Fla. Stat. § 553.794 — Florida Code / Title XXXIII / Chapter 553 / Part IV / Section 553.794
553.794 Local government residential master building permit program.
Status: in_force

(1) MASTER BUILDING PERMIT PROGRAM CREATION. — If a local building code administrator licensed under part XII of chapter 468 receives a written request from a general, building, or residential contractor licensed under chapter 489 requesting the creation of a master building permit program, the applicable local government shall create such program within 6 months after receipt of the written request. The master building permit program is intended for use by builders who expect to construct identical single-family or two-family dwellings or townhomes on a repetitive basis. The master building permit program must be designed to achieve standardization and consistency during the permitting process and to reduce the time spent by local building departments during the site-specific building permit application process.

(2) DEFINITIONS. — For purposes of this section, the term: (a) “Building orientation” means the placement of a building on a parcel of land with respect to weathering elements such as sun, wind, and rain and environmental factors like topography. (b) “Elevation” means a construction drawing that is drawn to scale and depicts the external face of the dwelling or townhome to be constructed.

(3) MASTER BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION. — To obtain a master building permit, a builder must submit the following information to the local building department: (a) A completed master building permit application. (b) A general construction plan that complies with subsection (4). (c) All general construction plan pages, documents, and drawings, including structural calculations if required by the local building department, signed and sealed by the design professional of record, along with a written acknowledgment from the design professional that the plan pages, documents, and drawings contained within the master building permit application will be used for future site-specific building permit applications. The design professional of record must be a licensed engineer or architect. (d) Truss specifications, signed and sealed by the truss design engineer. The design professional of record must stamp and sign the truss layout sheet as reviewed and approved for each model design. (e) Energy performance calculations for all building orientations. The calculations must consider worst-case scenarios for the relevant climate zone and must include component and cladding product approvals for all windows, pedestrian doors, garage doors, glazed opening impact protection devices, truss anchors, roof underlayments, and roof coverings. The design professional of record must stamp and sign all product approvals as reviewed and approved for use with each model design.

(4) GENERAL CONSTRUCTION PLAN. — The general construction plan submitted as part of a master building permit application: (a) May be submitted in electronic or paper format, as required by the local building department. A plan submitted in paper format must be a minimum of 36 inches by 48 inches or must comply with requirements of the local building department. (b) Shall include left-hand and right-hand building orientations, including floor plans. (c) Shall include a model design which may include up to four alternate exterior elevations, each containing the same living space footprint. The model design: 1. May not contain more than three alternate garage layouts, with each garage layout limited to accommodating no more than three cars. 2. Must include a foundation plan. 3. Must contain a truss layout sheet for each exterior elevation that is compatible with the roof plan. (d) Must show typical wall sections from the foundation to the roof. (e) Must contain a complete set of applicable electrical, plumbing, fuel gas, and mechanical plans. (f) Must contain window, door, and glazed opening impact protection device schedules, if applicable. (g) Must meet any other requirements of the local building department.

(5) MASTER BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION APPROVAL PROCESS. — (a) A builder may submit to the local building department a master building permit application that contains the information identified in subsection (3). Once a master building permit application is approved as provided in this subsection, the local building department may only require the builder to submit the documents identified in subsection (7) for each site-specific building permit application for a single-family or two-family dwelling or townhome. (b) The local building department shall review the general construction plan submitted as part of the master building permit application to determine compliance with existing building code requirements. If the general construction plan is approved and all documents provided pursuant to subsections (3) and (4) are verified, the builder shall receive a master building permit and permit number. (c) The local building department must approve or deny a master building permit application within 120 days after the local building department receives a completed application, unless the applicant agrees to a longer period. If a local building department fails to approve or deny a master building permit application within 120 days after receiving the completed permit application, it must reduce the master building permit fee by 10 percent for each business day that it fails to meet the deadline, unless the applicant agrees to a longer time period. Each 10-percent reduction shall be based on the original amount of the master building permit fee. If any master building permit fees are refunded, the surcharges provided in s. 468.631 or s. 553.721 must be recalculated based on the amount of the master building permit fees after the refund. (d) A builder may submit the master building permit number an unlimited number of times, and such number applies to each subsequent dwelling or townhome to be built as long as the builder uses the model design contained in the master building permit and meets the requirement of paragraph (e). (e) An approved master building permit remains valid until the Florida Building Code is updated as provided in s. 553.73.

(6) REVISIONS TO MASTER BUILDING PERMIT. — Once a master building permit has been approved, a local building department: (a) May not allow structural revisions to the master building. (b) May allow limited nonstructural revisions to the master building so long as any revised floor plan is submitted to and approved by the local building department. (c) May accept limited field revisions, as determined by the local building department.

(7) SITE-SPECIFIC BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONS. — Once a master building permit is approved, the builder is only required to submit the following information for each site-specific building permit application for a single-family or two-family dwelling or townhome: (a) A completed site-specific building permit application that includes the master building permit number and identifies the model design to be built, including elevation and garage style. (b) Three signed and sealed copies of the lot or parcel survey or site plan, as applicable. The survey or site plan must indicate the Federal Emergency Management Agency flood zone, base flood elevation, and minimum finished floor elevation and must conform to local zoning regulations. Lot or parcel drainage indicators must be shown along with site elevations. (c) An affidavit by the licensed engineer of record affirming that the master building permit is a true and correct copy of the master building permit on file with the local building department. The affidavit must reference the master building permit number. The licensed engineer of record must affirm that the master building permit will conform to soil conditions on the specific site. (d) Complete mechanical drawings of the model design, including HVAC heating and cooling load calculations and equipment specifications. (e) Specific information that was not included in the master building permit application addressing the HVAC system design, including duct design and heating and cooling load calculations.

(8) FEES. — The governing body of the applicable local government shall set fees pursuant to s. 553.80(7).

(9) PENALTIES. — In addition to any other penalty provided by law, a builder or design professional who willfully violates this section shall be fined $10,000 for each dwelling or townhome that is built under the master building permit that does not conform to the master building permit on file with the local building department.

(10) PROGRAM GUIDELINES. — Each local government may adopt procedures to provide master building permit program guidelines and requirements for the submission and approval of materials and applications.

History: s. 1, ch. 2015-156; s. 6, ch. 2021-224.