Amended Statute Would Change Permit Expiration Times for Single Family Dwellings
HB 803 (2026) has passed both houses of the Florida Legislature, and if signed into law by the Governor, will make changes to a lot of statutes related to building permits and inspections. One of those statutes is 125.56, which governs enforcement of the Florida Building Code and Florida Fire Prevention Code by counties. HB 803 (2026) amends section 4 of 125.56, Florida Statutes, as follows (changes underlined):
A county that issues building permits may send a written notice of expiration, by e-mail or United States Postal Service, to the owner of the property and the contractor listed on the permit, no less than 30 days before a building permit is set to expire. The written notice must identify the permit that is set to expire and the date the permit will expire. A building permit issued by a county 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. However, this paragraph does not prevent a local government from extending a building permit beyond the expiration date.
If signed by the Governor, these changes would take effect July 1, 2026.
About the Author
Jason Lambert is a Florida Board Certified Construction Attorney and Partner in the Construction Industry Practice Group at Hill Ward Henderson, in Tampa, Florida. He is also the founder and chief contributor to the Hammer & Gavel construction law blog. Jason focuses his practice on representing contractors, subcontractors, and materials suppliers throughout the state of Florida. Before law school, Jason spent a decade working in the construction industry, primarily as a project manager and operations director for both new construction and remodeling. He can be reached at jason.lambert@hwhlaw.com or 813-227-8495.
