Private Provider Plan Review and Inspections in Lee County, Florida
Lee County will not tell you how long plan review takes, because there is no number to give you. You file, and you wait. Guardian gives you a number. BMEP plan review back in 2 business days, before you ever file with the county. Then your crew sends photos and video and we handle the inspections. We are registered in every building department in Lee County.
2
Business day plan review turnaround
10
Business day municipality permit clock §553.791(10)
Virtual
Every inspection by photo and video
What Is a Private Provider in Lee County?
A private provider is a Florida licensed professional who does your plan review and inspections instead of the building department. Florida Statute 553.791 makes that legal everywhere in Florida, Lee County included. Every city and county has to accept the work the same as their own. Guardian is that provider for Lee County builders. We check your plans against the Florida Building Code, then handle your inspections by photo and video from start to finish.
Here is the Lee County problem. The county's plan review page tells you which code edition applies and which checklists to bring. It does not tell you how long you will wait, and nobody at the counter will either. Review runs in weeks, not days, and every round of corrections starts the wait over. Lee is one of the fastest growing counties in Florida, and the rebuild work is still moving through the same departments your new construction goes through. Every set filed ahead of yours sits in front of you.
Send us your plans before you file. A Florida licensed reviewer checks the full Building, Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing set against the code, the same code the county would apply, and works the corrections directly with you. You find out what needs fixing in days instead of guessing for weeks. Once the set complies you get back stamped plans and the paperwork the county requires, including the Notice to Building Official.
You file with the same building department you always have. Nothing changes there.
Once your permit is issued and you break ground, your crew sends photos and recorded video at each required stage. A Florida licensed inspector reviews the footage against the code and logs the result. No inspector has to drive out to your site.
There is one more thing the county does not advertise. Florida law does not let a building department charge you for work it does not do. On projects that go through the Lee County Building Department, that comes back to you as a
75% reduction on your permit feewhen a private provider handles the plan review and inspections. The cities set their own reductions.
Who We Serve in Lee County
Pool Builders
Volume pool builders running several jobs at once, from the canal lots in Cape Coral to the communities along the Three Oaks and Corkscrew corridors.
See our pool builder page ➡
Home Builders
Single family home builders and general contractors building 12 to 75 homes a year, production, spec, or semi custom, from Lehigh Acres and North Fort Myers to the Gateway corridor.
See our new home builder page ➡
Registered Across Every Building Department in Lee County
Lee County is seven building departments, not one.
Unincorporated Lee County runs plan review and inspections through the Department of Community Development. That covers Lehigh Acres, North Fort Myers, San Carlos Park, Gateway, Pine Island, Alva, and everything else outside a city line. Inside those lines,
Cape Coral,
Fort Myers,
Bonita Springs,
Estero,
Fort Myers Beach, and
Sanibel each run their own.
Guardian is registered in all seven.
That matters more here than almost anywhere, because the two places putting up the most single family homes in the county sit on opposite sides of the line. Cape Coral is its own city department. Lehigh Acres is the county. Build in both and you are running two departments, two portals, and two sets of habits for houses you build the same way. You should not have to shop for a private provider based on which side of a line your next lot falls on.
Give us your address list two to four weeks before you plan to start and we will have your project documents on file with the right department.
Permits Issued Faster, Projects Closed Out Sooner
With Guardian
Plan review back in 2 business days, every time. Either clear comments telling your engineer exactly what to fix, or a signed affidavit certifying the set meets code.
Waiting on the county
No published turnaround. Your set goes in the line behind everyone else's, and every round of corrections puts you back in it.
A stalled review or a missed inspection does not cost you a day. It costs you the sub who is now booked out to next week, the draw you were waiting on, and a lot that keeps carrying while nothing happens on it. Run several homes or pools at once across Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres, and Estero, and one slow round backs up every one of them.
What The Process Looks Like in Lee County
1
You submit your construction plans, product approvals, and a site survey.
For a pool: that also means TDH calcs.
For new home construction: that means energy calcs and truss engineering or a deferral letter.
A Florida licensed reviewer checks the full set against the Florida Building Code, the same code Lee County or your city would apply, and works corrections directly with you until the plans comply. You get an answer in 2 business days: either review comments, or a signed affidavit certifying the plans meet code.
2
You get your documents and file the permit with the county
Guardian hands back your stamped plans, the plan compliance affidavit, and the Notice to Building Official form.
For a pool: that also means a pool safety affidavit for you as the contractor to complete.
You file the permit application with whichever department your project falls under, unincorporated Lee County or your city, and mention that you are using a private provider.
3
Your crew sends photos and video, we handle the
inspections virtually
Once your permit is issued and you break ground, your crew sends photos and recorded video at each required stage.
For a pool: steel to final.
For new home construction: underground plumbing to building final.
We aim to return results the same day you submit them. A licensed inspector reviews the footage and logs the result. Once an inspection passes, we notify the building department directly. No inspector to schedule, no crew standing around waiting for someone to show up.
If Guardian Reviews My Plans, What Does Lee County Still Do?
Guardian handles the plan review and inspections within our scope. Lee County or your city still handles
zoning, setbacks, drainage, and fire. They still issue your permit and your certificate, and they can still audit our work at any time to ensure life safety. None of that changes because you used a private provider.
Pricing
Built around your volume.
The more you build, the less you pay.
Click below to learn more about pricing, or if you'd like a quote use the form below to contact our team.
Get Started
Built For Builders Who Cannot Afford to Wait on Lee County
Guardian Engineering was created for one type of client: the contractor who loses time, money, and reputation every time an inspection is missed or a permit sits untouched.
Got Questions About Private Providers in Lee County?
Does Lee County accept private provider plan review and inspections?
Yes. Florida Statute 553.791 requires every city and county in the state to accept a licensed private provider's work the same as their own. That includes unincorporated Lee County, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Myers Beach, and Sanibel.
Do you work in every city in Lee County?
Yes. Guardian is registered in all seven Lee County building departments: unincorporated Lee County, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Myers Beach, and Sanibel. Give us your addresses two to four weeks before you plan to start so your project documents are on file with the right one.
My project is in Lehigh Acres. Which building department is that?
Lehigh Acres is unincorporated, so it goes to the Lee County Department of Community Development. So do North Fort Myers, San Carlos Park, Gateway, Pine Island, and Alva. Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Myers Beach, and Sanibel each run their own department. We are registered in all of them, so either way we can do your work. If you are not sure which side of the line your lot falls on, send us the address and we will tell you.
Does Guardian file my permit for me in Lee County?
At this time, Guardian does NOT offer permitting for clients in Lee County. You file your permit application with the local building department. Guardian hands you the stamped plans and paperwork you need to file it as a private provider project.
How fast is plan review with Guardian?
On average Guardian is currently experiencing a 2 business day timeframe for conducting private provider plan reviews for Lee County projects.
How long does plan review take in Lee County without a private provider?
Lee County does not publish a turnaround time for residential plan review, and neither do most of the cities inside it. Builders plan for weeks, not days, and every round of corrections restarts the wait.
Can you submit virtual inspections in Lee County?
Yes. Your crew sends photos and recorded video for each required inspection. A Florida licensed inspector checks it. Nobody has to wait for a county inspector to show up on site. Guardian submits the result to the building department and you can keep building.
Does using a private provider lower my permit fees in Lee County?
Yes. Florida law does not allow a city or county to charge for work they do not do. On projects that go through the Lee County Building Department, that is a 75% reduction on your permit fee when a private provider handles the plan review and inspections. Each city in the county sets its own reduction, so the number is different inside Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Myers Beach, and Sanibel. Any of them can still charge a reasonable fee for its own administrative involvement.
Does Lee County still issue my permit and CO?
Yes. Guardian does the plan review and handles the BMEP inspections. Lee County or your city still issues the permit and the certificate of occupancy after all requirements are met.