Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 By Senator DiCeglie 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 1 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. A bill to be entitled 1

An act relating to building permits and inspections; 2 amending s. 125.56, F.S.; providing for expiration of 3 certain building permits issued by a county; amending 4 s. 489.129, F.S.; providing that certain persons are 5 not subject to discipline for performing a job without 6 applicable permits and inspections if otherwise 7 authorized by law; amending s. 553.73, F.S.; requiring 8 the Florida Building Commission to modify the Florida 9 Building Code to exempt from building permit 10 requirements the installation of certain walls or 11 barriers; requiring the commission to modify the 12 Florida Building Code to state that a permit is not 13 required for each lot or parcel for installation of 14 certain retaining walls; amending s. 553.79, F.S.; 15 providing for expiration of certain building permits 16 issued by a local government; providing limits for 17 inspection fees; prohibiting a local government from 18 requiring building permits for certain projects; 19 providing an exception; requiring certain contractors 20 to maintain certain records; amending s. 553.791, 21 F.S.; revising

definitions and defining terms; 22 requiring certain services to be subject to an 23 agreement, rather than a written contract; providing 24 that such agreement is not required to be submitted as 25 part of a permit application; prohibiting a local 26 building official or local government entity from 27 requesting such agreement or consent form as a 28 condition for issuing a permit; providing requirements 29

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 2 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. for reduced permit fees; prohibiting a local 30 jurisdiction from charging certain administrative fees 31 or other additional fees; prohibiting local 32 governmental entities and local building officials 33 from requiring additional forms in certain 34 circumstances; prohibiting local governmental entities 35 and local building officials from altering a form 36 adopted by the commission; deleting a requirement that 37 a private provider’s qualification statements or 38 resumes be included in a certain notice; deleting time 39 restrictions for electing to use a private provider; 40 requiring that a certain affidavit may be submitted 41 electronically; specifying which forms and documents a 42 local building official may and may not review; 43 requiring that written notice of incomplete forms be 44 given to an applicant within a specified timeframe; 45 revising the timeframes in which certain notices must 46 be sent; providing that certain permits are deemed 47 approved; providing requirements for a private 48 provider’s duly authorized representatives; deleting 49 provisions requiring a private provider to provide 50 notice to the local building official to perform 51 inspections; providing that local building officials 52 are not responsible for the administration or 53 supervision of services performed by a private 54 provider; prohibiting local building officials from 55 failing certain inspections under certain 56 circumstances; revising the timeframe in which certain 57 records must be provided; authorizing certain persons 58

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 4 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. inspectors; etc.— 88 (4) 89 (

d) A county that issues building permits may send a 90 written notice of expiration, by e-mail or United States Postal 91 Service, to the owner of the property and the contractor listed 92 on the permit, no less than 30 days before a building permit is 93 set to expire. The written notice must identify the permit that 94 is set to expire and the date the permit will expire. A building 95 permit issued by a county for a single-family dwelling expires 96 180 days after the issuance of the permit or the effective date 97 of the next edition of the Florida Building Code, whichever is 98 later. 99

Section 2. Paragraph (

o) of subsection (1) of

section 100 489.129, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 101 489.129 Disciplinary proceedings.— 102

(1) The board may take any of the following actions against 103 any certificateholder or registrant: place on probation or 104 reprimand the licensee, revoke, suspend, or deny the issuance or 105 renewal of the certificate or registration, require financial 106 restitution to a consumer for financial harm directly related to 107 a violation of a provision of this part, impose an 108 administrative fine not to exceed $10,000 per violation, require 109 continuing education, or assess costs associated with 110 investigation and prosecution, if the contractor, financially 111 responsible officer, or business organization for which the 112 contractor is a primary qualifying agent, a financially 113 responsible officer, or a secondary qualifying agent responsible 114 under s. 489.1195 is found guilty of any of the following acts: 115 (

o) Proceeding on any job without obtaining applicable 116

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 5 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. local building department permits and inspections, unless 117 otherwise provided by law. 118 119 For the purposes of this subsection, construction is considered 120 to be commenced when the contract is executed and the contractor 121 has accepted funds from the customer or lender. A contractor 122 does not commit a violation of this subsection when the 123 contractor relies on a building code

interpretation rendered by 124 a building official or person authorized by s. 553.80 to enforce 125 the building code, absent a finding of fraud or deceit in the 126 practice of contracting, or gross negligence, repeated 127 negligence, or negligence resulting in a significant danger to 128 life or property on the part of the building official, in a 129 proceeding under

chapter 120. 130

Section 3. Paragraphs (

h) and (

i) are added to subsection 131 (7) of

section 553.73, Florida Statutes, to read: 132 553.73 Florida Building Code.— 133 (7) 134 (h)1. The commission shall modify the Florida Building Code 135 to exempt from building permit requirements the installation of 136 residential hurricane and flood protection walls or barriers 137 that meet all of the following conditions: 138 a. The wall or barrier is nonhabitable and nonload-bearing. 139 b. The wall or barrier is installed on the residential 140 property of a single-family or two-family dwelling or townhouse. 141 c.

The wall or barrier is constructed to mitigate or 142 prevent storm surge or floodwaters from entering a structure or 143 property. 144 d. The wall or barrier is installed by a contractor 145

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 6 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. licensed under

part I of

chapter 489. 146 e. The wall or barrier complies with applicable local 147 zoning, drainage, easement, and setback requirements. 148 2. The commission may adopt rules under s. 120.54 to 149 incorporate necessary standards to implement this paragraph. 150 (

i) The commission shall modify the Florida Building Code 151 to state that building permits for retaining walls installed on 152 the residential property of a single-family or two-family 153 dwelling or a townhouse are not required for each lot or parcel. 154

Section 4. Paragraphs (a), (c), and (

d) of subsection (1) 155 of

section 553.79, Florida Statutes, are amended, and paragraph 156 (

g) is added to that subsection, to read: 157 553.79 Permits; applications; issuance; inspections.— 158 (1)(

a) Unless otherwise provided by law, after the 159 effective date of the Florida Building Code adopted as herein 160 provided, it shall be unlawful for any person, firm, 161 corporation, or governmental entity to construct, erect, alter, 162 modify, repair, or demolish any building within this state 163 without first obtaining a permit therefor from the appropriate 164 enforcing agency or from such persons as may, by appropriate 165 resolution or regulation of the authorized state or local 166 enforcing agency, be delegated authority to issue such permits, 167 upon the payment of such reasonable fees adopted by the 168 enforcing agency.

The enforcing agency is empowered to revoke 169 any such permit upon a determination by the agency that the 170 construction, erection, alteration, modification, repair, or 171 demolition of the building for which the permit was issued is in 172 violation of, or not in conformity with, the provisions of the 173 Florida Building Code. Whenever a permit required under this 174

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 7 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.

section is denied or revoked because the plan, or the 175 construction, erection, alteration, modification, repair, or 176 demolition of a building, is found by the local enforcing agency 177 to be not in compliance with the Florida Building Code, the 178 local enforcing agency shall identify the specific plan or 179 project features that do not comply with the applicable codes, 180 identify the specific code chapters and sections upon which the 181 finding is based, and provide this information to the permit 182 applicant.

A plans reviewer or building code administrator who 183 is responsible for issuing a denial, revocation, or modification 184 request but fails to provide to the permit applicant a reason 185 for denying, revoking, or requesting a modification, based on 186 compliance with the Florida Building Code or local ordinance, is 187 subject to disciplinary action against his or her license 188 pursuant to s. 468.621(1)(i).

Installation, replacement, 189 removal, or metering of any load management control device is 190 exempt from and shall not be subject to the permit process and 191 fees otherwise required by this section. 192 (

c) A local government that issues building permits may 193 send a written notice of expiration, by e-mail or United States 194 Postal Service, to the owner of the property and the contractor 195 listed on the permit, no less than 30 days before a building 196 permit is set to expire. The written notice must identify the 197 permit that is set to expire and the date the permit will 198 expire. A building permit issued by a local government for a 199 single-family dwelling expires 180 days after the issuance of 200 the permit or the effective date of the next edition of the 201 Florida Building Code, whichever is later. 202 (

d) A local enforcement agency must allow requests for 203

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 8 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. inspections to be submitted electronically to the local 204 enforcement agency’s appropriate building department. Acceptable 205 methods of electronic submission include, but are not limited 206 to, e-mail or fill-in forms available on the website of the 207 building department or through a third-party submission 208 management software or application that can be downloaded on a 209 mobile device.

Requests for inspections may be submitted in a 210 nonelectronic format, at the discretion of the building 211 official. Inspection fees may not be based on the total cost of 212 a project and may not exceed the actual inspection costs 213 incurred by the local enforcement agency. 214 (g)1. A local government that issues building permits may 215 not require an owner of a single-family dwelling or the owner’s 216 contractor to obtain a building permit to perform any work that 217 is valued at less than $7,500 on the single-family dwelling’s 218 lot.

However, a local government may require a building permit 219 for any electrical, plumbing, or structural work, not including 220 the repair or replacement of exterior doors or windows, 221 performed on a lot containing a single-family dwelling 222 regardless of the value of the work. 223 2. A contractor who performs work that does not require a 224 building permit under this paragraph must keep a written record 225 of the work performed, the property address at which the work 226 was performed, and the value of such work as proof that such 227 work complies with subparagraph 1. 228

Section

Section 553.791, Florida Statutes, is amended to 229 read: 230 553.791 Alternative plans review and inspection.— 231

(1) As used in this section, the term: 232

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 9 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. (a) “Applicable codes” means the Florida Building Code and 233 any local technical amendments to the Florida Building Code but 234 does not include the applicable minimum fire prevention and 235 firesafety codes adopted pursuant to

chapter 633. 236 (b) “Audit” means the process to confirm that the building 237 code inspection services have been performed by the private 238 provider, which is strictly limited to including ensuring that 239 the required affidavit for the plan review has been properly 240 completed and submitted with the permit documents and that the 241 minimum mandatory inspections required under the Florida 242 Building Code have been performed and properly recorded. The 243 local building official may not replicate the plan review or 244 inspection being performed by the private provider.

The local 245 building official may perform a site visit in connection with 246 the audit only when the local building official has actual 247 knowledge that the forms and documents submitted by the private 248 provider are incomplete or incorrect, in which case the local 249 building official must provide written notice to the private 250 provider of the specific forms and documents that are incomplete 251 or incorrect before performing a site visit, unless expressly 252 authorized by this section. 253 (c) “Building” means any construction, erection, 254 alteration, demolition, or improvement of, or addition to, any 255 structure or site work for which permitting by a local 256 enforcement agency is required. 257 (d) “Building code inspection services” means those 258 services described in s. 468.603(5) and (8) involving the review 259 of building plans as well as those services involving the review 260 of site plans and site work engineering plans or their 261

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 10 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. functional equivalent, to determine compliance with applicable 262 codes and those inspections required by law, conducted either in 263 person or virtually, of each phase of construction for which 264 permitting by a local enforcement agency is required to 265 determine compliance with applicable codes. 266 (e) “Deliver” or “delivery” means any method of delivery 267 used in conventional business or commercial practice, including 268 delivery by electronic transmissions such as e-mail or any other 269 form of electronic communication used to transmit information. 270 (f) “Duly authorized representative” means an agent of the 271 private provider identified in the permit application who 272 reviews plans or performs inspections as provided by this 273

section and who is licensed as an engineer under

chapter 471 or 274 as an architect under

chapter 481 or who holds a standard or 275 provisional certificate under

part XII of

chapter 468. A duly 276 authorized representative who only holds a provisional 277 certificate under

part XII of

chapter 468 must be under the 278 direct supervision of a person licensed as a building code 279 administrator under

part XII of

chapter 468. 280 (g) “Electronic signature” means any letters, characters, 281 or symbols manifested by electronic or similar means which are 282 executed or adopted by a party with an intent to authenticate a 283 writing or record. 284 (h) “Electronic transmission” or “submitted electronically” 285 means any form or process of communication not directly 286 involving the physical transfer of paper or another tangible 287 medium which is suitable for the retention, retrieval, and 288 reproduction of information by the recipient and is retrievable 289 in paper form by the receipt through an automated process. All 290

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 11 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. notices provided for in this

section may be transmitted 291 electronically and shall have the same legal effect as if 292 physically posted or mailed. 293 (i) “Electronically posted” means providing notices of 294 decisions, results, or records, including inspection records, 295 through the use of a website or other form of electronic 296 communication used to transmit or display information. 297 (j) “Immediate threat to public safety and welfare” means a 298 building code violation that, if allowed to persist, constitutes 299 an immediate hazard that could result in death, serious bodily 300 injury, or significant property damage.

This paragraph does not 301 limit the authority of the local building official to issue a 302 Notice of Corrective Action at any time during the construction 303 of a building project or any portion of such project if the 304 official determines that a condition of the building or portion 305 thereof may constitute a hazard when the building is put into 306 use following completion as long as the condition cited is shown 307 to be in violation of the building code or approved plans. 308 (k) “Local building official” means the individual within 309 the governing jurisdiction responsible for direct regulatory 310 administration or supervision of plans review, enforcement, and 311 inspection of any construction, erection, alteration, 312 demolition, or substantial improvement of, or addition to, any 313 structure for which permitting is required to indicate 314 compliance with applicable codes and includes any duly 315 authorized designee of such person. 316 (l) “Permit application” means a properly completed and 317 submitted application for the requested building or construction 318 permit, including: 319

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 12 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. 1. The plans reviewed by the private provider, inclusive of 320 site plans by a licensed reviewer, or in the case of a single-321 trade plans review where a private provider uses an automated or 322 software-based plans review system pursuant to subsection (6), 323 the information reviewed by the automated or software-based 324 plans review system to determine compliance with one or more 325 applicable codes. 326 2.

The affidavit from the private provider required under 327 subsection (6). 328 3. Any applicable fees. 329 4.

Any documents required by the local building official to 330 determine that the fee owner has secured all other government 331 approvals required by law. 332 333 All permit applications must be able to be submitted 334 electronically. 335 (m) “Plans” means building plans, site engineering plans, 336 or site plans, or their functional equivalent, submitted by a 337 fee owner or fee owner’s contractor to a private provider or 338 duly authorized representative for review. 339 (n) “Private provider” means a person licensed as a 340 building code administrator under

part XII of

chapter 468, as an 341 engineer under

chapter 471, or as an architect under

chapter 342 481. For purposes of performing inspections under this

section 343 for additions and alterations that are limited to 2,500 1,000 344 square feet or less to residential buildings, the term “private 345 provider” also includes a person who holds a standard 346 certificate under

part XII of

chapter 468. 347 (o) “Private provider firm” means a business organization, 348

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 13 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. including a corporation, partnership, business trust, or other 349 legal entity, which offers services under this

chapter to the 350 public through persons licensees who are acting as agents, 351 employees, officers, or partners of the firm. A person who is 352 licensed as a building code administrator under

part XII of 353

chapter 468, an engineer under

chapter 471, or an architect 354 under

chapter 481 may act as a private provider for an agent, 355 employee, or officer of the private provider firm. 356 (p) “Request for certificate of occupancy or certificate of 357 completion” means a properly completed and executed application 358 for: 359 1. A certificate of occupancy or certificate of completion. 360 2. A certificate of compliance from the private provider 361 required under subsection (14) (13). 362 3. Any applicable fees. 363 4.

Any documents required by the local building official to 364 determine that the fee owner has secured all other government 365 approvals required by law. 366 367 All applications must be able to be submitted electronically. 368 (q) “Single-trade inspection” or “single-trade plans 369 review” means any inspection or plans review focused on a single 370 construction trade, such as plumbing, mechanical, or electrical. 371 The term includes, but is not limited to, inspections or plans 372 reviews of door or window replacements; fences and block walls 373 more than 6 feet high from the top of the wall to the bottom of 374 the footing; stucco or plastering; reroofing with no structural 375 alteration; solar energy and energy storage installations or 376 alterations; HVAC replacements; ductwork or fan replacements; 377

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 14 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. alteration or installation of wiring, lighting, and service 378 panels; water heater changeouts; sink replacements; and 379 repiping. 380 (r) “Site work” means the portion of a construction project 381 that is not part of the building structure, including, but not 382 limited to, grading, excavation, landscape irrigation, and 383 installation of driveways. 384 (s) “Stop-work order” means the issuance of any written 385 statement, written directive, or written order which states the 386 reason for the order and the conditions under which the cited 387 work will be permitted to resume. 388 (t) “System of registration” means the system used to 389 verify compliance with the licensure and insurance requirements 390 for a private provider firm under this chapter. 391 (2)(

a) Notwithstanding any other law or local government 392 ordinance or local policy, the fee owner of a building or 393 structure, or the fee owner’s contractor upon written 394 authorization from the fee owner, may choose at any time to use 395 a private provider to provide building code inspection services 396 with regard to such building or structure and may make payment 397 directly to the private provider for the provision of such 398 services.

All such services shall be the subject of an agreement 399 a written contract between the private provider, or the private 400 provider’s firm, and the fee owner or the fee owner’s 401 contractor, upon written authorization of the fee owner. The 402 agreement is not required to be submitted as part of the permit 403 application or as a condition for issuing a permit, and a local 404 building official or local government entity may not request 405 such agreement or consent form as a condition for issuing a 406

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 15 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. permit. The fee owner may elect to use a private provider to 407 provide plans review or required building inspections, or both. 408 However, if the fee owner or the fee owner’s contractor uses a 409 private provider to provide plans review, the local building 410 official, in his or her discretion and pursuant to duly adopted 411 policies of the local enforcement agency, may require the fee 412 owner or the fee owner’s contractor to use a private provider to 413 also provide required building inspections. 414 (

b) If a fee an owner or the fee owner’s contractor retains 415 a private provider for purposes of plans review or building 416 inspection services, the local jurisdiction must reduce the 417 permit fee by the amount of cost savings realized by the local 418 enforcement agency for not having to perform such services. Such 419 reduction may be calculated on a flat fee or percentage basis, 420 or any other reasonable means by which a local enforcement 421 agency assesses the cost for its plans review or inspection 422 services.

The reduced permit fee must be based on the cost 423 incurred by the local jurisdiction, including the labor cost of 424 the personnel providing such services and the clerical and 425 supervisory assistance required to comply with this section.

The 426 local jurisdiction may not charge any additional fees for 427 building inspections or plans review if the fee owner or the fee 428 owner’s contractor hires a private provider to perform such 429 services, and the local jurisdiction may not charge punitive 430 administrative fees for working with a private provider; 431 however, the local jurisdiction may charge a reasonable 432 administrative fee, which shall be based on the cost that is 433 actually incurred, including the labor cost of the personnel 434 providing the service, by the local jurisdiction or attributable 435

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 16 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. to the local jurisdiction for the clerical and supervisory 436 assistance required, or both. 437 (

c) If a fee an owner or the fee owner’s a contractor 438 retains a private provider for purposes of plans review or 439 building inspection services, the local jurisdiction must 440 immediately provide equal access to all permitting and 441 inspection documents and reports to the private provider, owner, 442 and contractor if such access is provided by software that 443 protects exempt records from disclosure. 444 (

d) A local governmental entity or local building official 445 may not require additional forms beyond those required at 446 registration, except for the written notice required under 447 subsection (4), if a fee owner or the fee owner’s contractor 448 uses a private provider. 449

(3) A private provider and any duly authorized 450 representative may only perform building code inspection 451 services that are within the disciplines covered by that 452 person’s licensure or certification under

chapter 468,

chapter 453 471, or

chapter 481, including single-trade inspections. A 454 private provider may not provide building code inspection 455 services pursuant to this

section upon any building designed or 456 constructed by the private provider or the private provider’s 457 firm. 458

(4) A fee owner or the fee owner’s contractor using a 459 private provider to provide building code inspection services 460 shall notify the local building official in writing at the time 461 of permit application, or by 2 p.m. local time, 2 business days 462 before the first scheduled inspection by the local building 463 official or building code enforcement agency that a private 464

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 17 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. provider has been contracted to perform the required inspections 465 of construction under this section, including single-trade 466 inspections, on the exact a form to be adopted by the 467 commission. Such form may not be altered by any local 468 governmental entity or local building official. This notice must 469 shall include the following information: 470 (

a) The services to be performed by the private provider. 471 (

b) The name, firm, address, telephone number, and e-mail 472 address of each private provider who is performing or will 473 perform such services, his or her professional license or 474 certification number, qualification statements or resumes, and, 475 if required by the local building official, a certificate of 476 insurance demonstrating that professional liability insurance 477 coverage is in place for the private provider’s firm, the 478 private provider, and any duly authorized representative in the 479 amounts required by this section. 480 (

c) An acknowledgment from the fee owner or the fee owner’s 481 contractor in substantially the following form: 482 483 I have elected to use one or more private providers to 484 provide building code plans review and/or inspection 485 services on the building or structure that is the 486 subject of the enclosed permit application, as 487 authorized by s. 553.791, Florida Statutes. I 488 understand that the local building official may not 489 review the plans submitted or perform the required 490 building inspections to determine compliance with the 491 applicable codes, except to the extent specified in 492 said law. Instead, plans review and/or required 493

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 18 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. building inspections will be performed by licensed or 494 certified personnel identified in the application. The 495 law requires minimum insurance requirements for such 496 personnel, but I understand that I may require more 497 insurance to protect my interests.

By executing this 498 form, I acknowledge that I have made inquiry regarding 499 the competence of the licensed or certified personnel 500 and the level of their insurance and am satisfied that 501 my interests are adequately protected.

I agree to 502 indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the local 503 government, the local building official, and their 504 building code enforcement personnel from any and all 505 claims arising from my use of these licensed or 506 certified personnel to perform building code 507 inspection services with respect to the building or 508 structure that is the subject of the enclosed permit 509 application. 510 511 If the fee owner or the fee owner’s contractor makes any changes 512 to the listed private providers or the services to be provided 513 by those private providers, the fee owner or the fee owner’s 514 contractor shall, within 1 business day after any change or 515 within 2 business days before the next scheduled inspection, 516 update the notice to reflect such changes.

A change of a duly 517 authorized representative named in the permit application does 518 not require a revision of the permit, and the building code 519 enforcement agency shall not charge a fee for making the change. 520

(5) After construction has commenced and if either the 521 local building official is unable to provide inspection services 522

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 19 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. in a timely manner or the work subject to inspection is related 523 to a single-trade inspection for a single-family or two-family 524 dwelling, the fee owner or the fee owner’s contractor may elect 525 to use a private provider to provide inspection services by 526 notifying the local building official of the owner’s or 527 contractor’s intention to do so by 2 p.m. local time, 2 business 528 days before the next scheduled inspection using the notice 529 provided for in paragraphs (4)(a)-(c). 530

(6) A private provider performing plans review under this 531

section shall review the plans to determine compliance with the 532 applicable codes. For single-trade plans reviews, a private 533 provider may use an automated or software-based plans review 534 system designed to determine compliance with one or more 535 applicable codes, including, but not limited to, the National 536 Electrical Code and the Florida Building Code. Upon determining 537 that the plans reviewed comply with the applicable codes, the 538 private provider shall prepare an affidavit or affidavits 539 certifying, under oath, that the following is true and correct 540 to the best of the private provider’s knowledge and belief: 541 (

a) The plans were reviewed by the affiant, who is duly 542 authorized to perform plans review pursuant to this

section and 543 holds the appropriate license or certificate. 544 (

b) The plans comply with the applicable codes. 545 546 Such affidavit may bear a written or electronic signature and 547 must have the ability to may be submitted electronically to the 548 local building official. 549 (7)(

a) The local building official may not review plans, 550 construction drawings, or any other related documents determined 551

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 20 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. by a private provider to be compliant with the applicable codes. 552 (

b) The local building official may review other forms and 553 documents required under this

section for completeness only. The 554 local building official must provide written notice to a permit 555 applicant of any incomplete forms or documents required under 556 this

section no later than 10 days after receipt of a permit 557 application and an affidavit from the private provider as 558 required in subsection (6). The written notice must state with 559 specificity which forms or documents are incomplete. 560 (7)(

a) No more than 20 business days, or if the permit 561 application is related to a single-trade plans review for a 562 single-family or two-family dwelling, no more than 5 business 563 days, after receipt of a permit application and the affidavit 564 from the private provider required pursuant to subsection (6), 565 the local building official shall issue the requested permit or 566 provide a written notice to the permit applicant identifying the 567 specific plan features that do not comply with the applicable 568 codes, as well as the specific code chapters and sections.

If 569 the local building official does not provide such a written 570 notice of the plan deficiencies within 10 days the prescribed 571 time period, the permit application must be deemed approved as a 572 matter of law, and the permit must be issued by the local 573 building official on the next business day. 574 (c)(

b) If the local building official provides a written 575 notice of plan deficiencies to the permit applicant of any 576 incomplete forms or documents required under this

section at the 577 time of plan submission within the 10-day prescribed time 578 period, such the time period is tolled pending resolution of the 579 matter. To resolve the issues raised in the notice plan 580

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 21 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. deficiencies, the permit applicant may elect to dispute the 581 issues deficiencies pursuant to subsection (16) (15) or to 582 submit revisions to correct the issues deficiencies. 583 (d)(

c) If the permit applicant submits revisions, the local 584 building official has the remainder of the tolled 10-day time 585 period plus 5 business days after the date of resubmittal to 586 issue the requested permit or to provide a second written notice 587 to the permit applicant stating which of the previously 588 identified forms or documents plan features remain incomplete in 589 noncompliance with the applicable codes, with specific reference 590 to the relevant code chapters and sections.

Any subsequent 591 review by the local building official is limited to the issues 592 deficiencies cited in the original written notice. If the local 593 building official does not provide the second written notice 594 within the prescribed time period, the permit must be deemed 595 approved as a matter of law, and the local building official 596 must issue the permit on the next business day. 597 (e)(

d) If the local building official provides a second 598 written notice of plan deficiencies to the permit applicant 599 within the prescribed time period, the permit applicant may 600 elect to dispute the issues raised in the second notice 601 deficiencies pursuant to subsection (16) (15) or to submit 602 additional revisions to correct the issues deficiencies.

For all 603 revisions submitted after the first revision, the local building 604 official has an additional 5 business days after the date of 605 resubmittal to issue the requested permit or to provide a 606 written notice to the permit applicant stating which of the 607 previously identified forms or documents plan features remain 608 incomplete. If the local building official does not provide the 609

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 22 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. notice within the prescribed time period, the permit shall be 610 deemed approved as a matter of law, and the local building 611 official must issue the permit on the next business day in 612 noncompliance with the applicable codes, with specific reference 613 to the relevant code chapters and sections. 614

(8) A private provider performing required inspections 615 under this

section shall inspect each phase of construction as 616 required by the applicable codes. Such inspection, including a 617 single-trade inspection, may be performed in person or 618 virtually. The private provider may have a duly authorized 619 representative perform the required inspections, provided all 620 required reports are prepared by and bear the written or 621 electronic signature of the private provider or the private 622 provider’s duly authorized representative. The duly authorized 623 representative must be supervised by or be an employee of the 624 private provider and be entitled to receive reemployment 625 assistance benefits under

chapter 443. The contractor’s 626 contractual or legal obligations are not relieved by any action 627 of the private provider. 628

(9) A private provider performing required inspections 629 under this

section shall provide notice to the local building 630 official of the approximate date and time of any such 631 inspection. The local building official may not prohibit the 632 private provider from performing any inspection outside the 633 local building official’s normal operating hours, including 634 after hours, weekends, or holidays. The local building official 635 may visit the building site as often as necessary to verify that 636 the private provider is performing all required inspections. A 637 deficiency notice must be posted by the private provider or, the 638

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 23 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. duly authorized representative of the private provider, or the 639 building department whenever a noncomplying item related to the 640 building code or the permitted documents is found. Such notice 641 may be physically posted at the job site or electronically 642 posted. After corrections are made, the item must be reinspected 643 by the private provider or his or her representative before 644 being concealed.

Reinspection or reaudit fees shall not be 645 charged by The local jurisdiction may not charge any fees 646 related to the reinspection or any administrative matter related 647 to the reinspection. 648

(10) A local building official is not responsible for the 649 regulatory administration or supervision of building code 650 inspection services performed by a private provider hired by a 651 fee owner or the fee owner’s contractor.

Verification of 652 licensure and insurance requirements for a private provider 653 firm’s duly authorized representative is the responsibility of 654 the private provider firm’s management, and the local building 655 official may not verify compliance or store information relating 656 to such verification as a result of the local jurisdiction’s 657 audit inspection occurring before the performance of the private 658 provider’s inspection or for any other administrative matter not 659 involving the detection of a violation of the building code or a 660 permit requirement. 661 (11)

(10) If the private provider is a person licensed as an 662 engineer under

chapter 471 or an architect under

chapter 481 and 663 affixes his or her professional seal to the affidavit required 664 under subsection (6), the local building official must issue the 665 requested permit or provide a written notice to the permit 666 applicant identifying the specific plan features that do not 667

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 24 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. comply with the applicable codes, as well as the specific code 668 chapters and sections, within 10 business days after receipt of 669 the permit application and affidavit. In such written notice, 670 the local building official must provide with specificity the 671 plan’s deficiencies, the reasons the permit application failed, 672 and the applicable codes being violated.

If the local building 673 official does not provide specific written notice to the permit 674 applicant within the prescribed 10-day period, the permit 675 application is deemed approved as a matter of law, and the local 676 building official must issue the permit on the next business 677 day. 678 (12)

(11) If equipment replacements and repairs must be 679 performed in an emergency situation, subject to the emergency 680 permitting provisions of the Florida Building Code, a private 681 provider may perform emergency inspection services without first 682 notifying the local building official pursuant to subsection 683 (9). A private provider must conduct the inspection within 3 684 business days after being contacted to conduct an emergency 685 inspection and must submit the inspection report to the local 686 building official within 1 day after the inspection is 687 completed. 688 (13)

(12) Upon completing the required inspections at each 689 applicable phase of construction, the private provider shall 690 record such inspections on a form provided by the commission 691 acceptable to the local building official. The form must bear 692 the written or electronic signature of the private provider or 693 the private provider’s duly authorized representative. These 694 inspection records must shall reflect those inspections required 695 by the applicable codes of each phase of construction for which 696

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 25 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. permitting by a local enforcement agency is required. The 697 private provider, upon completion of the required inspection, 698 shall post each completed inspection record, indicating pass or 699 fail, and provide the record to the local building official 700 within 4 2 business days. Such inspection record may be 701 electronically posted by the private provider, or the private 702 provider may post such inspection record physically at the 703 project site.

The private provider may electronically transmit 704 the record to the local building official. The local building 705 official may not fail any inspection that is performed by a 706 private provider for not having the inspection records at the 707 job site if the inspection records are transmitted within 4 708 business days. The local building official may waive the 709 requirement to provide a record of each inspection within 4 2 710 business days if the record is electronically posted or posted 711 at the project site and all such inspection records are 712 submitted with the certificate of compliance.

Unless the records 713 have been electronically posted and transmitted, records of all 714 required and completed inspections shall be maintained at the 715 building site at all times and made available for review by the 716 local building official. The private provider shall report to 717 the local enforcement agency any condition that poses an 718 immediate threat to public safety and welfare. 719 (14)

(13) Upon completion of all required inspections, the 720 private provider shall prepare a certificate of compliance, on a 721 form provided by the commission acceptable to the local building 722 official, summarizing the inspections performed and including a 723 written representation, under oath, that the stated inspections 724 have been performed and that, to the best of the private 725

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 26 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. provider’s knowledge and belief, the building construction 726 inspected complies with the approved plans and applicable codes. 727 The certificate of compliance may be signed by any qualified 728 individual employed by the private provider under whose 729 authority the inspection was completed.

The statement required 730 of the private provider shall be substantially in the following 731 form and shall be signed and sealed by a private provider as 732 established in subsection (1) or may be electronically 733 transmitted to the local building official: 734 735 To the best of my knowledge and belief, the building 736 components and site improvements outlined herein and 737 inspected under my authority have been completed in 738 conformance with the approved plans and the applicable 739 codes. 740 741 (15)(a)(14)(

a) The local building official may perform 742 building inspections of construction that a private provider has 743 determined to be compliant with the applicable codes only if the 744 local building official has actual knowledge that the private 745 provider did not perform the required inspections. If the local 746 building official has such knowledge, the local building 747 official must provide to the private provider written notice of 748 the facts and circumstances upon which the local building 749 official relied for such actual knowledge before performing a 750 required inspection. The local building official may review 751 forms and documents required under this

section for completeness 752 only. No more than 10 business days, or if the permit is related 753 to single-family or two-family dwellings then no more than 2 754

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 27 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. business days, after receipt of a request for a certificate of 755 occupancy or certificate of completion and the applicant’s 756 presentation of a certificate of compliance and approval of all 757 other government approvals required by law, including the 758 payment of all outstanding fees, the local building official 759 shall issue the certificate of occupancy or certificate of 760 completion or provide a notice to the applicant of any 761 incomplete forms or documents required under this

section 762 identifying the specific deficiencies, as well as the specific 763 code chapters and sections. 764 (

b) If the local building official does not provide notice 765 of any incomplete forms or documents the deficiencies within the 766 applicable time periods under paragraph (a), the request for a 767 certificate of occupancy or certificate of completion is 768 automatically granted and deemed issued as of the next business 769 day. The local building official must provide the applicant with 770 the written certificate of occupancy or certificate of 771 completion within 2 10 days after it is automatically granted 772 and issued.

To resolve any identified issues deficiencies, the 773 applicant may elect to dispute the issues deficiencies pursuant 774 to subsection (16) (15) or to submit a corrected request for a 775 certificate of occupancy or certificate of completion. 776 (16)

(15) If the local building official determines that any 777 forms or documents required under this

section are incomplete 778 the building construction or plans do not comply with the 779 applicable codes, the official may deny the permit or request 780 for a certificate of occupancy or certificate of completion, as 781 appropriate, or may issue a stop-work order for the project or 782 any portion thereof as provided by law, if the official 783

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 28 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. determines that the noncompliance poses an immediate threat to 784 public safety and welfare, subject to the following: 785 (

a) The local building official shall be available to meet 786 with the private provider within 2 business days to resolve any 787 dispute after issuing a stop-work order or providing notice to 788 the applicant denying a permit or request for a certificate of 789 occupancy or certificate of completion. 790 (

b) If the local building official and private provider are 791 unable to resolve the dispute, the matter shall be referred to 792 the local enforcement agency’s board of appeals, if one exists, 793 which shall consider the matter at its next scheduled meeting or 794 sooner. Any decisions by the local enforcement agency’s board of 795 appeals, or local building official if there is no board of 796 appeals, may be appealed to the commission as provided by this 797 chapter. 798 (

c) Notwithstanding any provision of this section, any 799 decisions regarding the issuance of a building permit, 800 certificate of occupancy, or certificate of completion may be 801 reviewed by the local enforcement agency’s board of appeals, if 802 one exists. Any decision by the local enforcement agency’s board 803 of appeals, or local building official if there is no board of 804 appeals, may be appealed to the commission as provided by this 805 chapter, which shall consider the matter at the commission’s 806 next scheduled meeting. 807 (17)

(16) For the purposes of this section, any notice to be 808 provided by the local building official shall be deemed to be 809 provided to the person or entity when successfully transmitted 810 to the e-mail address listed for that person or entity in the 811 permit application or revised permit application, or, if no e-812

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 29 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. mail address is stated, when actually received by that person or 813 entity. 814 (18)(a)(17)(

a) A local enforcement agency, local building 815 official, or local government may not adopt or enforce any laws, 816 rules, procedures, policies, qualifications, or standards more 817 stringent than those prescribed by this section. 818 (

b) A local enforcement agency, local building official, or 819 local government must may establish, for private providers and, 820 private provider firms, and duly authorized representatives 821 working within that jurisdiction, a system of registration to 822 verify compliance with the licensure requirements of paragraph 823 (1)(

n) and the insurance requirements of subsection (19)(18). 824 The local building official may not charge administrative fees 825 for the registration process for a private provider, or for any 826 updates to a private provider registration. 827 (

c) This

section does not limit the authority of the local 828 building official to issue a stop-work order for a building 829 project or any portion of the project, as provided by law, if 830 the official determines that a condition on the building site 831 constitutes an immediate threat to public safety and welfare, 832 provided such orders are in strict compliance with the 833 deficiency notice provisions of subsection (9). 834 (

d) A local enforcement agency, local building official, or 835 local government may not prohibit or limit the use of virtual 836 inspections by private providers and private provider firms for 837 any type of construction such providers or firms have a license 838 to inspect. 839 (19)

(18) A private provider may perform building code 840 inspection services on a building project under this

section 841

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 30 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. only if the private provider maintains insurance for 842 professional liability covering all services performed as a 843 private provider. Such insurance shall have minimum policy 844 limits of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million in the 845 aggregate for any project with a construction cost of $5 million 846 or less and $2 million per occurrence and $4 million in the 847 aggregate for any project with a construction cost of over $5 848 million. Nothing in this

section limits the ability of a fee 849 owner to require additional insurance or higher policy limits. 850 For these purposes, the term “construction cost” means the total 851 cost of building construction as stated in the building permit 852 application. If the private provider chooses to secure claims-853 made coverage to fulfill this requirement, the private provider 854 must also maintain coverage for a minimum of 5 years after 855 subsequent to the performance of building code inspection 856 services.

The insurance required under this subsection shall be 857 written only by insurers authorized to do business in this state 858 with a minimum A.M. Best’s rating of A. Before providing 859 building code inspection services within a local building 860 official’s jurisdiction, a private provider must provide to the 861 local building official a certificate of insurance evidencing 862 that the coverages required under this subsection are in force. 863 (20)

(19) When performing building code inspection services, 864 a private provider is subject to the disciplinary guidelines of 865 the applicable professional board with jurisdiction over his or 866 her license or certification under

chapter 468,

chapter 471, or 867

chapter 481. All private providers shall be subject to the 868 disciplinary guidelines of s. 468.621(1)(c)-(h). Any complaint 869 processing, investigation, and discipline that arise out of a 870

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 31 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. private provider’s performance of building code inspection 871 services shall be conducted by the applicable professional 872 board. 873 (21)

(20) A local building code enforcement agency may not 874 audit the performance of building code inspection services by 875 private providers operating within the local jurisdiction until 876 the agency has created standard operating private provider audit 877 procedures for the agency’s internal inspection and review 878 staff, which includes, at a minimum, the private provider audit 879 purpose and scope, private provider audit criteria, an 880 explanation of private provider audit processes and objections, 881 and detailed findings of areas of noncompliance.

Such private 882 provider audit procedures must be publicly available online, and 883 a printed version must be readily accessible in agency 884 buildings. The private provider audit results of staff for the 885 prior two quarters also must be publicly available. The agency’s 886 audit processes must adhere to the agency’s posted standard 887 operating audit procedures.

The same private provider or private 888 provider firm may not be audited more than four times in a year 889 unless the local building official determines a condition of a 890 building constitutes an immediate threat to public safety and 891 welfare, which must be communicated in writing to the private 892 provider or private provider firm. The private provider or 893 private provider firm must be given notice of each audit to be 894 performed at least 5 business days before the audit. Work on a 895 building or structure may proceed after inspection and approval 896 by a private provider.

The work may not be delayed for 897 completion of an inspection audit by the local building code 898 enforcement agency. 899

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 32 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. (22)

(21) The local government, the local building official, 900 and their building code enforcement personnel shall be immune 901 from liability to any person or party for any action or inaction 902 by a fee owner of a building, or by a private provider or its 903 duly authorized representative, in connection with building code 904 inspection services as authorized in this act. The local 905 government, local building official, and building code 906 enforcement personnel may not prohibit or discourage the use of 907 a private provider or a private provider firm. 908 (23)

(22) Notwithstanding any other law, a county, a 909 municipality, a school district, or an independent special 910 district may use a private provider or a private provider firm 911 to provide building code inspection services for a public works 912 project, an improvement, a building, or any other structure that 913 is owned by the county, municipality, school district, or 914 independent special district. 915

Section

Section 553.792, Florida Statutes, is amended to 916 read: 917 553.792 Building permit application to local government.— 918

(1) The Florida Building Commission shall develop a uniform 919 building permit application for mandatory use by local 920 governments. The application must include a checklist by project 921 type for permitted work. 922 (2)(a)(1)(

a) A local government must approve, approve with 923 conditions, or deny a building permit application after receipt 924 of a completed and sufficient application within the following 925 timeframes, unless the applicant waives such timeframes in 926 writing: 927 1. Within 5 business days after receiving a complete and 928

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 33 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. sufficient application, for an applicant using a local 929 government plans reviewer to obtain the following building 930 permits for an existing single-family residential dwelling if 931 the value of the work is less than $15,000: structural, 932 accessory structure, alarm, electrical, irrigation, landscaping, 933 mechanical, plumbing, or roofing. 934 2.1.

Within 30 business days after receiving a complete and 935 sufficient application, for an applicant using a local 936 government plans reviewer to obtain the following building 937 permits if the structure is less than 7,500 square feet: 938 residential units, including a single-family residential unit or 939 a single-family residential dwelling, accessory structure, 940 alarm, electrical, irrigation, landscaping, mechanical, 941 plumbing, or roofing. 942 3.2.

Within 60 business days after receiving a complete and 943 sufficient application, for an applicant using a local 944 government plans reviewer to obtain the following building 945 permits if the structure is 7,500 square feet or more: 946 residential units, including a single-family residential unit or 947 a single-family residential dwelling, accessory structure, 948 alarm, electrical, irrigation, landscaping, mechanical, 949 plumbing, or roofing. 950 4.3.

Within 60 business days after receiving a complete and 951 sufficient application, for an applicant using a local 952 government plans reviewer to obtain the following building 953 permits: signs or nonresidential buildings that are less than 954 25,000 square feet. 955 5.4. Within 60 business days after receiving a complete and 956 sufficient application, for an applicant using a local 957

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 34 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. government plans reviewer to obtain the following building 958 permits: multifamily residential, not exceeding 50 units; site-959 plan approvals and subdivision plats not requiring public 960 hearing or public notice; and lot grading and site alteration. 961 6.5. Within 12 business days after receiving a complete and 962 sufficient application, for an applicant using a master building 963 permit consistent with s. 553.794 to obtain a site-specific 964 building permit. 965 7.6.

Within 10 business days after receiving a complete and 966 sufficient application, for an applicant for a single-family 967 residential dwelling applied for by a contractor licensed in 968 this state on behalf of a property owner who participates in a 969 Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program 970 administered by the Department of Commerce, unless the permit 971 application fails to satisfy the Florida Building Code or the 972 enforcing agency’s laws or ordinances. 973 974 However, the local government may not require the waiver of the 975 timeframes in this

section as a condition precedent to reviewing 976 an applicant’s building permit application. 977 (

b) A signed and sealed permit application and an 978 attestation by an architect licensed under

chapter 481 or an 979 engineer licensed under

chapter 471 that the plans in the permit 980 application comply with the Florida Building Code for the 981 construction or renovation of a single-family dwelling located 982 in a jurisdiction for which a state of emergency was issued 983 within the 24 months before the submission of the application is 984 deemed approved. The local government shall issue such permit 985 within 2 days after approval. 986

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 35 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. (c)(

b) A local government must meet the timeframes set 987 forth in this

section for reviewing building permit applications 988 unless the timeframes set by local ordinance are more stringent 989 than those prescribed in this section. 990 (d)(

c) After an applicant submits an application to the 991 local government, the local government must provide written 992 notice to the applicant within 5 business days after receipt of 993 the application advising the applicant what information, if any, 994 is needed to deem or determine that the application is properly 995 completed in compliance with the filing requirements published 996 by the local government. If the local government does not 997 provide timely written notice that the applicant has not 998 submitted the properly completed application, the application is 999 automatically deemed or determined to be properly completed and 1000 accepted. 1001 (e)(

d) A local government shall maintain on its website a 1002 policy containing procedures and expectations for expedited 1003 processing of those building permits and development orders 1004 required by law to be expedited. 1005 (f)(

e) If a local government fails to meet a deadline under 1006 this subsection, it must reduce the building permit fee by 10 1007 percent for each business day that it fails to meet the 1008 deadline, unless the parties agree in writing to a reasonable 1009 extension of time, the delay is caused by the applicant, or the 1010 delay is attributable to a force majeure or other extraordinary 1011 circumstances. Each 10-percent reduction shall be based on the 1012 original amount of the building permit fee, unless the parties 1013 agree to an extension of time. 1014 (g)(

f) A local enforcement agency does not have to reduce 1015

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 36 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. the building permit fee if it provides written notice to the 1016 applicant by e-mail or United States Postal Service within the 1017 respective timeframes in paragraph (

a) which specifically states 1018 the reasons the permit application fails to satisfy the Florida 1019 Building Code or the enforcing agency’s laws or ordinances. The 1020 written notice must also state that the applicant has 10 1021 business days after receiving the written notice to submit 1022 revisions to correct the permit application and that failure to 1023 correct the application within 10 business days will result in a 1024 denial of the application. 1025 (h)(

g) If the applicant submits revisions within 10 1026 business days after receiving the written notice, the local 1027 enforcement agency has 10 business days after receiving such 1028 revisions to approve or deny the building permit unless the 1029 applicant agrees to a longer period in writing. If the local 1030 enforcement agency fails to issue or deny the building permit 1031 within 10 business days after receiving the revisions, it must 1032 reduce the building permit fee by 20 percent for each business 1033 day that it fails to meet the deadline unless the applicant 1034 agrees to a longer period in writing. 1035 (3)

(2) If any building permit fees are refunded under this 1036 section, the surcharges provided in s. 468.631 or s. 553.721 1037 must be recalculated based on the amount of the building permit 1038 fees after the refund. 1039

Section 7. Paragraph (

c) is added to subsection (1) of 1040

section 720.3035, Florida Statutes, to read: 1041 720.3035 Architectural control covenants; parcel owner 1042 improvements; rights and privileges.— 1043 (1) 1044

Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1234 18-00603A-26 20261234__ Page 37 of 37 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. (

c) An association or any architectural, construction 1045 improvement, or other such similar committee of an association 1046 may not require a building permit to be issued by a governmental 1047 authority to a parcel owner as a prerequisite for review by the 1048 association or committee concerning the construction of 1049 structures or improvements on the parcel. 1050

Section 8. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 1051