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The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, signed bill HB 803, which exempts single-family homeowners from obtaining construction permits for work valued at less than $7,500, a measure unanimously approved by both chambers of the state Legislature.
The law states that "any local government that issues building permits must exempt the owner of a single-family home or their contractor from the requirement to obtain a permit for any work valued at less than $7,500 on their property."
The regulation, which will come into effect on July 1, also prohibits local governments from inspecting the work covered by the exemption, thereby eliminating an additional layer of bureaucracy for property owners.
Among the projects that typically qualify for the exemption are the installation or repair of fences, small terraces or non-structural patios, exterior painting, replacement of siding or window screens, and minor landscaping work.
However, the exemption has clear limits: it does not apply to electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas, or structural work, regardless of their value.
It is also not permitted to divide a project into smaller phases to circumvent the $7,500 threshold.
Contractors carrying out the work must submit a written request for an exemption to the local compliance agency, accompanied by a contract or other documentation that demonstrates the value and description of the work. Property owners who carry out improvements personally are exempt from the notification requirement.
The law also includes other relevant provisions.
The installation of temporary walls or barriers for protection against hurricanes or flooding on single-family residential properties is exempt from permits, provided they comply with local zoning, drainage, and setback regulations, and are installed by licensed contractors.
It also allows licensed construction officials from other states to work in Florida for one year following a state emergency declaration, a measure designed to streamline the response to natural disasters such as hurricanes.
Regarding costs, HB 803 establishes a minimum reduction of 25% in permit fees when private providers conduct plan reviews or inspections, and a 50% reduction when they carry out both tasks simultaneously.
It also prohibits local governments from charging additional administrative or inspection fees related to the use of those private suppliers.
The measure particularly benefits homeowners of single-family residences in South Florida, including the large Cuban-American community in Miami-Dade, who often make minor improvements to their properties and faced disproportionately high administrative costs and waiting times relative to the value of the work.
This reform is part of a broader legislative trend towards deregulation in the residential construction sector in Florida, driven by the housing affordability crisis affecting the state, where the estimated shortfall exceeds 120,000 units in cities like Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Tampa.
In 2025, the legislature had already approved several laws to expedite building permits, including HB 683, which set maximum response times for local governments: 20 business days for general permits and five days for single-family homes, with automatic approval if there is no timely response.
The HB 803 was one of five bills signed by DeSantis last Wednesday, May 6, and its unanimous approval in both chambers reflects a broad bipartisan consensus on the need to reduce regulatory barriers for low-cost residential improvements.
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