Contractor tools & permit resources.
Wind pressures, permit checklists, and product approvals for South Florida exterior work — with the rules behind them explained.
Sealed calculations, engineered repairs, engineering letters — that is what we do.
Three tools, and the rules behind them
Everything a South Florida exterior contractor needs to assemble a permit package: design pressures, the submittal checklist for the department you are filing with, and the product approval that ties them together. The tools are free. When a scope needs a Florida PE, that is what we do.
Inside municipal limits the city building department is the authority having jurisdiction; county departments serve unincorporated areas and some contract cities. The Florida Building Code sets the floor — but each department publishes its own submittal list, forms and inspection sequence on top of it. The checklist tool gives you the statutory and code minimum for a permit type; the department's own published list is always the final word.
Miami-Dade and Broward are the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. Exterior products there require a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA), or a Florida Product Approval specifically evaluated for HVHZ use — a plain statewide approval is not enough. The rest of the tri-county area is wind-borne-debris region: not HVHZ, but openings still need impact-rated products or approved protection. The product finder branches on this automatically.
Florida law lets you retain a licensed private provider to perform plan review and inspections instead of waiting on the building department — the code is the same code, the timeline is yours. HB 803 (effective 1 July 2026) expanded the framework and put hard deadlines on department reviews. See how it works →
Effective 1 July 2026, HB 803 allows single-family residential work under $7,500 to be exempt from a building permit — but it is narrow. It excludes electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas and structural work; it excludes anything the Florida Building Code regulates, so roofs, windows, doors and siding still need permits; and it excludes flood hazard areas. It is not automatic: it requires a written exemption request approved by the building official first, and projects may not be split to fit under the cap.
When is a Notice of Commencement required? For direct contracts over $2,500, recorded before the first inspection (FS 713.13 / 713.135). HVAC replacement has its own exemption up to $15,000.
When do I need sealed engineering? Structural repairs, screen enclosures, pool shells, solar roof attachment, and any alteration of a load-bearing element. The checklist flags these per permit type.
Where does the design pressure come from? The wind calculator gives preliminary C&C pressures; match your product's rated design pressure (ASD) against them. Many departments require sealed calculations for the openings.