Orange County, FL · dumpster & demolition permits
Dumpster & Demolition Permit Rules in Orange County, FL
Orange County, FL requires an approved Maintenance of Traffic plan any time work is performed within the county right-of-way, whether or not a permit is required, and the MOT permit costs $128.00. Demolishing a residential structure or a swimming pool needs a demolition permit, applied for by email because demolition isn't on Fast Track yet. Read from Orange County's own pages on 2026-09-19.
5.0 · 119 Google reviews · Davenport & Polk County
Orange County runs almost everything through Fast Track, its online permit portal, with one odd exception: residential demolition permits are still handled by email to the Division of Building Safety. Right-of-way work goes through Public Works and Traffic Engineering at 4200 South John Young Parkway.
The county's "Do I need a permit?" guide is blunt, so the tables below quote it. The right-of-way rows come from the Traffic Engineering page and the county's own permit checklist. What isn't on those pages is listed at the end.
Every rule on this page was read from the authority's own page and carries its source and the date it was checked, most recently . Anything the authority doesn't state is left out rather than guessed. Rules change; the sources are linked at the bottom.
Can a dumpster sit in the street in Orange County?
What the county says about any work in its right-of-way, and the permit it names for that work.
| Rule | What the authority says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic plan for any right-of-way work | An approved Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) Plan shall be required any time work is being performed within the Orange County Right of Way regardless whether a permit is required or not. A copy of the MOT plan shall be kept on site at all times. | Orange County Traffic Engineering: Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) (2026-09-19) |
| MOT cost and timing | MOT Permit Cost: $128.00. Approval requires a minimum of ten (10) working days from receipt of all required plans. All MOT permits must apply to a ROW permit and must be linked prior to approval; MOT applications are uploaded to Fast Track at the same time as the Right of Way permit. | Orange County Traffic Engineering: Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) (2026-09-19) |
| The right-of-way permit | Right of Way Utilization and Underground Utility Pipeline Construction Permit. Fees: $33.00 plus 1.8% of the construction cost for the work to be permitted; $63.00 for each directional bore, jack and bore, or open cut location. | Orange County: Checklist for Right of Way Utilization and Underground Utility Pipeline Construction Permit Application (PDF) (2026-09-19) |
| When the MOT plan is required with it | If proposed work is within fifteen (15) feet of the edge of pavement, an MOT plan must be submitted to the Traffic Engineering Division for approval. The right-of-way permit will not be issued until the MOT is approved. Open cuts are allowed only under special circumstances on a case-by-case basis. | Orange County: Checklist for Right of Way Utilization and Underground Utility Pipeline Construction Permit Application (PDF) (2026-09-19) |
| Closures | Lane closures are not permitted in inclement weather or County observed holidays and holiday weekends. Police officers, lights and inspectors are required for all nighttime operations that require lane or road closures. A water filled barrier wall is not allowed on Orange County right-of-way. | Orange County Traffic Engineering: Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) (2026-09-19) |
| Traffic Engineering | Orange County Public Works, Traffic Engineering Division, 4200 South John Young Parkway, Orlando, FL 32839. TEPermits@ocfl.net. (407) 836-7734. | Orange County Traffic Engineering: Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) (2026-09-19) |
When a shed or deck demolition needs a permit in Orange County
From the county's "Do I need a permit?" guide, the residential demolition permit page and the residential accessory structure page.
| Rule | What the authority says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Demolition | "Do I need a permit to demolish a residential structure? Yes, a demolition permit is required." Same answer for a swimming pool. | Orange County: Do I Need a Permit? (2026-09-19) |
| How to apply for demolition | Demolition permits are not currently available on Fast Track. Email the Application for Building/Land Use Permit to EResQuestions@ocfl.net. The application must identify the type of structure, its height and square footage, whether the demolition is court ordered, and the total job value, with a site plan or aerial photo marking the structure. | Orange County Division of Building Safety: Residential Demolition Permit (2026-09-19) |
| Utility disconnects | A letter of service disconnect from the utility companies serving the structure is required when applicable, such as for a house or mobile home. For a pool, spa or free-standing garage or structure, a signed and notarized disconnect letter from an electrical contractor registered with Orange County. If no utilities are attached, say so on the application. | Orange County Division of Building Safety: Residential Demolition Permit (2026-09-19) |
| Demolition inspections | A passed "310 Demolition Inspection" is required to verify drain holes have been inserted in the base of a pool shell. A passed "290 Final Inspection" is required for the permit to change to complete. | Orange County Division of Building Safety: Residential Demolition Permit (2026-09-19) |
| Sheds and small structures | "Yes, all structures require a permit." Structures of 120 square feet or less may be exempt from the building code but still need a permit. Per Orange County Ordinance 2024-04 section 9-33 subsection 105.2.4(1), a structure that does not exceed a one hundred twenty-square foot footprint is permitted as a zoning permit, with no Building Department code review or engineered plans. | Orange County: Do I Need a Permit? (2026-09-19); Orange County Division of Building Safety: Residential Accessory Structures (2026-09-19) |
| Fences | Fence permits are issued by Zoning for all fences 6 feet in height or under. Fences over 6 feet in height or constructed of masonry require a building permit. | Orange County: Do I Need a Permit? (2026-09-19) |
| Pools, concrete and pavers | A pool needs a building permit and electrical, plumbing and gas sub-permits if applicable. Any time you are pouring concrete or placing pavers, a permit is required; pavers require a Zoning permit only. | Orange County: Do I Need a Permit? (2026-09-19) |
Trees and who to ask in Orange County
| Rule | What the authority says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tree removal on a home lot | A permit is required to remove a tree from private property unless the property meets an exception in Section 15-279(a) of the county code. For single or two-family property, a permit is required for properties over two (2) acres developed with an occupied residence, and for any vacant or undeveloped property regardless of size. | Orange County Zoning Division: Tree Removal Permit (2026-09-19) |
| What a regulated tree is | Trees that are 8 inches or greater in diameter at breast height (DBH), measured 4 1/2 feet above ground, on the county's list, which includes live oak, laurel oak, slash pine, southern magnolia and sabal palm. Tree permit fee for a single-family or duplex lot greater than 2 acres: $121.00. | Orange County Zoning Division: Tree Removal Permit (2026-09-19) |
| Trees in the right-of-way | Trees located in a county right-of-way are managed by the Roads and Drainage Division within Public Works, 407-836-7900. Cleaning underbrush such as palmetto and shrubs is allowed if it does not adversely affect regulated trees and is done with mowing equipment rather than heavy earth moving machinery. | Orange County Zoning Division: Tree Removal Permit (2026-09-19) |
| Division of Building Safety | (407) 836-5550, EResQuestions@ocfl.net. Orange County Administration Building, 201 South Rosalind Avenue, 1st Floor, Orlando 32801. Homeowners applying as owner-builder email OwnerVerification@ocfl.net to schedule a video meeting to verify ownership. | Orange County Division of Building Safety: Residential Demolition Permit (2026-09-19) |
| Zoning Arbor Office | 407-836-5807 or Arborist@ocfl.net, for whether a tree removal permit is required and to report clearing without authorization. | Orange County Zoning Division: Tree Removal Permit (2026-09-19) |
The honest comparison
Where Rob's trailer lands in the Orange County rules
Orange County wants a traffic plan for any work in its right-of-way, permit or not, and $128.00 to review it. A roll-off at the curb is exactly the kind of thing that question gets asked about. A dump trailer on the driveway isn't. Rob's 14-yard runs $350 and the 16-yard $400, 3 days each with 2 tons in the price, and it fits a standard driveway and a normal gate in Winter Garden the same as it does in Davenport.
For the teardown itself, Rob does sheds, decks, fences and patios with his own hands and crew. When the county's demolition permit is in play, the emailed application, the disconnect letters and the 290 final inspection go through a general contractor Rob partners with, and the concrete goes out on partner dump trucks. He's at 5.0 stars on 119 Google reviews. Send a photo of the structure and he'll tell you which path it's on.
Dump Trailer Rentals · Orange County landfills and drop-offs · How pricing works
Questions
Orange County questions
Do I need a permit to put a dumpster in the street in Orange County, FL?
Orange County says an approved Maintenance of Traffic plan is required any time work is performed within the county right-of-way, whether or not a permit is required, and its right-of-way permit is the Right of Way Utilization and Underground Utility Pipeline Construction Permit at $33.00 plus 1.8% of construction cost. Neither page names containers. Before you set one on a county road, ask the building department and Traffic Engineering at TEPermits@ocfl.net.
Do I need a permit to demolish a shed in Orange County, FL?
The county's guide says all structures require a permit, and that a demolition permit is required to demolish a residential structure or a swimming pool. Demolition applications go by email to EResQuestions@ocfl.net with the structure's type, height and square footage. For a small shed, ask the building department at (407) 836-5550.
Can I take down a fence without a permit in Orange County, FL?
The county says Zoning issues permits for fences 6 feet or under, and fences over 6 feet or built of masonry need a building permit. Those lines are about putting a fence up; the county's demolition answer names residential structures and pools. For removing a fence, ask the building department.
Sources
- Orange County: Do I Need a Permit? · verified
- Orange County Division of Building Safety: Residential Demolition Permit · verified
- Orange County Division of Building Safety: Residential Accessory Structures · verified
- Orange County Traffic Engineering: Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) · verified
- Orange County: Checklist for Right of Way Utilization and Underground Utility Pipeline Construction Permit Application (PDF) · verified
- Orange County Zoning Division: Tree Removal Permit · verified
Left out on purpose
- Whether a dumpster or dump trailer may sit in a county right-of-way, and any time limit or covering rule: the MOT page and the permit checklist describe work and utility installs, not containers.
- Container rules on a private driveway: not stated.
- Demolition permit fees: the demolition page says an invoice is issued after approval and links a Fee Directory PDF that was not read, so no figure is quoted.
- Whether the 120-square-foot zoning-permit path applies to removing a small structure: the accessory structure page is about new construction, so no claim is made.
- Deck permits: the guide's list does not name decks; the accessory structure page names a deck as an example of an accessory structure.
- Whether Orlando, Winter Garden, Apopka and other cities issue their own permits: the county pages read do not say.
- Land clearing permits beyond the tree removal rule: not stated on the pages read.
Rather not wait on Orange?
Call before noon and it's usually gone today. Or text a photo of the pile and Rob sends back a flat quote.
5.0 · 119 Google reviews · Orange County, FL