How to compare electrical quotes across Palm Beach County's towns
Write the job up once so that every contractor who bids prices that same scope; below is what each Palm Beach County town publishes about electrical permits.
Why get more than one electrical quote?
Typically, electrical quotes for the same job differ because each company prices a different job: one swaps the panel, another upgrades the whole service and the meter. Three quotes on one written scope show you which difference is the price and which is the plan, which three separate phone calls rarely do.
How does bidding from photos and a scope card work?
Contractors who take part price your photos and written scope card, so nobody visits before you see any prices. Homeowners pay InstaBids nothing. Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection. The contractor you pick may visit once before settling the final price against the percentage the bid stated.
What photos should I take for an electrical job?
Take the panel with its door open so the breaker labels show, the label inside the panel door, the meter outside, and the spot where you want new power, such as a garage wall for an EV charger. Labels matter most, because they tell a contractor the panel's size and age.
I smell burning or see sparks. Should I post a job?
No, not for anything that sparks, smells of burning or keeps tripping a breaker: call an electrician or your power company directly, because bids take time to come in. A bid card suits planned work, such as a panel upgrade, a new circuit or an EV charger.
Which Palm Beach County towns require an electrical permit?
Yes, every Palm Beach County town in the table requires a permit for electrical work, and twelve places, unincorporated areas included, publish their own panel or service-change permit, checklist or fee line. The last column shows which towns let you swap a light fixture, switch or outlet like-for-like without one.
| Town | Permit office | Panel, new circuit or EV charger | Like-for-like fixture swap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantis | Building Department, 561-965-1744 ext. 112 | The city requires permits for interior electrical changes; its pages don't name panels, circuits or EV chargers. | Exempt: like-for-like fixtures, switches and outlets. |
| Belle Glade | Building Department, 561-996-0100 | The city's code requires an electrical permit for installing or changing wiring, equipment or circuits; only plug-in appliances are excluded. | No published exemption; ask first. |
| Boca Raton | Building Department, 561-393-7930 | A panel or service change and new wiring or outlets each need an electrical permit, using the city's own submittal checklists. | Exempt: fixtures, ceiling fans, switches and outlets like-for-like, outside flood zones. |
| Boynton Beach | Building Division, 561-742-6350 | A panel or service change, new wiring or circuits, and an EV charger each need an electrical permit, with the city's own residential checklist for each. | Exempt: like-for-like fixtures, switches and outlets. |
| Briny Breezes | Town Hall, 561-272-5495 | New electrical work and installing or hooking up an electrical panel need a Town permit, applied for through Briny Breezes, Inc. first. | Exempt: replacing an existing light fixture, ceiling fan or electric appliance. |
| Cloud Lake | Town Hall, 561-686-2815 | The town's code treats electrical repairs, installations and remodeling as permitted work; it doesn't name panels or circuits. | No published exemption; ask first. |
| Delray Beach | Building Division, 561-243-7200 | The city handles electrical service upgrades as change-out permits, and new wiring or circuits need an electrical permit. | Needs a permit: the city handles light fixture and ceiling fan swaps as change-out permits. |
| Glen Ridge | Building Division, 561-697-8868 | The town requires a separate permit for electrical work; its pages don't name panels or circuits. | Exempt: fixture, ceiling fan, outlet or switch swaps, on the no-permit list the town points to. |
| Golf | Village Hall, 561-732-0236 | The village says electrical work always needs a permit whatever the job size, and EV charging stations are a named permit type. | No exemption for electrical work. |
| Greenacres | Building Division, 561-642-2052 | The city requires a separate electrical permit for electrical work; its pages don't name panels or circuits. | No published exemption; ask first. |
| Gulf Stream | Highland Beach Building Department, 561-278-4540 | Electrical work on a single-family home needs a permit regardless of job size, issued by Highland Beach after Gulf Stream's zoning sign-off. | Exempt only: minor repairs such as replacing a bulb. |
| Haverhill | Building Department, 561-689-0370 ext. 2 | The town requires permits for all aspects of home repair, including electrical installation or replacement. | No published exemption; ask first. |
| Highland Beach | Building Department, 561-278-4540 | All electrical work on a single-family home needs a permit regardless of job size. | Exempt only: swapping bulbs and plugging in portable equipment. |
| Hypoluxo | Town Building Department, 561-582-0155 | The town's permit application says electrical work needs its own separate permit. | Not named; ask first. |
| Juno Beach | Town Building Department, 561-626-1122 | The town says electrical work always needs a permit, no matter how small the job. | Within 600 feet of the beach, even swapping an outdoor light fixture needs a Sea Turtle Lighting Permit application. |
| Jupiter | Building Department, 561-741-2286 | The town issues residential electrical permits for panel and service changes, new circuits and outlets, and EV charger circuits, with a panel schedule and load calculations. | Not named; ask first. |
| Jupiter Inlet Colony | Building Department, 561-746-3787 ext. 1 | The town requires a separate electrical permit for electrical work, including repairs and installations. | Not named; ask first. |
| Lake Clarke Shores | Building Department, through Town Hall at 561-964-1515 | The town requires permits for electrical work, including repairs. | Not named; ask first. |
| Lake Park | Community Development Department, 561-881-3320 | A panel or service change needs an electrical permit with load calculations and a riser diagram, and new circuits or an EV charger count as electrical work that needs a permit. | Exempt: like-for-like household fixtures, switches and outlets. |
| Lake Worth Beach | Building Division, 561-586-1647 | The city says other electrical work needs a permit regardless of cost; it doesn't name panels or circuits. | Exempt: lights, outlets and switches in a single-family home. |
| Lantana | Building Division, 561-540-5780 | The town lists electrical work among the jobs that need a town permit. | No published exemption; ask first. |
| Loxahatchee Groves | Building Department, 561-807-6675 | A service change (panel upgrade) needs its own standalone electrical permit, and adding wiring or circuits needs a permit too. | Exempt: like-for-like fixture, switch or outlet swaps. |
| Manalapan | Building Department, 561-585-9477 | A service change (panel upgrade) needs its own standalone electrical permit, and other electrical work such as new circuits is permitted through the town's online portal. | No published exemption; ask first. |
| Mangonia Park | Town Hall, 561-848-1235 | The town's permit application says electrical work needs a separate town permit. | No published exemption; ask first. |
| North Palm Beach | Building Division, 561-841-3365 option 1 | A panel replacement needs a permit, with a riser diagram and load calculations, and other electrical work such as new circuits does too, even under the small-project exemption. | Exempt: a switch, fan or fixture in the same spot. |
| Ocean Ridge | Town Building Department, 561-732-2635 | The town lists electrical work and meter cans among jobs that need a permit, and says the state's small-job exemption doesn't apply because the whole town is in a flood zone. | Not named; new light fixtures need a permit. |
| Pahokee | City Building Department, 561-924-5534 ext. 2003 or 2004 | The city's permit application says electrical work needs its own city permit. | No published exemption; ask first. |
| Palm Beach | Building Division, 561-838-5431 | The town issues electrical permits for a new or upgraded service (panel), for EV charging stations and for added outlets and devices. | No published exemption; ask first. |
| Palm Beach County (unincorporated) | County Building Division, 561-233-5108 | A panel or service change and an EV charger circuit need an electrical permit from the county. | Exempt: like-for-like fixture, outlet or switch swaps in a house or duplex. |
| Palm Beach Gardens | Building Division, 561-799-4210 | The city requires a permit for most electrical work, including repairs, and says the state's small-job exemption does not apply in the city. | Not named; ask first. |
| Palm Beach Shores | Town Building Department, 561-844-3457 | The town lists electrical work and meter cans among the jobs that need a permit, and its small-project exemption form excludes all electrical work. | No exemption for electrical work. |
| Palm Springs | Planning, Zoning & Building Department, 561-584-8280 | The village's permit application says electrical work needs its own permit. | Not named; ask first. |
| Riviera Beach | Building Division, 561-845-4020 | The city requires a permit to install, alter or replace electrical work. | Exempt only: changing bulbs or plugging in portable equipment. |
| Royal Palm Beach | Building Division, 561-790-5128 | The village issues electrical permits and publishes no list of exempt small electrical jobs. | Not named; ask first. |
| South Bay | Building Department, 561-996-6751 | The city requires a permit for other electrical work; it doesn't name panels or circuits. | Exempt: a light fixture, outlet or switch in an existing box. |
| South Palm Beach | Town Building Department, 561-588-8889 press 1 | New wiring and other electrical system changes need a permit from the town. | Exempt: like-for-like fixture, switch or outlet swaps. |
| Tequesta | Village Building Department, 561-768-0450 | Electrical work always needs a permit, even under the state's small-project exemption, and a panel change needs a riser diagram and load calculations. | No exemption for electrical work. |
| Wellington | Building Division, 561-753-2430 | The village says electrical work is not covered by the state's small-project exemption, so it needs a permit. | No exemption for electrical work. |
| West Palm Beach | Building Division, 561-805-6700 | The city says electrical work always needs a permit, no matter how small the job's cost. | No exemption for electrical work. |
| Westlake | Building Department, 561-530-5880 ext. 402 | Installing, altering or replacing any part of a home's electrical system needs a permit. | Exempt: a ceiling fan on the existing box and wiring only. |
Is a light fixture swap permit-free in Palm Beach County?
Sometimes: twelve places, including Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Lake Worth Beach, North Palm Beach and unincorporated areas, exempt swapping a fixture, switch or outlet like-for-like, and Westlake exempts ceiling fans only. Tequesta, West Palm Beach and Palm Beach Shores say electrical work always needs a permit, so check with your town first.
Is the utility part of a Palm Beach County panel upgrade?
Sometimes, and Tequesta's permit page says so plainly: electrical service change-outs there are scheduled with FPL. Boca Raton's building official adds that a service change must bring the grounding up to current code, including FPL's service-equipment requirements, so ask each bidder who books the utility and who meets the inspector.
Where do I look up an electrician in Palm Beach County?
Search the state's DBPR license search by name or license number, since the state's Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board issues electrical contractor licenses. Delray Beach, for one, issues electrical permits only to electricians holding a current Florida state registration or certification who are also registered with the city, so ask your town what it requires.
Do hurricane-zone rules affect electrical work in Palm Beach County?
No, the zone stops at the Broward line, so Palm Beach County towns use the Florida Building Code's standard wind rules. Two towns add a flood-zone twist instead: Ocean Ridge and Palm Beach Gardens say the state's new small-job exemption does not apply there, so electrical work needs a permit however small.
What makes one electrical quote higher than another?
Typically, the plan differs more than the price: a panel swap versus a full service upgrade, a longer wire run, walls opened and patched, grounding brought up to code, or the permit. Ask each bidder to say which of those their estimate includes, so the lowest number is not simply the smallest job.
Can I post an electrical job in Palm Beach County?
Yes, you can start an electrical request for a home in Palm Beach County, Florida. InstaBids is in an early pilot there and still building its contractor network, so a job may not get bids yet.
Who sees my details?
Nobody before the connection is confirmed: bidders see your scope card, your photos and your 5-digit ZIP code. Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection, and then you can talk directly.
Sources for the facts on this page
All sources below were checked on 30 September 2026.
- Town rows, fixture exemptions and the FPL and grounding steps: each Palm Beach County town's own building pages, checklists, fee schedules and codes, quoted in InstaBids' per-town permit notes.
- Unincorporated rule: Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning & Building permit types list, fee schedule and Items Not Requiring a Permit list, discover.pbcgov.org.
- Electrical permit holders in Delray Beach: Delray Beach Land Development Regulations, section 7.2.2(A), library.municode.com.
- Outside the wind zone: Florida Building Code section 202, which names only Broward and Miami-Dade, floridabuilding.org.
Get electrical quotes in Palm Beach County
Describe the job once, add photos, and every contractor who bids prices the same written scope. Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection.
InstaBids is in an early pilot in Broward and Palm Beach counties. We are still building our contractor network, so a job may not get bids yet. Your request page shows whether any bids have come in.
Last checked: 30 September 2026