Manatee County waives certain building permits for rest of 2022

Manatee County officials are providing a financial assist to residents cleaning up after Hurricane Ian by waiving certain residential and commercial property building permit fees through the rest of 2022.

The Manatee County Development Services office seeks to help post-Ian “fixes go faster by expediting permits for hurricane- damaged structures,” according to a statement. The fees will be waived for aluminum structures, roof coverings, siding, soffit and fascia through Jan. 1, 2023, officials say. County staff will continue to evaluate the fee structure as repairs and rehabilitation of properties continues.

“In emergency situations, temporary repairs, equipment replacement and work done to mitigate wind, water or flood damage and prevent further deterioration of residential and commercial structures can be executed without a permit,” the release states. “However, the permit application MUST be submitted on the next working day to the building official.”

For further detailed information on permitting requirements and what type of work is exempted and not exempted, the county directs residents and business owners to the Manatee County Development Services section of mymanatee.org or to call (941) 748-4501, x6893.

Through Oct. 3, residential damage in Manatee County was estimated at $69 million and commercial damage at $13.5 million. Those figures are forecasted to rise higher as more areas, currently inaccessible, are investigated, officials say.