Florida Permit Fee Savings Under HB 803

Florida House Bill 803 (chapter 2026-63, Laws of Florida) changed what cities and counties may charge for building permits, with the fee provisions effective July 1, 2026. Most coverage focuses on what jurisdictions must rewrite. This guide covers the other side: where a contractor or homeowner can pay less, what to ask the building department, and which schedules on this site already reflect the law.

Private-provider fee reductions on commercial work

The biggest saving is on commercial projects that use a licensed private provider under Section 553.791, Florida Statutes. When a private provider performs all of the plan review and inspections, the jurisdiction must reduce its permit fee by at least 50 percent; when the private provider handles part of that work, the reduction is at least 25 percent. The reduction is mandatory, not discretionary, but you claim it by declaring the private provider on the application, so tell the building department up front and ask which reduction applies to your scope. Some post-HB 803 schedules print the reduced fees inline; others apply the percentage at intake.

The estimates on this site show each jurisdiction's standing schedule, the fee an applicant pays without a private provider. We do not apply the reduction automatically, because it depends on your provider arrangement; treat a commercial estimate as the ceiling and ask the department for the reduced figure. Where a schedule prints its own reduction, the estimate lists it as an informational line, not applied to the total.

Two cautions before counting the saving. First, some published schedules still print reductions smaller than the statutory floor; we show what each jurisdiction actually prints, and whether the statute entitles you to more is a question for the department, not a figure we can promise. Second, the reduction applies to the permit fee, not your whole cost: the private provider bills separately for its plan review and inspection work, so compare the provider's price against the fee reduction before assuming a net saving.

The small residential job exemption

HB 803 exempts certain single-family residential work valued under $7,500 from permitting statewide. The exemption does not cover electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work, which still require their own permits regardless of value. In practice that limits it to minor, non-structural scopes: most work estimated on this site, including remodels, re-roofs, and every trade permit, remains permit-required at any value. If a small cosmetic or non-structural job falls under the threshold, the saving is the entire permit fee, plus the surcharges that ride on it. Eligibility is the building department's determination, so confirm before skipping a permit; an unpermitted job that turns out to need one costs far more than the fee.

Inspection fees priced on project cost are no longer allowed

The law bars inspection fees based on a project's total cost; they must reflect the actual cost of performing the inspection. A schedule that still prints a percent-of-value inspection fee is out of step with the statute. If you are quoted one, ask the department whether a revised schedule is pending; several Florida jurisdictions pulled their schedules for revision after July 2026, and the first post-HB 803 schedules trend toward flat, surcharge-inclusive fees per permit type or per-inspection pricing. That shift lowers the fee on high-value jobs and can raise it on small ones, so check your jurisdiction's page rather than assuming.

Temporary waivers and discounts

Separately from HB 803, some jurisdictions run temporary fee waivers or across-the-board discounts, usually by resolution and usually with an end date. Where we have verified an active notice, the jurisdiction's page carries it above the fee schedule and under every estimate, with a link to the official announcement.

Paxton: Walton County, which administers building permits in Paxton, has abated the permit fees it charges to $0.00. Resolution 2025-70, Section 2 abated the fees in Sections 1(a) through (j), and Resolution 2026-46, adopted August 11, 2026, extended that abatement through December 31, 2027 unless the County ends it sooner. The amounts below are the adopted county schedule that resumes when the abatement ends; permit information and lien search requests are not abated, and state surcharges may still apply, so confirm what you will actually be charged with the Walton County Building Division at (850) 892-8160.
Unincorporated Walton County: Walton County has abated its building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and related permit fees to $0.00. Resolution 2025-70, Section 2 abated the fees in Sections 1(a) through (j), and Resolution 2026-46, adopted August 11, 2026, extended that abatement through December 31, 2027 unless the County ends it sooner. The amounts below are the adopted schedule that resumes when the abatement ends; permit information and lien search requests are not abated, and state surcharges may still apply, so confirm what you will actually be charged with the Walton County Building Division at (850) 892-8160.
Unincorporated Bay County: Bay County is applying a temporary 60% reduction to building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permit fees (Resolution 4239). The fees shown reflect that discount and will rise if the Board of County Commissioners ends it.
Crestview: Through September 30, 2026 the City's posted permit fee worksheets reflect a 20 percent reduction to building permit fees (Resolution 2020-13 and Ordinance 1949). The figures shown here are the adopted schedule rates; Ordinance 2035, scheduled for adoption September 14, 2026, removes the reduction effective October 1, 2026. Confirm the amount due with the Building Division at 850-682-1560, option 6.
Freeport: Walton County, which administers building permits in Freeport, has abated the permit fees it charges to $0.00. Resolution 2025-70, Section 2 abated the fees in Sections 1(a) through (j), and Resolution 2026-46, adopted August 11, 2026, extended that abatement through December 31, 2027 unless the County ends it sooner. The City of Freeport's own $50.00 planning review fee is not abated. The amounts below are the adopted county schedule that resumes when the abatement ends; permit information and lien search requests are not abated, and state surcharges may still apply, so confirm what you will actually be charged with the Walton County Building Division at (850) 892-8160 and Freeport Planning and Zoning at (850) 835-2340.
Daytona Beach: Daytona Beach is waiving permit and inspection fees for residential and commercial projects from March 19 through September 10, 2026 (the city's sixth waiver since 2020). The city's notice describes eligible projects with an illustrative list (new construction, interior renovations, roof replacements, electrical and fire suppression upgrades, and improvements such as fences, doors, windows, and air conditioning units) and publishes no exclusions, but eligibility is the city's determination and charges other than permit and inspection fees are not addressed. The fees shown here are the adopted schedule, which applies to ineligible projects and returns for everyone after September 10, 2026. Confirm your project's eligibility with Permits and Licensing (386-671-8140) before budgeting.
Flagler Beach: Under Resolution 2026-54 the city charges 75 percent of its adopted building permit fees through June 30, 2027, so the adopted $110.00 base fee is billed at $82.50 and the estimates here reflect the reduced base. The full rate returns July 1, 2027 unless the Commission acts again.

Schedules already adopted under HB 803

These jurisdictions have adopted or re-verified their fee schedule on or after July 1, 2026, with the adoption evidence on record; their pages carry the HB 803 marker in the source block. Everywhere else, the schedule predates the law and may be superseded, which is why every page shows its last-verified date and we re-check sources weekly.

How to find your fee

Start from Florida permit fees by county and city, pick the jurisdiction that issues your permit, and run the calculator for your job value. For how the schedules themselves are built, read Florida Building Permit Fees, Explained. Search interest in permit fee savings runs highest in South Florida; the Broward County and Miami-Dade County pages list every covered city there.