The Early Start Request is the City of Cape Coral letter-form, issued under the Department of Development Services and written under Florida Building Code Sec. 105.12, that asks the Building Official for approval to begin limited new construction work before a building permit is issued. It is one of the documents in the city's Permit Document Center, which collects the paperwork behind a Cape Coral permit. The property owner and the contractor both sign it, accepting that any early work is at their own risk. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the original is published by the city.
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What is Early Start Request – Cape Coral, FL?
The Early Start Request is a City of Cape Coral form, addressed to the Building Official, that asks for approval to start limited new construction work before final approval and issuance of a building permit, as Florida Building Code Sec. 105.12 allows.
The form quotes that section: with the building official's approval, the scope of work in the permit application and plan may start before final approval and issuance of the permit, provided the work is entirely at the permit applicant's risk and does not go past the first required inspection.
The form also sets out its own limits:
- Scope limits. Early start covers new construction only. It does not apply to fire protection systems, life safety systems and components, work involving use or occupancy of an existing building, work that may be concealed before inspection (for example electrical wiring, plumbing within walls, slab reinforcement), or alterations, remodels and repairs to existing structures.
- Activities it may include. Site clearing and grubbing; earthwork, grading and fill placement; erosion and stormwater controls; foundation preparation and forming up to the first inspection.
- Enforcement. Any violation of the conditions revokes the early start authorization immediately, and all work must stop until the permit is issued. If the permit application expires or is voided, the contractor restores the site to a safe condition as the Building Official determines.
- Indemnification. The property owner and contractor agree to hold the City of Cape Coral, its employees and its agents harmless from liability for damages resulting from approval to start before the permit is issued.
The form is not a building permit and does not replace one.
Who needs to file Early Start Request – Cape Coral, FL?
The main group is the permit applicant's side of a new construction project in Cape Coral: the property owner and the contractor who want to begin limited site or foundation work before the building permit is issued. The form says the request must be signed by both the owner and the contractor, and its signature blocks are for the Qualifier and the Property Owner.
The form fills in the contractor company name, the contractor's name and license number, the owner's name, the permit number and the property address, so a permit application must already exist for the project.
Do not use this request for:
- fire protection systems (sprinklers, alarms, suppression);
- life safety systems and components;
- work that involves use or occupancy of an existing building;
- work that may be concealed before inspection, such as wiring, plumbing within walls or slab reinforcement;
- alterations, remodels or repairs to existing structures.
No life safety, fire protection or concealed system work may begin until the full building permit is issued.
When to file Early Start Request – Cape Coral, FL
Submit the Early Start Request after you have filed the permit application for the new construction and before the permit is finally approved and issued, only if you want to start limited work in the meantime. The form lists what must be satisfied before the Building Official grants early start: a complete permit application with construction documents and required supporting materials; zoning, floodplain, site plan and other prerequisite approvals in place; the signed request itself; and a scope of early-start work that is clearly identified and approved by the Building Official.
Authorization is limited in time by the work itself: it does not allow work to proceed past the first required inspection. It also ends if a condition is violated, and all work must then stop until the permit is issued. The form sets no separate calendar deadline and prints no processing time.
Documents you need
- A complete permit application, construction documents and required supporting materials: the form lists these as a precondition that must be submitted before early start is granted.
- Zoning, floodplain, site plan and other prerequisite approvals: the form says these must be in place before authorization.
- Signatures of both the Qualifier (contractor) and the Property Owner on the request, acknowledging that the work is at their own risk.
How to fill out Early Start Request – Cape Coral, FL
Enter the date
At the top, write the date in the Date line.
Enter contractor company and permit number
Fill in Contractor Company Name and Permit Number, using the number of the permit application the early start relates to.
Enter the property and owner
Write the Property Address and the Owner Name for the project.
Enter contractor name and license
In Contractor Name & License #, give the contractor's name and license number, then add a phone number or email in Contact Phone/Email.
Read the scope limits
Check the Scope Limits and the list of permitted early-start activities. Confirm your planned work is new construction and not fire protection, life safety, concealed or existing-building work.
Confirm the preconditions
Review Preconditions Required, Compliance and Enforcement and Indemnification. Make sure the application, construction documents and prerequisite approvals are in place, because you and the owner accept these terms by signing.
Complete the Qualifier's block
Enter the Qualifier's Printed Name and add the Qualifier's Signature under the penalties-of-perjury declaration (per Fs92.525).
Complete the Property Owner's block
Enter the Property Owner's Printed Name and the Property Owner's Signature. The form calls for both owner and contractor to sign.
Review and download the PDF
Check every entry, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and deliver it as described under How to submit.
How to submit Early Start Request – Cape Coral, FL
The form is a request to the Building Official, and it prints no separate submission channel, portal or address for returning it. It appears among the Miscellaneous Documents in the City of Cape Coral Permit Document Center, alongside the permit application paperwork.
- Contact details printed on the form: City of Cape Coral, P.O. Box 150027, Cape Coral, Florida 33915-0027; telephone (239) 574-0600; fax (239) 574-0591; www.capecoral.gov.
- What goes with it: the form refers to the permit application, so enter the permit number of the application it relates to, and make sure the application, construction documents and supporting materials have been submitted.
- Approval: early start is effective only on the Building Official's approval; the request alone does not authorize work.
Because the form does not say how it is delivered, confirm the accepted method with the city at (239) 574-0600 before sending it. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the city's channels, not this site.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Requesting early start for fire protection, life safety or concealed system work; the form excludes these and says none may begin until the full building permit is issued.
- Using the request for alterations, remodels or repairs to existing structures, or for work involving use or occupancy of an existing building; it covers new construction only.
- Submitting it signed by only one party; the form calls for both the owner and the contractor to sign.
- Starting work before the Building Official approves the request.
- Continuing work past the first required inspection; early start does not extend beyond it.
- Filing the request before a complete permit application, construction documents and prerequisite approvals (zoning, floodplain, site plan) are in place.
- Leaving the permit number blank when the form asks for the permit it relates to.
- Ignoring a revocation: the form says all work must cease until the permit is issued.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Cape Coral Early Start Request?
It is a City of Cape Coral form that asks the Building Official to approve starting limited new construction work before a building permit is issued, as Florida Building Code Sec. 105.12 allows. Any early work is entirely at the applicant's risk.
Can I start building before my Cape Coral permit is issued?
Only limited new construction work, and only after the Building Official approves your Early Start Request. The work cannot go past the first required inspection, and life safety, fire protection and concealed system work may not begin until the full permit is issued.
What work can an early start cover?
The form lists site clearing and grubbing; earthwork, grading and fill placement; erosion and stormwater controls; and foundation preparation and forming up to the first inspection. The list says these activities may be included, subject to approval.
Who has to sign the Early Start Request?
Both the owner and the contractor. The form has a Qualifier's printed name and signature and a Property Owner's printed name and signature, and the preconditions say the request must be signed by both, acknowledging the work is at their own risk.
What happens if I break the early start conditions?
The early start authorization is revoked immediately and all work must stop until the building permit is issued. If the permit application expires or is voided, the contractor must restore the site to a safe condition as the Building Official determines.
Can I use it for a remodel or repair in Cape Coral?
No. The form states early start is limited to new construction and does not apply to alterations, remodels or repairs to existing structures, or to work involving use or occupancy of an existing building.
Where do I send the Early Start Request?
The form names no delivery channel. It is addressed to the Building Official and carries the city's contact details: P.O. Box 150027, Cape Coral, Florida 33915-0027, telephone (239) 574-0600. Confirm the accepted method with the city before sending it.
Can I fill out the Early Start Request online on FillingPDF?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service: it does not submit the request or obtain approval from the City of Cape Coral, and early start is valid only once the Building Official approves it.
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