On July 1, 2026, the rules changed for every building permit issued in Florida — including the one that has to be pulled before anyone touches your roof.
The law is Chapter 2026-63, Laws of Florida, filed as CS/CS/House Bill 803 and signed on May 6, 2026. It runs twelve sections and rewrites parts of four different statutes. Most of the coverage it got was about permit processing in the abstract. Almost none of it explained what a homeowner in Port Orange or Ormond Beach should actually do differently.
Here is the part that matters to you, pulled straight from the statute text and the session law.
1. There is now a deadline clock on your permit — with roofing named in it
Florida Statute 553.792 has had application deadlines for years. Chapter 2026-63 tightened them and added a much faster tier at the top. The statute now reads:
A local government must approve, approve with conditions, or deny a building permit application after receipt of a completed and sufficient application within the following timeframes, unless the applicant waives such timeframes in writing… Within 5 business days after receiving a complete and sufficient application, for an applicant using a local government plans reviewer to obtain the following building permits for an existing single-family residential dwelling if the value of the work is less than $15,000: structural, accessory structure, alarm, electrical, gas, irrigation, landscaping, mechanical, plumbing, or roofing.
Read the conditions carefully, because all four have to be true at once:
- The property is an existing single-family residential dwelling — not new construction, not a condo building, not a commercial structure.
- The value of the work is less than $15,000.
- You are using a local government plans reviewer rather than a private provider.
- The application is complete and sufficient.
That $15,000 line is the one that trips people up. A repair, a partial slope, a small flat-roof section — those land under it comfortably. A full tear-off and replacement on a typical Volusia County three-bedroom usually does not. Those fall into the next tier down, which is 30 business days for a residential structure under 7,500 square feet, and 60 business days at 7,500 square feet or more.
The statute also blocks a workaround some departments used to lean on: you may waive the timeframes in writing, but “the local government may not require the waiver of the timeframes in this section as a condition precedent to reviewing an applicant’s building permit application.” Nobody can hand you a waiver form and refuse to look at your application until you sign it.
2. The second clock: five days to tell you what is missing
This one gets almost no attention and it is arguably more useful than the first. Under 553.792(1)(c), the local government has 5 business days after receiving your application to tell you, in writing, what else it needs.
And if it does not:
If the local government does not provide timely written notice that the applicant has not submitted the properly completed application, the application is automatically deemed or determined to be properly completed and accepted.
That matters because every other deadline in the statute starts running from a “complete and sufficient application.” Silence no longer stops the clock — it starts it.
3. The part with teeth: a 10% fee reduction per business day
A deadline with no consequence is a suggestion. This one has a consequence:
If a local government fails to meet a deadline under this subsection, it must reduce the building permit fee by 10 percent for each business day that it fails to meet the deadline… Each 10-percent reduction shall be based on the original amount of the building permit fee.
Three exceptions apply: the parties agreed in writing to a reasonable extension, the delay was caused by the applicant, or the delay is attributable to a force majeure or other extraordinary circumstance. After a named storm, expect that last one to be invoked.
There is also an escape hatch for the department, and you should know how it works so you can tell a real denial from a stall. If the local enforcement agency sends you written notice — by email or U.S. mail, within the deadline — that specifically states the reasons your application fails the Florida Building Code or local ordinance, it owes no fee reduction. That notice must also tell you that you have 10 business days to submit corrections, and that failing to correct means denial.
Once you send revisions back, the agency has 10 business days to approve or deny. Miss that, and the penalty doubles to 20 percent per business day.
So the practical advice is simple: keep the dates. Save the submission confirmation, save any written notice and the date it arrived, save the date you sent revisions. On a Port Orange re-roof permit — $125.00 or $4.00 per square, whichever is greater, under Resolution 24-03 — the dollars at stake are modest. The leverage is not. A documented timeline is what turns “we’re backed up” into a conversation with a supervisor.
One more thing worth knowing: 553.792(1)(b) says these timeframes apply unless the timeframes set by local ordinance are more stringent. A city that already promises faster turnaround still owes you the faster turnaround. This is a floor, not a ceiling.
4. The $7,500 exemption — and why it probably does not cover your roof
This is the provision you will hear about from a stranger at your door, and it is the one most likely to cost someone money. Chapter 2026-63 added a new paragraph (g) to Fla. Stat. 553.79(1):
A local government that issues building permits shall exempt an owner of a single-family dwelling or the owner’s contractor from the requirement to obtain a building permit to perform any work valued at less than $7,500 on the owner’s property.
Stop there and it sounds like small roof jobs no longer need permits. Keep reading and the picture changes completely. The very next subparagraph carves out:
- Work on a property partially or entirely located in a flood hazard area as defined by the Florida Building Code. In coastal and riverfront Volusia County, that is a great many properties.
- Any electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work performed on property containing a single-family dwelling.
That second exclusion is the one that matters for roofing. Florida re-roof requirements reach the structure itself — deck attachment and fastening work are part of the job, not an add-on. We are not aware of any authority treating a re-roof as non-structural for purposes of this new paragraph, and a homeowner is in a bad position to be the test case.
The statute also shuts the obvious door: “A construction project may not be divided into more than one project for the purpose of evading the requirements of this paragraph.” Splitting a roof into three $6,000 invoices is not a strategy, it is the thing the sentence was written to stop.
And even where the exemption does apply, it is not automatic and it is not free of risk. You or your contractor must submit a written request for exemption to the local enforcement agency along with a copy of the contract or other documentation showing the nature and value of the work. Then this: “A local government has no legal duty to the owner, contractor, or successors or assigns thereof for exempted work performed under this paragraph.” No inspection, no inspector, no recourse.
Weigh that against what an unpermitted roof does to you later. It can surface during a 4-point inspection, it complicates things badly when you sell the house, and it leaves you without the permit record that a wind mitigation inspection leans on to date your roof covering. If somebody offers to do your roof “without the permit hassle,” that is not a favor. That is the oldest line in the storm-chaser playbook.
Our position: we pull the permit. Every job, every time.
5. Your HOA can no longer demand a permit before it will review your roof
Section 11 of the chapter law added a new paragraph to Fla. Stat. 720.3035(1):
An association or any architectural, construction improvement, or other such similar committee of an association may not require a building permit to be issued by a governmental authority to a parcel owner as a prerequisite for review by the association or committee concerning the construction of structures or improvements on the parcel.
If you have ever been caught in this loop, you will recognize it immediately: the architectural review committee will not approve your shingle color until you produce a permit, and you do not want to pull a permit until you know the committee will approve the color. That loop is now illegal. Submit your ARC package first, get the decision, then permit. If your association is still asking for a permit up front, this is the citation to send them.
It does not change anything else about association review — you still need HOA approval for your roof replacement, and the committee can still take its normal time and apply its normal standards.
6. Your permit now has a defined shelf life
Chapter 2026-63 also standardized permit expiration. For a single-family dwelling, a building permit now expires one year after issuance, or on the effective date of the next edition of the Florida Building Code, whichever is later. A local government may still extend a permit beyond that date.
Separately, the law says a county or local government may send written notice of expiration — by email or mail, to both the property owner and the contractor listed on the permit — no less than 30 days before the permit expires. Note the verb. That notice is permissive, not required. Do not plan around receiving it.
If that is a live problem for you already, we wrote a separate walkthrough on what to do about an open or expired roof permit in Volusia County. An open permit on your address is the kind of thing that stays quiet for years and then surfaces on a title search two weeks before closing.
What this actually means for a Volusia County roof
| Situation | Statutory deadline | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Roof repair under $15,000, existing single-family home | 5 business days | Confirm your contractor filed a complete application; note the date |
| Full re-roof, home under 7,500 sq ft | 30 business days | The realistic tier for most replacements |
| Home or structure 7,500 sq ft or more | 60 business days | Plan the schedule around it |
| Department has not responded at all | 5 business days to notify you of deficiencies | After that, the application is deemed complete by law |
| Department blew a deadline | 10% fee reduction per business day | Produce your dated record |
Two local numbers worth having: City of Port Orange permits and inspections is 386-506-5602, and the unincorporated Volusia County roofing permit minimum is $134.71 as of October 1, 2025, adjusted for CPI each October. Which authority you deal with depends on whether your address is inside a city limit or in the unincorporated county — a distinction that surprises a lot of people on Port Orange’s fringes.
Everything above is a floor. Some jurisdictions in this county are meaningfully stricter than the state minimum — Ponce Inlet and Daytona Beach Shores in particular have their own coastal requirements that these deadlines do not touch. If you want the longer version of how the permit process runs here, start with our Volusia County roofing permits guide and the companion piece on whether you need a permit to replace a roof in Florida.
The short version
- Chapter 2026-63 took effect July 1, 2026. It amended Fla. Stat. 553.792, 553.79, 125.56, and 720.3035.
- Roofing is named in the 5-business-day tier — but only for existing single-family homes where the work is under $15,000 and you are using a local government plans reviewer.
- Most full re-roofs land in the 30-business-day tier.
- Missed deadlines cost the department 10% of your permit fee per business day, rising to 20% after you submit revisions. Keep dated records.
- If they do not tell you what is missing within 5 business days, your application is deemed complete.
- The $7,500 exemption excludes flood hazard areas and structural work, cannot be reached by splitting a project, and strips the local government of any legal duty to you. Do not treat it as a way to skip a roof permit.
- Your HOA can no longer require a permit before its own architectural review.
- A single-family permit expires in one year or at the next Florida Building Code edition, whichever is later — and the 30-day warning notice is optional, not guaranteed.
None of this is legal advice, and permitting practice varies by jurisdiction even inside Volusia County. When the answer matters, call the building department that has your address and ask them directly.
If you would rather not think about any of it: pulling the permit, scheduling the inspection, and passing it is our job, not yours. We have been doing it in this county for more than twenty years, we are licensed and insured under CCC 1327602 and CGC 1509441, and every roof we replace includes a wind mitigation inspection and a 5-year labor warranty.
Free estimates, no pressure. Call 386-392-8952 or request an estimate online.
Frequently asked questions
Does my Volusia County roof permit have to be issued in 5 business days?
Only if every condition in Fla. Stat. 553.792(1)(a)1 is met: the work is on an existing single-family residential dwelling, the value of the work is under $15,000, you are using a local government plans reviewer, and the application is complete and sufficient. A full re-roof on a typical Volusia home usually costs more than $15,000, which puts it in the 30-business-day tier instead.
What happens if the building department misses the deadline?
Under 553.792(1)(e) the local government must reduce the building permit fee by 10 percent for each business day it is late, calculated on the original fee. That does not apply if you agreed in writing to an extension, if you caused the delay, or if the delay came from a force majeure or other extraordinary circumstance.
Can I skip the permit if my roof work costs less than $7,500?
Almost certainly not, and you should not assume it. The exemption in 553.79(1)(g) does not apply to property partly or entirely in a flood hazard area, and it does not apply to structural work on a single-family dwelling. Florida re-roof requirements include deck attachment work, and a project may not be split into pieces to get under the threshold. Call your building department before relying on it.
Does the new law change how long my roof permit stays open?
Yes. A building permit issued for a single-family dwelling now expires one year after issuance or on the effective date of the next edition of the Florida Building Code, whichever is later. A local government may still extend a permit past that date.
My HOA wants to see a permit before it will approve my roof. Is that allowed?
Not anymore. Section 11 of Chapter 2026-63 added Fla. Stat. 720.3035(1)(c), which says an association or its architectural review committee may not require a building permit to be issued as a prerequisite for its own review of a proposed improvement.
Do stricter local rules still apply?
Yes. Fla. Stat. 553.792(1)(b) says a local government must meet these timeframes unless the timeframes set by local ordinance are more stringent. A city with a faster published turnaround keeps that faster turnaround.
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