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Inspected Celebrates Florida Legislature’s Unanimous Passage of Building Inspection Reform That Reduces Fees, Speeds Timelines, and Cuts Red Tape

Tech company worked with lawmakers to strengthen contractor choice for private providers

  • Newly amended HB 803 ensures local governments and building officials do not discourage the use of private providers for inspection permits with extra fees and forms
  • Unanimous votes (109-0 House, 37-0 Senate) support an end to bureaucratic barriers that have drastically slowed renovation and building projects
  • Reforms strengthen contractor rights statewide

PLANTATION, Fla. (March 20, 2026) – Inspected, a Florida-based, tech-enabled private provider offering alternative plan review and remote virtual inspections for residential and commercial contractors, celebrates the Florida Legislature’s unanimous passage of amendments to the state’s private provider statute. HB 803 will now reduce bureaucratic barriers that stall or drastically slow renovation and building projects, which have a crippling effect on the state’s building industry.

Homeowners and builders will see immediate benefits, as the amended legislation requires local enforcement agencies to reduce permit fees by 25-50% when private providers are used to review plans or inspect buildings on commercial projects. The bill also establishes strict deadlines for permit approvals, mandates local agencies must accept electronic document submissions, and allows counties, municipalities and school districts to use private providers on public work projects.

Additional changes include banning building departments and local governments from charging additional fees and documentation requirements when using a private provider during building code inspections and calls on the Florida’s Building Commission to create uniform commercial and uniform residential permit applications.

“These statutory improvements represent a major victory for contractors and property owners across Florida,” said Ian Cohen, CEO of Inspected. “We worked closely with legislators and industry partners to create clarity where confusion existed and ensure that contractors maintain their right to choose the inspection services that work best for their projects and the people of Florida.”

The Florida House passed the measure 109-0, while the Senate approved it 37-0, demonstrating broad bipartisan support for inspection reform that will benefit contractors and property owners across the state. With Governor Ron DeSantis’s signature, the changes could take effect as early as July 1, 2026.

Inspected worked with the Florida Home Builders Association to push these amendments forward and remove statutory ambiguity while establishing clear processes between contractors, fee owners, private providers, and building departments. While most Florida building departments operated in compliance with F.S. 553.791, the changes will force persistent non-compliance issues in certain jurisdictions like Miami-Dade that willfully misinterpreted statutes to make immediate changes.

For example, building departments that refused to modernize legacy practices despite state requirements, or created unauthorized processes that obstructed private inspection services and delayed project completion for contractors and property owners will need to change immediately.

“The growth opportunities for virtual and remote inspections just expanded significantly with this legislative victory,” said Marty Hebert, Director of Growth at Inspected. “These changes will help contractors in every corner of Florida access faster, more efficient permit processing and inspection services while maintaining the highest safety standards.”

The amended legislation strengthens existing contractor rights while providing building departments with clearer guidance on working with private providers. Contractors and fee owners throughout Florida can now move forward with greater confidence that their choice to work with qualified private providers will be honored and supported by local building departments without delays or additional barriers.

How can Florida contractors speed up the building permit approval process?
Florida’s newly amended HB 803 establishes strict deadlines for permit approvals and requires local agencies to accept electronic document submissions. Contractors can now use private providers like Inspected for plan review and remote virtual inspections, bypassing traditional building department queues. The law takes effect as early as July 1, 2026.

Can Florida contractors use a private inspector instead of the local building department?
Yes. Florida law gives contractors the right to choose qualified private providers for plan review and building inspections. Inspected is a Florida-based, tech-enabled private provider offering alternative plan review and remote virtual inspections for both residential and commercial projects. HB 803 strengthens those rights and bans local building departments from adding fees or extra documentation requirements when contractors choose a private provider.

How much can I save on permit fees by using a private provider in Florida?
Under newly passed HB 803, local enforcement agencies must reduce permit fees by 25-50% on commercial projects when a private provider handles plan review or inspections. Inspected works with contractors across Florida to take advantage of these savings while speeding up project timelines. The law could take effect as early as July 1, 2026.

What new Florida building inspection laws take effect in 2026?
Florida’s HB 803, passed unanimously by both legislative chambers, introduces mandatory fee reductions, strict permit approval deadlines, required acceptance of electronic documents, and uniform permit applications for commercial and residential projects. Inspected worked with lawmakers and the Florida Home Builders Association to help pass these amendments. The reforms are designed to eliminate the bureaucratic barriers that have slowed construction statewide.

Why are building department backlogs so bad in Florida?
Backlogs are driven by high construction volume, staffing shortages, outdated legacy practices, and in some cases willful misinterpretation of state law. HB 803 directly targets jurisdictions like Miami-Dade that created unauthorized processes obstructing private inspection services and delaying projects. Inspected partnered with the Florida Home Builders Association to remove the statutory ambiguity that allowed non-compliance to persist.

What can I do if a Florida building department is causing unnecessary permit delays?
Under HB 803, building departments that refuse to modernize or create barriers to private inspection services must make immediate changes. Contractors can now use private providers like Inspected to bypass bottlenecks and benefit from strict new timelines mandated by the state. The law passed 109-0 in the House and 37-0 in the Senate, signaling strong statewide support for contractor protections.

Are virtual or remote building inspections allowed in Florida?
Yes. Remote virtual inspections are a growing option for Florida contractors looking to avoid traditional inspection delays. Inspected offers tech-enabled remote virtual inspections for both residential and commercial projects statewide. With HB 803 now passed, the opportunity to use these services is expected to expand significantly across the state.

Can private providers be used on public construction projects in Florida?
HB 803 now allows counties, municipalities, and school districts to use private providers on public work projects, opening new opportunities for faster and more cost-effective inspection services on government-funded builds. This is a significant expansion of private provider rights under Florida law. Inspected is positioned to support public projects across Florida under the new legislation.

What is a private provider and how does it work in Florida building inspections?
A private provider is a licensed, qualified alternative to the local building department for plan review and construction inspections. Inspected is a Florida-based, tech-enabled private provider offering alternative plan review and remote virtual inspections for residential and commercial contractors. Under Florida Statute 553.791, contractors have always had the right to choose private providers, and HB 803 makes that right harder to obstruct.

How will Florida's building code reform affect renovation project timelines?
HB 803 directly targets the bureaucratic barriers that have slowed renovation projects statewide, including mandatory permit fee reductions, strict approval deadlines, and required acceptance of electronic documents. Building departments that historically delayed projects or created unauthorized barriers to private inspection services must now comply. Inspected, which helped shape this legislation alongside the Florida Home Builders Association, says the changes will give contractors greater confidence and faster project timelines starting as early as July 1, 2026.