Homeowner resource
Permits & HOA approvals, in plain English
The least glamorous part of a backyard project — and the part that separates professionals from headaches. Here is how it actually works in Orange and Seminole County, and what a licensed contractor should be handling so you never think about it.
When paver work needs a permit — and when it doesn’t
Like-for-like residential work — replacing an existing driveway, patio, or walkway surface within its current footprint — is often permit-light in Orange and Seminole County. What draws review: widening a driveway, changing the apron or anything in the public right-of-way near the street, significantly increasing impervious coverage on the lot, and structural retaining walls above certain heights. Every municipality (Longwood, Winter Park, Sanford, unincorporated county) draws these lines slightly differently — which is why we confirm the rules for your exact address before work is scheduled, not after.
Pool remodeling: what triggers review
Resurfacing a pool interior like-for-like is normally straightforward. Permits enter the picture with equipment changes (new pumps, heaters, electrical), gas lines for fire features or summer kitchens, structural changes to the shell or deck, and anything touching required safety barriers. As a state-certified pool/spa contractor (CPC1458737), pulling the right permits with the right drawings is our paperwork, not yours — and modern drain covers and barrier compliance get checked on every remodel we touch.
HOA and ARB approval, without the runaround
Most planned communities in Seminole and Orange County — Sweetwater, Wekiva, Tuscawilla, Heathrow, the Windermere gates — want an Architectural Review Board application before exterior surfaces change: typically a site sketch, the product line, and the colorway. We prepare that packet with real manufacturer sheets and physical samples, because boards approve faster when they can hold the paver. Build ARB review time (two to six weeks in many communities) into your project timeline — we do.
What we handle for you
Permit research for your address, application and drawings where required, ARB packets with samples, utility locates before excavation, and inspections through final sign-off. You get one number to call and a project that closes out clean — which matters again the day you sell the house and the title company asks about open permits.
The honest disclaimer
Rules vary by municipality and change over time — this guide is orientation, not legal advice. The binding answer for your address comes from your city or county building department and your HOA documents. Confirming both is part of every estimate we run; call 407-740-4179 and we’ll check yours.
Have us check your address
Complimentary on-site estimate
Paperwork handled. Backyard delivered.
We measure, talk materials, and leave you a straight price that holds — anywhere in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake, Polk Counties. You speak with the contractor, never a call center.
Licensed & insured · CPC1458737