Florida puts deadlines on building departments. A local government has a fixed number of business days to approve, approve with conditions, or deny a complete permit application, and when it misses the deadline the fee comes down. Owners and contractors can also hire a licensed private provider to do the plan review, the inspections, or both. This guide summarizes both statutes as they read in 2026, with the parts that matter for electrical permits. It is a summary: read the linked statute before you rely on a deadline.
Review deadlines for building departments
Section 553.792(1)(a), Florida Statutes sets the time a local government has, after receiving a complete and sufficient application, when the applicant uses the local government's own plans reviewer, unless the applicant waives the timeframe in writing:
| Permit | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Structural, accessory structure, alarm, electrical, gas, irrigation, landscaping, mechanical, plumbing or roofing permits for an existing single-family dwelling, work valued under $15,000 (s. 553.792(1)(a)1) | 5 business days |
| Residential units, accessory structure, alarm, electrical, irrigation, landscaping, mechanical, plumbing or roofing, structure under 7,500 sq ft | 30 business days |
| The same list, structure 7,500 sq ft or more | 60 business days |
| Signs, or nonresidential buildings under 25,000 sq ft | 60 business days |
| Multifamily residential up to 50 units; site plans and plats without a public hearing; lot grading and site alteration | 60 business days |
| Site-specific permit under a master building permit (s. 553.794) | 12 business days |
| Single-family dwelling applied for by a licensed contractor for an owner in a CDBG-DR program | 10 business days |
The Senate's summary of CS/CS/HB 803 (2026) describes the 5-day timeframe for work valued under $15,000 as one of that bill's changes, effective July 1, 2026. A local government may not require a waiver of these timeframes as a condition of reviewing an application, and a stricter local ordinance controls if it is faster (s. 553.792(1)(a)-(b)).
The completeness check
Within 5 business days after receiving an application, the local government must tell the applicant in writing what, if anything, is needed to make it properly complete. If it does not, the application is automatically deemed complete and accepted (s. 553.792(1)(c)). Keep the submission date and any completeness notice; that is when the review clock starts.
When the department misses the deadline
- The local government must cut the fee for the building permit by 10 percent for each business day it misses the deadline, based on the original amount, unless the parties agreed in writing to a reasonable extension, the applicant caused the delay, or force majeure or other extraordinary circumstances apply (s. 553.792(1)(e)).
- No reduction is owed if, within the timeframe, the department sends written notice stating specifically why the application fails the Florida Building Code or local law, and that the applicant has 10 business days to submit corrections or face denial (s. 553.792(1)(f)).
- After timely revisions, the department has 10 business days to approve or deny. If it misses that, the reduction is 20 percent for each business day late, unless the applicant agreed in writing to more time (s. 553.792(1)(g)).
Because a timely, specific correction notice stops the fee reduction, a clean first submittal is what actually protects the schedule: see electrical plan review in South Florida and load calculations for permits.
Private providers: plan review and inspections
Section 553.791, Florida Statutes lets the fee owner of a building, or the owner's contractor with the owner's explicit written authorization, choose at any time to use a private provider for plans review, building code inspections, or both, and pay the provider directly. A copy of the written authorization goes to the local building official (s. 553.791(2)(a)).
Who can be a private provider
A person licensed as a building code administrator under part XII of chapter 468, an engineer under chapter 471, or an architect under chapter 481. For inspections of residential additions and alterations of 1,000 sq ft or less, a person holding a standard certificate under part XII of chapter 468 also qualifies (s. 553.791(1)(n)). A provider may work only within the disciplines of their license or certification, and may not inspect a building designed or built by the provider or the provider's firm (s. 553.791(3)). Providers must register with each local enforcement agency where they work and carry professional liability insurance at the levels the statute sets (s. 553.791(4) and (20)).
Electrical work counts
The statute defines single-trade inspections and plans reviews to include electrical, and lists alteration or installation of wiring, lighting and service panels as examples (s. 553.791(1)(r)). For a single-trade plans review, a provider may use an automated or software-based review system to check compliance with codes including the National Electrical Code (s. 553.791(7)).
Notice and timing
- The owner or contractor must notify the building official in writing, on the commission's form, at permit application or by 2 p.m. local time two business days before the first scheduled inspection (s. 553.791(5)).
- After construction starts, the owner or contractor can switch a single-trade inspection on a one- or two-family dwelling to a private provider by notifying the building official before the next scheduled inspection (s. 553.791(6)).
- The building official must flag incomplete forms within 10 business days, or 5 for a single-trade review on a one- or two-family dwelling, or the permit is deemed approved as a matter of law (s. 553.791(8)(b)). If an engineer or architect seals the compliance affidavit, the official has 10 business days to issue or identify specific code deficiencies (s. 553.791(12)).
- The provider records each inspection on the commission's form and provides it to the building official within 4 business days (s. 553.791(14)), and issues a certificate of compliance at the end (s. 553.791(15)).
What the department still does
The building official may not repeat plan review of documents the provider found compliant, except for local ordinances, floodplain management, site review and other reviews unrelated to building code compliance (s. 553.791(8)(a)). The department can still audit providers under published procedures, and can deny a permit or certificate of occupancy or issue a stop-work order where noncompliance poses an immediate threat to public safety and welfare (s. 553.791(17) and (22)). The contractor's own obligations are not relieved by anything the provider does (s. 553.791(9)).
Fee reductions
The local jurisdiction must reduce its fee by the cost it saves by not doing the work, and may not charge for plan review or inspections the provider performs (s. 553.791(2)(b)). On commercial projects, the reduction must be at least 25 percent of the portion attributable to plan review or inspections, and at least 50 percent when the provider does all of both (s. 553.791(2)(d)).
One cross-check with the lien law: without a copy of the Notice of Commencement where one is required, the issuing authority or a private provider performing inspections may not approve subsequent inspections (s. 713.135(1)(e)). See our Notice of Commencement guide.
When a private provider makes sense
A provider can help on a tight schedule, on after-hours inspections (the statute bars departments from prohibiting them, s. 553.791(10)), or when a department is backed up. It adds a contract and a coordination step. KRW Electric is not a private provider; when a GC uses one, we schedule the electrical inspections with whoever the permit names.
Questions builders ask
Does the review clock start when we upload the plans?
It runs from receipt of a complete and sufficient application (s. 553.792(1)(a)). The department has 5 business days to say what is missing.
Can the department make us waive the deadline?
No. It may not require a waiver as a condition of reviewing the application, though an applicant can choose to waive in writing (s. 553.792(1)(a)).
Can a private provider do just the electrical inspections?
Yes. Single-trade inspections are expressly covered, including wiring and service panels (s. 553.791(1)(r)), within the provider's license discipline.
Who hires the private provider, the GC or the owner?
The fee owner, or the contractor with the owner's explicit written authorization, a copy of which goes to the building official (s. 553.791(2)(a)).
This is general information about Florida law, not legal advice. Statutes, rules and local procedures change. Read the current statute, follow the building department with jurisdiction over the address, and talk to a Florida attorney about your own contract or dispute.
Plan the permit, then the schedule
KRW Electric (EC13012832) handles the electrical permit and inspections on its jobs across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. Send us the drawings and your schedule or call (305) 359-7312. More in the South Florida electrical permits guide, our commercial electrical permits page, and the permit expiration rules.
Reviewed by Kyle White, KRW Electric Company LLC — licensed electrical contractor EC13012832.
