Big changes are coming to Florida’s construction industry. The state just passed one of the most significant permit reforms in years.
Florida’s new HB 803 law significantly expands the use of private providers in plan reviews and inspections, greatly impacting builders, developers, contractors, and local governments.
Here are the changes:
Commercial permit fees must be reduced by at least 25% if a private provider is used for either plan review or inspection, and by at least 50% if both services are outsourced.
Once a private provider has been approved, local authorities will no longer be able to review the plans for building code compliance.
Contractors and property owners now have an explicit legal right to use private providers at any point in the permitting process.
A new 10 business day integrity review period replaces the previous 20 day period, potentially accelerating project timelines.
Government affiliate Adams & Rees said the bill would speed up the issuance of building permits by limiting the oversight and discretion of local building departments and expanding the role and autonomy of private contractors.
It would also require local governments to reduce fees for certain commercial construction projects.
There have also been some changes to homeowners associations.
These include things like building permits and reducing harassment from local HOAs.
Adams and Reese said on their website that the permit bill removes common procedural hurdles imposed by homeowner associations.
“Together, these changes are designed to streamline the journey from project conception to completion while redistributing responsibilities between owners, contractors, private providers, and local enforcement agencies,” the group said.
