Florida’s HB 803 (2026), chapter 2026-63, took effect July 1, 2026 and amended section 553.792, Florida Statutes. A local government must now decide certain building permits for an existing single-family home within 5 business days when the applicant uses the local government’s plans reviewer and the work is valued under $15,000, tell an applicant within 5 business days what an incomplete application is missing, and cut the building permit fee by 10% of the original fee for each business day it misses a review deadline.
This page summarizes the statute for agency staff. It is not legal advice. Read the statute and consult your agency’s counsel.
What are the review deadlines?
Each clock runs from receipt of a complete and sufficient application, unless the applicant waives it in writing. A local government may not require that waiver as a condition of reviewing the application. The 5, 30 and 60 business day clocks apply when the applicant uses a local government plans reviewer. The 12 business day clock applies to a site-specific permit under a master building permit (s. 553.794). The 10 business day clock applies to the disaster-recovery application in the last row, and not when that application fails the Florida Building Code or local law.
| Permit | Approve, approve with conditions, or deny within | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Existing single-family dwelling, work valued under $15,000: structural, accessory structure, alarm, electrical, gas, irrigation, landscaping, mechanical, plumbing or roofing | 5 business days | s. 553.792(1)(a)1. |
| Residential units and the trade permits named in s. 553.792(1)(a)2., structure under 7,500 square feet | 30 business days | s. 553.792(1)(a)2. |
| Residential units and the trade permits named in s. 553.792(1)(a)3., structure 7,500 square feet or more | 60 business days | s. 553.792(1)(a)3. |
| Signs, or nonresidential buildings under 25,000 square feet | 60 business days | s. 553.792(1)(a)4. |
| Multifamily residential up to 50 units; site plans and plats that do not require a public hearing or public notice; lot grading and site alteration | 60 business days | s. 553.792(1)(a)5. |
| Site-specific permit under a master building permit | 12 business days | s. 553.792(1)(a)6. |
| Single-family dwelling applied for by a contractor licensed in this state on behalf of a property owner in a Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program, unless the application fails the Florida Building Code or the enforcing agency’s laws or ordinances | 10 business days | s. 553.792(1)(a)7. |
The Florida Senate’s bill summary describes HB 803 as “requiring a 5-day response timeframe for permit applications for work valued less than $15,000.” A local ordinance with shorter timeframes still governs (s. 553.792(1)(b)).
How fast must completeness be decided?
Within 5 business days after receiving an application, the local government must tell the applicant in writing what information, if any, is needed to make the application complete under its published filing requirements. Without that timely notice, the application is automatically deemed complete and accepted (s. 553.792(1)(c)).
What happens when a deadline is missed?
| Situation | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Review deadline missed | Building permit fee reduced 10% of the original fee for each business day late | s. 553.792(1)(e) |
| Agency sends written notice by email or U.S. mail within the deadline stating the specific reasons the application fails the Florida Building Code or local law | No fee reduction; the applicant has 10 business days after receiving that notice to submit revisions, or the application is denied | s. 553.792(1)(f) |
| Revisions received on time | Agency has 10 business days after receiving the revisions to approve or deny, unless the applicant agrees in writing to longer | s. 553.792(1)(g) |
| Revision deadline missed, unless the applicant agrees in writing to a longer period | Fee reduced 20% for each business day late | s. 553.792(1)(g) |
The 10% reductions do not apply when the parties agree in writing to a reasonable extension, the applicant caused the delay, or the delay comes from force majeure or other extraordinary circumstances (s. 553.792(1)(e)).
How can a review tool help staff hit the shot clock?
A review tool does not make an agency compliant, and it does not decide anything. It can take on the reading and drafting that eat the clock:
- Completeness in 5 business days. CrossBeam Permits compares the package with the agency’s own filing requirements and drafts the written notice of what is missing for staff to review.
- The written notice that stops the fee reduction. It reads the full plan set against the Florida Building Code edition the agency enforces and its local amendments, and drafts findings that each cite a code section and a plan sheet. Staff turn the findings they keep into the corrections letter on the agency’s letterhead.
- Revisions in 10 business days. On resubmittal, it checks each prior item and reports which appear resolved, so the second review starts from the open items.
- Cleaner submittals. An agency-branded applicant pre-check lets applicants fix missing or inconsistent items before the clock starts.
Staff make every determination, and the local government remains responsible for meeting its deadlines.
Does CrossBeam Permits work in Florida?
CrossBeam Permits works with cities, counties and agencies anywhere in the country, under whatever timelines their state sets. For a Florida agency, setup starts from the Florida Building Code edition it enforces and its local amendments. See also Washington SB 5290 timelines and California ADU 60-day timeline.
Sources
Facts and sources checked November 2, 2026.
- Florida Statutes 2026, section 553.792, “Building permit application to local government” (accessed 2026-11-02)
- Florida Senate, CS/CS/HB 803 (2026), “Building Permits and Inspections,” chapter 2026-63, effective July 1, 2026 (accessed 2026-11-02)
- Florida Senate, bill summary for CS/CS/HB 803 (2026) (accessed 2026-11-02)
CrossBeam Permits is operated by Onboard Dot AI LLC, Huntington Beach, California. Not affiliated with Crossbeam, the partner-ecosystem software company at crossbeam.com.