
New Statute Prohibits Local Governments From Requiring Copies of Contracts to Receive a Building Permit
HB 683 (2025) was signed recently by Governor DeSantis and became effective July 1, 2025. While the bill modified multiple statutes affecting the construction industry, the modifications to 553.79, Florida Statutes, prohibit local governments from obtaining copies of contracts as part of the permitting process.

Newly Enacted HB 267 (2024) Makes Numerous Changes to Florida’s Building Code Act
The changes affects plan requirements for window, door, and garage door replacements; make changes to the sections governing private providers; impose new deadlines for permit application approvals and penalties for failing to meet them; and new standards for certain unvented spaces.

Two 4th Circuit Orders Grant Summary Judgment Finding that General Contractors Have Non-Delegable Duty to Ensure Construction Complies with Florida Building Code
The orders found that, as a matter of law, the two general contractors in those cases had a duty to supervise, direct, manage, and control the work to ensure compliance with the Florida Building Code, and that such duty could not be delegated to subcontractors or other parties working on the project. The impact of the decisions appears to limit the relevant general contractors’ ability to require liability to be apportioned between various subcontractors.