Data through September 2026 · updated 20 Oct 2026
4,267 new home permits were issued in unincorporated Polk County, October 2024 through September 2026: about 2,134 a year and 27% of all permits. 2,240 new home permits in the last 12 months (Oct 2025–Sep 2026), 11% more than the 2,027 in the 12 months before. The busiest month is September. The usual one took 158 days from issue to the county's final. 33837 has the most, 816.
What this file covers: The Property Appraiser's file holds only permits that can change a property's taxable value, so re-roofs, fences and most trade permits are missing.
Permits issued each month, October 2024 through September 2026.
| Month | Permits |
|---|---|
| Oct 2024 | 155 |
| Nov 2024 | 98 |
| Dec 2024 | 122 |
| Jan 2025 | 227 |
| Feb 2025 | 197 |
| Mar 2025 | 127 |
| Apr 2025 | 163 |
| May 2025 | 213 |
| Jun 2025 | 131 |
| Jul 2025 | 184 |
| Aug 2025 | 224 |
| Sep 2025 | 186 |
| Oct 2025 | 141 |
| Nov 2025 | 135 |
| Dec 2025 | 159 |
| Jan 2026 | 155 |
| Feb 2026 | 227 |
| Mar 2026 | 207 |
| Apr 2026 | 256 |
| May 2026 | 193 |
| Jun 2026 | 195 |
| Jul 2026 | 188 |
| Aug 2026 | 143 |
| Sep 2026 | 241 |
By calendar month, 100 = an average month (the thin line). September is the busiest (120), November the quietest (66). A busy month at the permit counter usually means a longer wait for a contractor.
| Month | Index |
|---|---|
| January | 107 |
| February | 119 |
| March | 94 |
| April | 118 |
| May | 114 |
| June | 92 |
| July | 105 |
| August | 103 |
| September | 120 |
| October | 83 |
| November | 66 |
| December | 79 |
Permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025, at least 12 months before the file ends. Usual days is the middle permit among the 1,643 with a final date.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025 | 2,027 |
| Finished | 85.5% |
| Usual days, issue to final | 158 |
| Middle half, days | 111–223 |
The value written on the permit at application, from 3,504 permits with one. Not a quote and not the final bill.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Usual declared value | $200,000 |
| Middle half | $130,715–$300,000 |
Counted at the property's ZIP code. Share is the part of the county's 4,267 new home permits.
How the county filed these permits. We group its types into kinds of work; this is the split.
| Permit type | Permits | Share |
|---|---|---|
| RES NEW | 4,101 | 96% |
| RES ADDN | 166 | 4% |
Garages, sheds & shade structures (2,863)Solar (2,119)Remodels & repairs (2,000)Electrical (829)Pools & spas (673)Demolition (657)Roofing (278)
From our cross-city data studies: the same measure, read the same way, for every city we cover.
Source: Polk County Property Appraiser, public FTP permit file (ftp_permit.zip, Appraisal Data), read 20 Oct 2026. We count permits issued October 2024 through September 2026; denied and withdrawn permits are left out.
Permits the Polk County building division issues for unincorporated land only (Poinciana, Lakeland Highlands, Four Corners, Kathleen, Wahneta and similar places). Lakeland, Winter Haven, Haines City, Davenport, Bartow, Lake Wales and the other cities issue their own permits and are not counted here. The list comes from the Polk County Property Appraiser, which collects only permits that can change a property's taxable value.
Counts are permits, not jobs: one job can need several permits. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can. Sources and definitions →
Free to reuse with attribution (CC BY 4.0). Please credit Contractor Records and link to this page. Suggested citation:
Contractor Records, "New home permits in unincorporated Polk County, FL", https://contractorrecords.com/polk-county/new-home-permits, data through September 2026, from the Polk County Building Division building-permit records.Link to a table: By month · Season · Days to final · Declared value · By ZIP code · Permit types.
Download the tables (CSV): New homes permits by month · New homes permits by calendar month (index) · New homes permits: days to final · New homes permits: declared value · New homes permits by ZIP code · New homes permits by permit type.