Florida's $7,500 Permit Exemption: What Homeowners Can Skip (2026)

Florida's 2026 building permit law, HB 803, was signed in May 2026 and took effect on July 1, 2026. Its best-known change is a permit exemption for small projects on single-family homes. It's useful, but narrower than headlines suggest.

What the exemption covers

Local governments that issue building permits must exempt work that meets all of these conditions:

• The property is a single-family home, and the work is done by the owner or the owner's contractor.
• The work is valued under $7,500.
• The owner, or the owner's contractor, submits a written request for the exemption.
• The work isn't one of the excluded types below.

Cities and counties have published their own forms and pages for the request, so check your building department's website first.

What it doesn't cover

• Electrical, plumbing, mechanical (air conditioning and ventilation), gas or structural work, whatever it costs. A new circuit, a moved drain, a replaced air handler or a changed wall still needs a permit and a licensed contractor (or a qualifying owner-builder).
• Split projects. The law prohibits dividing a job into smaller pieces to get under $7,500.
• Flood hazard areas. The law excludes property that is partly or entirely in a flood hazard area, as defined in the Florida Building Code. Ask your floodplain administrator whether your lot is in one. See the FEMA 50% rule in Florida.
• Zoning. Setbacks, height limits and other zoning rules still apply.

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Projects that may qualify

If they're under $7,500, not structural and not in a flood hazard area, projects like these may qualify, depending on how your local government applies the law:

• Replacing a small section of fence
• Minor roof repairs that don't change the roof structure
• Non-structural repairs to soffit, fascia or trim
• Replacing a few windows or doors in the same opening, if your building department agrees they're non-structural

Many of these already didn't need a permit in some counties. The exemption mostly helps where local rules were stricter.

Why you might still want a permit

An exemption means no plan review and no inspections. That saves time and fees, but you lose an independent check of the work. For anything involving hurricane protection, such as windows, doors and shutters, an inspected permit also creates a record that a wind mitigation inspector, a buyer or an insurer may want to see later. Ask yourself whether the permit is worth having even if it's not required.

HOAs and the new law

The same law stops homeowners' associations from requiring a building permit before they review your architectural application. You still need HOA approval where your community's rules require it. See HOA approval for Florida home improvements.

Hiring someone for exempt work

The exemption is from the permit, not from contractor licensing. If the work requires a licensed contractor, it still does. Check the license before you hire; see how to check a contractor before hiring. For general background on permits, read building permits in Florida.