AC Permits and Inspections in Sanford, Florida: What HB 803 Actually Changed
A residential air conditioning changeout always requires a building permit in Florida — there is no dollar-amount exemption. HB 803 (2026)'s new sub-$7,500 exemption expressly excludes mechanical and electrical work, so it never applies to an AC changeout, at any price.
Read the exemption as a negative
HB 803HB 803 (2026), ch. 2026-63, effective 1 July 2026, requires local governments to exempt a single-family homeowner or contractor from a building permit for work valued under $7,500. It then excludes, verbatim: “Any electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work performed on property containing a single-family dwelling” — s. 553.79(1)(g)2.b., F.S.. An AC changeout is mechanical work and, at the disconnect, almost always electrical work too — excluded by two of the five named trades, at any price. A project also may not be split into pieces to evade this. The baseline requirement, s. 553.79(1)(a), F.S., continues to control every residential changeout in Sanford.
The single-trade inspection — real, but not from this bill
PRIVATE PROVIDERHVAC replacement is defined as a single-trade inspection at s. 553.791(1)(r), F.S., a category an owner (or their contractor, with written authorization) may elect to have reviewed by a licensed private provider instead of the local building department. This definition already existed in the 2025 statutes, tracing to 2024 legislation — HB 803 amended the surrounding section but did not create this category, and it is not a lighter class of permit. The permit is still required either way.
The five-business-day clock, correctly conditioned
TIMELINESince 1 July 2026, a local government must approve, approve with conditions, or deny a mechanical permit application for an existing single-family home within five business days of a complete application — s. 553.792(1)(a)1., F.S. — but only when the work is valued under $15,000 and the applicant uses the local government’s own plans reviewer. Many full system changeouts in 2026 price above $15,000, in which case a longer tier of the same statute applies instead. This is not an unconditional five-day guarantee.
Notice of Commencement
RECORDINGA Notice of Commencement must be recorded before work begins on a direct contract above the statutory threshold under s. 713.13, Fla. Stat. — currently $15,000 for a one- or two-family residence. Below that figure, no NOC is required before the mechanical permit is pulled.
The fee comparison across Seminole County
FEES| Jurisdiction | Fee as published | On an ordinary changeout |
|---|---|---|
| Casselberry | $200 flat | $200, whatever the job costs |
| Longwood | $246.61 flat | $246.61, whatever the job costs |
| Oviedo | $50 + $6 per $1,000 of value | about $104 on a $9,000 contract |
| Lake Mary | 0.75% of value, $35 minimum | about $68 on a $9,000 contract |
| Winter Springs | $40 up to $1,000, then $60 + $15 per $1,000 | about $180 on a $9,000 contract |
| Altamonte Springs | about 2% of contract price | about $180 on a $9,000 contract |
| Seminole County (unincorporated) | county mechanical fee schedule | the desk for Midway, Lake Monroe and other unincorporated 32771/32773 addresses |
Each row is that city's own published fee schedule, checked against the source linked in its name.