| Florida Product Approval number or Miami-Dade NOA | The exact product, option, size limits and design-pressure conditions | Manatee’s disclosure has a Product Approval (FPA or NOA) field for windows, doors, shutters, and garage doors. Manatee’s disclosure form |
| Manufacturer installation instructions | Anchor type, size, penetration, edge distance, spacing, accessory details, and attachment diagrams | Florida’s approval rule requires those basics in window installation instructions. Florida Building Code rule material |
| Manatee Door, Window & Shutter Disclosure | Contractor of record, product numbers, impact/non-impact status, quantities, and signature | It is a required county-specific disclosure for the listed permit. Manatee’s current disclosure |
| Structural drawings when the opening changes | Existing/proposed layout, header/lintel and framing or buck details, as applicable | Manatee’s one- and two-family checklist calls for signed/sealed construction plans and window/door buck-attachment details for additions and renovations. Manatee’s plans-review checklist |
A Miami-Dade NOA can be used where the local checklist accepts it, but it is not the only route. Venice and Manatee both expressly accept a Florida Product Approval or an NOA, while Florida recognizes statewide Product Approval, according to Venice’s replacement checklist, Manatee’s disclosure, and Florida Building Code guidance. Sarasota and Manatee are not in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone; the Florida Building Code identifies that zone as Miami-Dade and Broward counties, per Florida Building Code publication.
Who should pull the permit?
The contractor who is responsible for the work should pull it. The permit record then matches the license, the product documents, the inspection requests, and the party correcting a failed inspection.
A homeowner may qualify for an owner-builder exemption, but it is not a way to hire an unlicensed installer to run the job. Manatee’s owner-builder disclosure says the owner must personally appear and sign, provide direct onsite supervision, make sure workers have required licenses, and accept legal and financial responsibility, as documented in Manatee County’s owner-builder disclosure. It also says a sale or lease within one year creates a presumption that the work was undertaken for sale or lease, as stated in that same disclosure.
For a licensed project, homeowner-pulled permits can muddy responsibility. We pull the permit under Salty LLC’s CGC license and stay responsible through final inspection.
Before signing, verify the contractor directly. Florida DBPR lets you search by name or license number through its verification portal. DBPR’s license-verification instructions are the right place to check status, discipline, and business record.
What inspections happen, and in what order?
The permit card controls the exact inspection codes. Do not cover fasteners, bucks, flashing, or structural work before the required inspection is approved.
A practical sequence is:
- Permit issued and documents on site. Venice says inspections confirm the permitted work matches approved plans and specifications, as shown in City of Venice inspections.
- Buck or attachment inspection, when required. Manatee’s standard door/window route lists Door/Window Bucks before Building Final, according to Manatee County’s permit FAQ.
- Final building inspection after installation is complete. Bradenton says a project is complete only after all required finals pass; Venice tells owners or licensed contractors to request inspections as work progresses, per Bradenton inspections and Venice inspections.
Venice requires its window/door buck inspections through the VuSpexGO offline field-report process, as documented in City of Venice inspections. Sarasota County allows a virtual inspection for a one-opening, size-for-size window or door replacement, but that eligibility does not replace the permit or change the approved scope, as stated in Sarasota County online permitting.
What does closing the permit mean?
Closing means the required finals are approved, fees and conditions are resolved, and the jurisdiction can treat the permitted scope as complete. Manatee says a project must pass final inspections, have fees paid, and satisfy conditions; it also warns that permits expire after 180 days if no required inspection has been approved, as shown in Manatee County’s permit FAQ.
Ask us for the final inspection result, permit status, product approval/NOA, installation instructions, and paid invoice. Keep them with your home records. The current wind-mitigation form requires supporting documentation and at least one photo or document for each marked attribute, so a closed permit package makes the later insurance inspection easier to support, according to Florida OIR’s OIR-B1-1802 form.pdf?Status=Master).
For the next step on insurance documentation, read our Florida wind mitigation credits guide. You can also find plain answers in our impact-window FAQ.
How is a widened opening different from a replacement?
A size-for-size replacement works within an existing opening. Enlarging a window, converting a window to a sliding glass door, or changing a header/lintel changes the structural scope. That is a building alteration, not a simple swap.
The review package must reflect the proposed framing and attachment work. For example, Manatee’s renovation and addition checklist calls for existing and proposed floor plans, wind design pressures, signed/sealed construction plans, and window/door buck-attachment details, according to Manatee’s plans-review checklist. That is why a general contractor is useful here: we can carry the structural work and the exterior and interior finish work instead of handing you separate trades after the opening is cut. See our guide to a window-to-sliding-glass-door conversion.
Frequently asked questions
Can I replace one impact window without a permit?
No, do not assume one opening is exempt. Sarasota County specifically recognizes a one-opening, size-for-size window or door replacement as an inspection type, and local offices list window or exterior-door replacements in their permitting workflows, per Sarasota County online permitting. Confirm the property jurisdiction before work starts.
Is a Miami-Dade NOA required in Sarasota or Manatee?
No, a Miami-Dade NOA is not the only accepted path. Venice’s checklist accepts a Florida Product Approval or notice of acceptance, and Manatee’s disclosure provides for an FPA or NOA number, as documented in City of Venice’s checklist and Manatee’s disclosure. In either route, the approval must match the unit actually installed.
Can a homeowner pull the permit and hire the installer?
A homeowner can pursue the owner-builder exemption, but that owner assumes responsibility and direct onsite supervision. The owner-builder disclosure prohibits hiring an unlicensed person to act as contractor or supervise the work, as stated in Manatee County’s disclosure. For licensed impact-window work, it is cleaner to have the responsible contractor pull the permit.
Do I need an inspection after the windows are installed?
Yes, the permit needs its required inspections before it can close. Manatee’s standard door/window path lists a buck inspection and a building final, while Bradenton says a permitted project is complete only after final inspections have passed, as shown in Manatee County’s permit FAQ and Bradenton inspections.
Why should I keep the product approval after final inspection?
Keep it because it identifies what was installed and can support a later wind-mitigation inspection. The OIR form requires supporting documents and proof for marked mitigation attributes, including opening protection, per Florida OIR’s current OIR-B1-1802 form.pdf?Status=Master). Keep the final permit result too, not only the sales invoice.
Talk through the permit before you order
Salty LLC, Florida Certified General Contractor CGC1538098, handles impact-window and door projects across Sarasota and Manatee County. Start with the address, the openings, and whether any framing changes are planned. Call (941) 807-2199 or contact Salty LLC. You can also return to the Salty LLC homepage to see the work we handle under one contract.