CS/CS/CS/HB 267 (Esposito) and CS/CS/CS/SB 684 (DiCeglie) are comprehensive building permit bills. Of concern to cities, the bills do the following:

•Require a local government to: 

•Approve, approve with conditions, or deny a building permit application after receipt of a completed and sufficient application within the following timeframes, unless the applicant waives such timeframes in writing:

•30 business days residential permits under 7,500 square feet

•60 business days residential associated permits over 7,500 square feet

•60 business days signs or nonresidential less than 25,000 square feet

•60 business days for multifamily residential not exceeding 50 units; site-plan approvals and subdivision plats not requiring public hearing or public notice; and lot grading and site alteration

•12 business days for using a master building permit consistent with s. 553.794 to obtain a site-specific building permit

•10 business days for a single-family residential dwelling who participates in a Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery program

•Provide framework for responding to insufficient application within 10 business days. The curing process will provide 10 days for applicant to respond and final 10 days for local government to approve or deny the permit.

•Require a local government to determine if a building permit application is complete within five business days of receiving the application or the application is determined to be properly completed and accepted.

•Allow local governments to use certain fees for technology upgrades.

Alternative Plans Review and Inspection by a licensed professional engineer or architect:

•Specifies a timeframe of 10 business days for local building officials to issue permits or provide written notices regarding plan deficiencies.

•If the local building official does not provide specific written notice to the permit applicant within the prescribed 10-day period, the permit application is deemed approved as a matter of law, and the permit must be issued by the local building official on the next business day.

•Prohibits a local government from auditing the performance of building code inspections by a private provider until the local government has created a manual for standard operating audit procedures.

•Requires the manual to be publicly available online and a printed version readily accessible in the agency building. (Branch)

CS/CS/CS/HB 267 passed the House (83-29) and the Senate (36-0) and is awaiting action by the Governor. (Branch)