Governor DeSantis signed Florida House Bill 803 into law on May 6, 2026. Effective July 1, 2026, the legislation delivers the most significant modernization of Florida's private provider statute, Florida Statute 553.791, in over a decade. For commercial developers, general contractors, and property owners across Florida, the bottom line is straightforward: building permits just got faster and cheaper when you use a licensed private provider.
The Two Changes That Matter Most
A 50% mandatory reduction in commercial permit fees. When a developer or contractor uses a Florida private provider for all qualifying plans review and inspections, local governments must reduce the commercial permit fee by 50%. Partial scope use earns a 25% reduction. Before HB 803, these discounts were set at each jurisdiction's discretion and were typically in the low double digits. The new statewide statutory floor materially changes the math on every commercial pro forma in Florida.
A 10-business-day permit shot clock, cut in half. Local building departments now have 10 business days to review plans or issue permits when a private provider is used, down from the prior 20-business-day deadline. For single-trade work on single-family and two-family dwellings, the deadline drops to 5 business days. If the building department misses the deadline, the permit is deemed approved as a matter of law.
Other Key Provisions of HB 803
Beyond the headline changes, HB 803 includes several structural reforms long sought by Florida's private provider community:
- Prohibits local governments from charging plans review or inspection fees when a private provider is performing those services.
- Narrows the standard of review for permit denial to whether the submitted documents are complete, not whether the building official agrees with the substantive code interpretation.
- Requires uniform commercial and residential permit applications statewide by July 1, 2027.
Why This Matters for Your Project
For Florida commercial developers, the math is simple: a 50% permit fee reduction on a commercial project is often a six-figure number, capital that goes back into the project itself rather than to the building department. Combined with the 10-day permit certainty, HB 803 makes two of the biggest variables in a commercial pro forma, timing and soft costs, predictable statewide for the first time.
For general contractors, the timeline certainty matters most. Builder draw schedules, lender confidence, and project sequencing all depend on knowing when permits will issue. HB 803 turns the permit shot clock from a soft deadline into a hard one, with deemed-approval as the consequence for missed deadlines.
What Is a Florida Private Provider?
A private provider is a licensed engineer, architect, or building code administrator authorized under Florida Statute 553.791 to perform plans review and building inspections in place of the local building department. Private providers are held to the same Florida Building Code standards as local building officials, but typically deliver faster turnaround and direct accountability. The private provider framework has been in place in Florida for over two decades. With HB 803 now signed, using a Florida private provider is consistently the cheaper and faster path on commercial projects.
Get Started With Tew & Taylor
Tew & Taylor is a Florida-based private provider firm offering building code inspections, plans review, and permitting support under F.S. 553.791. With offices in West Palm Beach, Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville, we serve developers, general contractors, and property owners across the state. We are ready to help you put HB 803 to work on your next project.
Work with Florida’s Most Reliable Private Provider
Tew & Taylor provides private inspections, plan review, and permitting support across Florida under F.S. §553.791.
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