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Repair guide

Florida HB 803: Which Home Repairs No Longer Need a Permit After July 1, 2026, and Which Still Do

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Florida HB 803: Which Home Repairs No Longer Need a Permit After July 1, 2026, and Which Still Do

Florida HB 803 took effect on July 1, 2026. It requires local governments to exempt some work on single-family homes from building permits. This page sets out what the bill text says, what it does not say, and which office takes the written exemption request in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Checked against the enrolled bill text on October 1, 2026.

Not legal advice. Confirm each job with the building department that covers the address before work starts.

Official sources:

The bill: chapter, sponsors, votes and dates

  • CS/CS/HB 803, Building Permits and Inspections, is Chapter 2026-63, Laws of Florida (bill history).
  • House sponsors: Reps. Trabulsy and Overdorf, with the Commerce Committee and the Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee. The Senate companion was CS/CS/SB 1234 by Senator DiCeglie (Senate summary).
  • Floor votes: House 114-0 on February 25, 2026; Senate 37-0 on March 5, 2026; final House vote 109-0 on March 12, 2026, concurring in the Senate amendment (bill history).
  • Presented to the Governor on May 6, 2026. Approved by the Governor on May 7, 2026 (bill history).
  • Effective date: July 1, 2026, under Section 12 of the bill (bill text).

The permit exemption, quoted

Section 8 of the bill adds paragraph (1)(g) to section 553.79, Florida Statutes (bill text):

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"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 perform any work valued at less than $7,500 on the owner's property."

The $7,500 threshold

  • The exemption covers work valued at less than $7,500. Work valued at $7,500 or more does not qualify (s. 553.79(1)(g)1.).
  • It applies to an owner of a single-family dwelling or the owner's contractor (s. 553.79(1)(g)1.).
  • No splitting. The statute says: "A construction project may not be divided into more than one project for the purpose of evading the requirements of this paragraph" (s. 553.79(1)(g)2.).
  • The City of Sarasota's HB 803 notice says the exemption covers the full scope of the project, and breaking it into smaller phases or pieces is prohibited (City of Sarasota notice, PDF).

The 5 trades that still need a permit

The exemption does not apply to "any electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work performed on property containing a single-family dwelling" (s. 553.79(1)(g)2.b.):

  1. Electrical
  2. Plumbing
  3. Structural
  4. Mechanical
  5. Gas

The bill does not define these five terms and does not list specific repairs by name.

Exterior doors and windows

The bill does not exempt exterior door or window replacement by name. The City of Sarasota's notice says exterior windows and doors "are considered structural and do not qualify for the exemption" (City of Sarasota notice, PDF). Ask the building department before a door or window job.

Fences, roofs and decks

The bill does not name fences, roofs or decks. The City of Sarasota's notice gives "drywall replacement and roof repairs" as two possible examples of qualifying work, and says every requirement of the statute must still be met (City of Sarasota notice, PDF). Ask the building department that covers the address before a fence, roof or deck job.

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Flood hazard areas

  • The exemption does not apply to "work on a property that is partially or entirely located in a flood hazard area as defined by the Florida Building Code" (s. 553.79(1)(g)2.a.).
  • The City of Bradenton lists "Properties located in a flood zone or flood hazard area" as not eligible (City of Bradenton HB 803 page).
  • Look up an address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center. Ask the building department to confirm the designation for the address.

The written request

  • To qualify, "the owner or the owner's contractor must submit a written request for exemption to the local enforcement agency with a copy of the contract or other documentation demonstrating the nature and the value of the work to be performed" (s. 553.79(1)(g)3.).
  • The statute also says: "A local government has no legal duty to the owner, contractor, or successors or assigns thereof for exempted work performed under this paragraph" (s. 553.79(1)(g)4.).
  • City of Sarasota: submit the request through the city's online portal under the "exemption" application type, with the supporting documents (City of Sarasota notice, PDF).
  • City of Bradenton: submit the request through the Accela Portal. Approval from the Building Official is required before exempt work begins. A copy of the approved request stays on site. Exempt work is not inspected by city staff. A letter of completion is uploaded to the exemption record when the work is done (City of Bradenton HB 803 page).

Which building department takes the request

The request goes to the local government that issues building permits for the address (s. 553.79(1)(g)). For the cities in this table, the city's building department handles addresses inside city limits. The county handles unincorporated areas.

AddressOffice
City of SarasotaBuilding & Permitting, (941) 263-6494
City of VeniceBuilding Division
City of North PortBuilding & Planning, (941) 429-7044
City of BradentonBuilding and Permitting Division, (941) 932-9414
Unincorporated Sarasota CountyPlanning and Development Services, Building, county main line (941) 861-5000
Unincorporated Manatee CountyBuilding Division, (941) 749-3012
Charlotte CountyBuilding Construction Services, Permits

Other cities and towns: call the city or town hall and ask which office issues building permits for the address.

Other HB 803 changes for homeowners

  • Permit expiration: "A building permit issued by a local government for a single-family dwelling expires 1 year after the issuance of the permit or on the effective date of the next edition of the Florida Building Code, whichever is later." A local government may extend a permit past that date (s. 553.79(1)(c)).
  • HOA review: an association or its architectural committee "may not require a building permit to be issued by a governmental authority to a parcel owner as a prerequisite for review" of construction on the parcel (s. 720.3035(1)(c)). HOA approval rules still apply to the work itself.
  • Temporary hurricane and flood barriers: a separate exemption covers temporary residential hurricane and flood protection walls or barriers that are nonhabitable and non-load-bearing, installed by a contractor licensed under part I of chapter 489, and compliant with local zoning, drainage, easement and setback rules. It also excludes flood hazard areas and requires a written request (s. 553.79(1)(h)).

Records to keep on exempt work

  • The approved exemption request and the contract or other documentation sent with it.
  • Dated photos before, during and after the work.
  • Invoices with product names, and Florida product approval numbers where a product has one (Florida Product Approval search).
  • A written scope of work.

5 questions before work starts

  1. Is the home a single-family dwelling?
  2. Is any part of the property in a flood hazard area?
  3. Does any part of the job involve electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical or gas work?
  4. Is the full scope valued at less than $7,500?
  5. Has the written request, with the contract or other documentation, gone to the building department that covers the address?

How HANDYS fits

HANDYS is a referral service. Independent local pros do the work, set their own prices and carry their own insurance. HANDYS does not perform work, hold contractor licenses or decide whether a job qualifies for the exemption. Jobs in the five excluded trades go to a contractor licensed for that trade. Check a Florida license at the DBPR license search.

Related pages:

Send photos of the job

Text photos of the job to (941) 207-6969 or use the form at /contact-us/. A local pro quotes after seeing the photos or the job.

Update log

  • October 1, 2026: checked against the enrolled bill text. Corrected the final House vote to 109-0 (114-0 was the first House vote). Removed the claim that exterior door and window replacement is exempt. Removed the claim that fences need no permit. Removed the roofing 25 percent rule section. Added city building departments, the City of Sarasota and City of Bradenton request steps, permit expiration, the HOA review rule and the temporary flood barrier exemption.
  • June 4, 2026: first published.
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