SESSION WATCH
Became law HOUSE · SESSION 2026 · CHAPTER 2026-63

No. CS/CS/HB 803

Building Permits and Inspections
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SPONSOR
Commerce Committee; Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee; Trabulsy; Overdorf
FILED BY
Dana Trabulsy — District 84, Republican [search donations]
Tobin Overdorf — District 85, Republican [search donations]
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026

Filed under Development & Land Use.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Building Permits and Inspections; Providing for expiration of certain building permits issued by a county; requiring the Department of Management Services to enter into and maintain state term contracts for building code inspection services; providing that certain persons are not subject to discipline for performing a job without applicable permits and inspections if otherwise authorized by law; prohibiting the Department of Business and Professional Regulation from denying a building permit for certain residential manufactured buildings; prohibiting a local government from adopting or enforcing a certain zoning, land use, or development regulation that treats an offsite-constructed residential dwelling differently or more restrictively than certain dwellings in the same district; requiring local governments to exempt certain owners and contractors from requiring a building permit for the installation of temporary residential hurricane and flood protection walls or barriers that meet certain requirements; requiring a local government to make certain decisions relating to certain building permits within a specified timeframe; prohibiting an association or certain committees from requiring a building permit as a prerequisite for a certain review, etc.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Forces local governments to cut fees and approve permits within strict deadlines.

Local governments must cut permit fees by at least 25% when private inspectors handle the work. Failure to reduce fees means they lose the right to collect any fees for that project.

Officials must approve or deny small residential permits within five business days. Permits are automatically approved if officials fail to flag incomplete forms within ten days, shifting the burden of proof to the government.

Local governments are barred from reviewing plans that private providers have already certified as code-compliant. This limits local oversight to administrative checks rather than technical code compliance reviews.

Local governments may not enforce zoning rules that treat offsite-constructed residential dwellings more restrictively than site-built single-family dwellings in the same district. This mandates equal treatment for factory-built homes.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Mandatory Statewide Inspection Contracts majors. 287.056(4)

AIRequires the Department of Management Services to enter into and maintain state term contracts for building code inspection services.

“The department shall enter into and maintain one or more state term contracts with vendors for the purpose of providing building code inspection services as defined in s. 553.791.” bill text, line 175 →
§ 2 Emergency Out-of-State Inspector Certification majors. 468.634

AIPermits unlicensed individuals to act as building inspectors for one year during a state of emergency if they hold a state term contract, mutual aid qualification, or a five-year out-of-state license.

“a person may act in any of the following positions under the direction of the local building official for a period of 1 year from the date of a declaration of a state of emergency” bill text, line 182 →
§ 3 Offsite-Constructed Dwelling Zoning Parity majors. 553.385(2)(b)

AIProhibits local governments from adopting or enforcing zoning regulations that treat offsite-constructed residential dwellings more restrictively than site-built single-family dwellings in the same district.

“A local government may not adopt or enforce any zoning, land use, or development regulation that treats an offsite-constructed residential dwelling differently or more restrict” bill text, line 271 →
§ 4 Small Project Permit Exemption majors. 553.79(1)(g)

AIRequires local governments to exempt owners and contractors from building permit requirements for work valued at less than $7,500 on single-family dwellings, excluding electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work.

“A local government that issues building permits shall exempt an owner of a single-family dwelling or the owner's contractor from the requirement to obtain a building permit to” bill text, line 412 →
§ 5 Mandatory Fee Reductions for Private Inspectors majors. 553.791(2)(d)

AILocal governments must cut permit fees by at least 25% or 50% when private providers handle inspections, or they lose the right to collect any fees for that project.

“the local enforcement agency must reduce the permit fee by at least 25 percent of the portion of the permit fee attributable to plans review or building inspection services” bill text, line 715 →
§ 6 Deemed Approval for Incomplete Forms majors. 553.791(8)(a)

AIPermits are automatically approved if local officials fail to flag incomplete forms within 10 days, shifting the burden of proof to the government.

“the permit must be deemed approved as a matter of law, and the permit must be issued by the local building official on the next business day” bill text, line 908 →
§ 7 Prohibition on Local Plan Review majors. 553.791(8)(a)

AILocal building officials are barred from reviewing plans that private providers have already certified as code-compliant, limiting local oversight to administrative checks.

“The local building official may not review plans, construction drawings, or any other related documents determined by a private provider to be compliant with the applicable codes” bill text, line 856 →
§ 8 Mandatory 5-Day Permit Decision for Small Residential Jobs majors. 553.792(1)(a)

AILocal governments must approve, approve with conditions, or deny small residential permit applications within 5 business days.

“Within 5 business days after receiving a complete and sufficient application, for an applicant using a local government plans reviewer to obtain the following building permits for” bill text, line 1233 →
TIMELINE
5/7/2026
Chapter No. 2026-63 ; Companion bill(s) passed, see CS/CS/CS/HB...
5/6/2026
Approved by Governor
4/30/2026
Signed by Officers and presented to Governor
3/12/2026
Ordered engrossed, then enrolled
3/12/2026
CS passed as amended; YEAS 109, NAYS 0
3/12/2026
Amendment 140962 Concur
3/12/2026
Added to Senate Message List
3/5/2026
In Messages
3/5/2026
CS passed as amended; YEAS 37 NAYS 0 -SJ 608
3/5/2026
Read 3rd time -SJ 608
3/5/2026
Amendment(s) adopted (140962) -SJ 608
3/5/2026
Read 2nd time -SJ 599
3/5/2026
Substituted for CS/CS/SB 1234 -SJ 599
3/5/2026
Placed on Calendar, on 2nd reading
3/5/2026
Withdrawn from Rules -SJ 599
2/26/2026
Received
2/26/2026
Referred to Rules
2/25/2026
In Messages
2/25/2026
CS passed as amended; YEAS 114, NAYS 0
2/25/2026
Read 3rd time
2/25/2026
Added to Third Reading Calendar
2/25/2026
Amendment 725319 adopted
2/25/2026
Read 2nd time
2/19/2026
1st Reading (Committee Substitute 2)
2/19/2026
Bill added to Special Order Calendar (2/25/2026)
2/19/2026
Bill referred to House Calendar
2/19/2026
CS Filed
2/19/2026
Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
2/19/2026
Reported out of Commerce Committee
2/18/2026
Favorable with CS by Commerce Committee
2/16/2026
Added to Commerce Committee agenda
2/5/2026
Now in Commerce Committee
2/5/2026
Reported out of Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee
2/5/2026
Favorable by Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee
2/3/2026
Added to Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee agenda
1/22/2026
Now in Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee
1/22/2026
Referred to Commerce Committee
1/22/2026
Referred to Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee
1/21/2026
1st Reading (Committee Substitute 1)
1/21/2026
CS Filed
1/21/2026
Laid on Table under Rule 7.18(a)
1/21/2026
Reported out of Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee
1/20/2026
Favorable with CS by Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee
1/15/2026
Added to Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee agenda
1/13/2026
1st Reading (Original Filed Version)
1/5/2026
Now in Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee
1/5/2026
Referred to Commerce Committee
1/5/2026
Referred to Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee
1/5/2026
Referred to Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee
12/17/2025
Filed
44 EARLIER →
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 125.56
+55 / −0
s. 287.056
+30 / −0
s. 468.634
+175 / −0
s. 489.129
+5 / −0
s. 553.382
+22 / −2
s. 553.385
+347 / −0
STAFF ANALYSES