Florida runs one statewide energy code, not a patchwork of local adoptions - and it's one of the few states whose own code text names a Florida-specific REScheck printout as an accepted compliance document. Every claim on this page is checked against the code's own published text and Florida-hosted permit forms - see the Verification Appendix.
Florida's current residential energy code is the 2023 Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation, 8th edition, based on the 2021 IECC with Florida-specific amendments. It became effective December 31, 2023, replacing the 7th edition (2020).1 Every permit application submitted on or after that date is reviewed against the 8th edition; applications submitted before it stayed under the 7th edition.2
The U.S. Department of Energy's Building Energy Codes Program state profile confirms the same baseline from the federal side: Current State Code (Residential) = "2021 IECC with Amendments," Effective Date = 12/31/2023, State Amendments = Yes.3
Unlike home-rule states where individual cities can adopt their own code cycle, Florida runs one code for the whole state. Section 553.73, Florida Statutes, gives the Florida Building Commission authority to adopt the code by rule, and it sharply limits what local governments can change: a local government may adopt a technical amendment only if it is more stringent than the state minimum, addresses a demonstrated local need backed by evidence, isn't discriminatory toward particular products or methods, doesn't introduce a new subject the state code doesn't already address, and is transmitted to the Commission within 30 days of adoption - after which the Commission itself can rescind it at the next code cycle if it doesn't hold up.4 Local governments may also adopt more stringent administrative amendments, subject to similar limits.4
In practice, this means the R-value table, the air-leakage number, and the duct-leakage number on this page apply the same way whether you're pulling a permit in Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, or the Keys. What varies locally is the intake process - which forms a given building department wants attached at submittal versus verified before certificate of occupancy - not the underlying numeric requirements. That's a real difference from states like Texas or Georgia, where the energy code itself changes by jurisdiction.
The Florida Building Commission, housed within the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, writes and maintains the code. Plan review and inspection happen locally: your county or municipal building department examines the construction documents, verifies the compliance form and mandatory-requirements checklist, and signs off before permitting and again before certificate of occupancy.1 No license or registration is required to prepare the residential code-compliance form for single-family homes, duplexes, and townhouses - the code says so directly.1
Florida spans two IECC climate zones under Table C301.1/R301.1 of the 8th edition: 1A and 2A. Both are designated "moist" (A) and every county in the state carries the "warm-humid" asterisk, which matters later for the basement-wall insulation exemption.5
| Zone | Counties |
|---|---|
| 1A | Broward, Collier, Hendry, Lee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Palm Beach |
| 2A | All other Florida counties |
Worth flagging directly: Palm Beach County moved from Zone 2 to Zone 1 between the 7th and 8th editions, aligning it with Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe.6 That reclassification changes the insulation minimums, glazing requirements, and the electric-resistance-heating provision (which applies only in Zone 2) for any Palm Beach County project permitted under the current edition. If your reference material predates the 8th edition, don't assume the county's zone hasn't changed - check the code's own table.
Two things worth separating clearly, because they get conflated constantly:
Pulled directly from the 8th edition's own published text, here's what applies to Florida's two climate zones:7
| Component | Zone 1 | Zone 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Fenestration (window) U-factor, max | NR | 0.40 |
| Skylight U-factor, max | 0.75 | 0.65 |
| Glazed fenestration SHGC, max | 0.25 | 0.25 |
| Ceiling R-value | R-30 | R-38 |
| Wood-frame wall R-value | R-13 | R-13 |
| Mass wall R-value | 3/4 | 4/6 |
| Floor R-value | R-13 | R-13 |
| Basement wall R-value | 0 | 0 |
| Slab edge R-value, depth | 0 | 0 |
| Crawlspace wall R-value | 0 | 0 |
Source: 2023 FBC, Energy Conservation, 8th edition, Table R402.1.2, "Insulation and Fenestration Requirements by Component."7 R-values are minimums; U-factors and SHGC are maximums. NR = no requirement. "4/6" for mass walls means the second value applies when more than half the insulation sits on the interior of the mass wall. For impact-rated fenestration meeting FBC-Residential Section R301.2.1.2 or FBC-Building Section 1609.1.2, the maximum window U-factor in Zone 2 is relaxed to 0.65.7
Basement wall, slab-edge, and crawlspace-wall R-values sit at zero across both Florida zones because Florida's climate rarely produces the conditioned basements or extensive crawlspace walls those line items target elsewhere in the country - and every Florida county carries the warm-humid designation that exempts basement-wall insulation outright.7
2023 FBC-EC R402.4.1.2 requires the building or dwelling unit to be tested and verified as having an air leakage rate not exceeding 7 air changes per hour at 50 Pascals (7 ACH50) in Climate Zones 1 and 2 - both of Florida's zones - measured per ANSI/RESNET Standard 380 and reported at 0.2 in. w.g. (50 Pa).8 Dwelling units testing below 3 ACH50 must additionally provide whole-house mechanical ventilation per Section R403.6.1 and FBC-Residential Section M1507.3.8
Testing may be performed by an individual defined under Florida Statutes Section 553.993(5) or (7) (an energy auditor or energy rater), by a contractor licensed under Section 489.105(3)(f), (g), or (i), or by an approved third party, and must be documented in a signed written report to the code official.8 Note that Florida's 7 ACH50 figure under the prescriptive/R402 path is looser than the 3 or 5 ACH50 thresholds seen in many other states' 2021 IECC amendments - that's a real, intentional Florida amendment to the base IECC text, not an error in secondary reporting.
2023 FBC-EC R403.3.3 requires ducts, air handlers, filter boxes, and building cavities used as primary air-containment passageways to be pressure-tested for leakage. Two test options exist: a rough-in test, where total leakage must be ≤ 4 CFM per 100 sq. ft. of conditioned floor area with the air handler installed, or ≤ 3 CFM per 100 sq. ft. without it; and a postconstruction test, where total leakage must be ≤ 4 CFM per 100 sq. ft.9 Ducts and air handlers located entirely inside the building thermal envelope are exempt from testing outright, and duct testing isn't mandatory for buildings complying under the R405 performance path unless credit is being taken for reduced duct leakage in that report.9
Duct insulation minimums, per Form R402's published values: R-6 for ducts under 3 inches in diameter in unconditioned attics, and R-4.2 for ducts under 3 inches outside attics in unconditioned space; ducts entirely inside conditioned space carry no minimum.10
2023 FBC-EC R403.7.1, "Equipment Sizing," is a mandatory provision, meaning it applies under every compliance path in Section 3 below, not just the prescriptive one. Its text: "Heating and cooling equipment shall be sized in accordance with ACCA Manual S based on the equipment loads calculated in accordance with ACCA Manual J or other approved heating and cooling calculation methodologies, based on building loads for the directional orientation of the building."11
The section goes further than most states' equivalent language: it explicitly states "this Code does not allow designer safety factors, provisions for future expansion or other factors that affect equipment sizing," and system-sizing calculations may not include loads created by local intermittent mechanical ventilation such as standard kitchen and bathroom exhaust.11 Cooling equipment must be sized so total capacity is not less than the calculated total load and not more than 1.15 times that load (or the closest available manufacturer size); heat pump total cooling capacity is likewise capped at 1.15 times the design cooling load.11 A limited exception allows attached single- and multi-family equipment to be sized down to 80 percent of calculated sensible load.11 The code also provides a narrow signed-and-sealed design-professional exception for attached multi-family sizing, which doesn't change the requirement for a documented Manual J and Manual S in the first place.
Florida's own Chapter 1 administrative section, R101.5.1.1, names the compliance-document routes directly, and a separate Nassau County-hosted copy of Appendix RD's documentation checklist confirms a fourth path (the ERI route, Form R406) alongside the three named in Chapter 1:12
| Path | Code section / form | What it is | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prescriptive / UA (Form R402) | R101.5.1.1.1; R402 | Meet Table R402.1.2 line by line, or use the total-UA envelope trade-off. Documented on Form R402, found in Appendix RD. | Standard framing, simple massing, no unusual glazing package. |
| Florida REScheck printout | R101.5.1.1.1 | The code text names this explicitly as an alternative to Form R402: "a Florida REScheck computer printout may be submitted to demonstrate compliance by Sections R402, R403 and R404." | Same use case as Form R402 - a 2x4 wall or larger glazing package that needs a UA trade-off documented quickly. |
| Simulated performance (Form R405) | R101.5.1.1.2; R405 | "An accurately completed Residential Building Form R405 (generated by Commission approved software) demonstrating that code compliance has been achieved shall be submitted." Compares the proposed home's annual energy cost against a standard reference design. | Custom homes, unusual HVAC, or a design the prescriptive/UA table can't cleanly capture. |
| Energy Rating Index (Form R406) | R406 | Scores the home on the ERI scale using RESNET-based methodology; a checklist item on the same Appendix RD documentation form used for R402 and R405. | Homes already getting a HERS rating for ENERGY STAR, DOE ZERH, a utility rebate, or the federal 45L tax credit. |
The distinction that matters most on this page: Section R101.5.1.1.1 (the prescriptive/UA/REScheck path) and Section R101.5.1.1.2 (the simulated-performance path) are two separate administrative provisions with two separate documentation requirements. A Florida REScheck printout satisfies the first. It does not satisfy the second - Form R405 must be "generated by Commission approved software," full stop, and the code text draws that line itself.12
The U.S. Department of Energy's state energy code status page lists Florida's residential "Can use COM/REScheck" field as No.3 That's not an error, and it doesn't contradict what's above - it's answering a different, narrower question. The DOE page is checking whether the plain, unmodified national IECC edition of REScheck (the version keyed to the stock 2021 IECC) matches Florida's amended code. It doesn't, because Florida's amendments to the 2021 IECC are extensive enough that a generic national REScheck run wouldn't reflect them accurately.
That's precisely why REScheck's tool platform ships a dedicated Florida state-specific code option rather than routing Florida projects through the generic national IECC edition - and why the Florida Building Code's own Section R101.5.1.1.1 separately, explicitly names "a Florida REScheck computer printout" as an accepted document.12 Both statements from the two sources are true. The DOE page is about the generic national tool; Florida's own code text is about the state-specific edition of that same tool family.
If your project needs the R405 path: that's a service The Plans Examiner doesn't produce, because it legally can't be produced with REScheck - Florida's own code requires Commission-approved software for that specific form. A Manual J load calculation is still required and still available for R405 projects, since equipment sizing under R403.7.1 is mandatory regardless of which envelope-compliance path a project uses.
Statewide code, local intake process. Because Florida isn't a home-rule state for building codes, don't expect a "what does my city require" answer the way you would in Texas or Georgia - the numbers are the same everywhere. What differs locally is which forms a given building department wants attached at initial submittal versus verified before certificate of occupancy, and how strictly local plan reviewers check the mandatory-requirements checklist against the compliance form. Confirm the intake process, not the code content, with your local building department.
Product Approval is a separate system from the energy code, and it documents the same window numbers your energy compliance form needs. Florida requires every window, door, skylight, and other envelope product used on a permitted project to carry a valid Florida Product Approval number, administered by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation under Rule 61G20-3, F.A.C.13 Fenestration U-factor and SHGC values for your compliance form come from NFRC-rated, manufacturer-labeled numbers under 2023 FBC-EC Section R303.1.3 - not from the Product Approval number itself, which primarily documents structural/wind performance. You need both: a Product Approval number for the structural permit, and an NFRC-rated U-factor/SHGC for the energy compliance form. Products lacking a labeled NFRC rating fall back to conservative default U-factor and SHGC tables built into the code.13
HVHZ (Miami-Dade and Broward) changes the structural approval, not the energy-code numbers. The High-Velocity Hurricane Zone requires a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) or an HVHZ-rated Florida Product Approval for envelope products, on top of the standard statewide approval used elsewhere.14 That's a wind-load and impact-testing distinction. The Table R402.1.2 insulation and fenestration values, the R402.4.1.2 air-leakage threshold, and the R403.3.3 duct-leakage threshold are the same statewide numbers whether or not the project sits in HVHZ - a Miami-Dade project doesn't get a different energy-code number, it gets an additional structural approval layer.
The Certificate requirement is separate from the compliance form. Under 2023 FBC-EC Section R401.3, a permanent certificate documenting the predominant insulation R-values, fenestration U-factor and SHGC, and the results of required duct and envelope air-leakage testing must be completed by the builder and posted inside the building - typically near the furnace, in a utility room, or another approved location.15 A separate Energy Performance Level (EPL) display card, required by Florida Statutes Section 553.9085, must be included as an addendum to the sales contract for both presold and non-presold residential buildings and verified by the building official before final approval for occupancy.15 Neither of these replaces the Form R402/R405/R406 compliance report - they're additional, mandatory paperwork layered on top of it.
Manual J and Manual D both come up on HVAC change-outs, not just new construction. Alachua County's residential HVAC-replacement inspection checklist states plainly: "If [any] ductwork is being replaced, altered, or added, manual J and Manual D forms are also required" alongside a Rough-in Mechanical inspection.16 Straight equipment swaps with no duct changes may not trigger the same paperwork requirement at that specific county - but the moment ductwork is touched, Manual D (duct design) joins Manual J on the submittal, on top of the R403.7.1 equipment-sizing requirement that applies to every project statewide. Confirm your specific county's change-out checklist, since intake requirements for replacement work are exactly the kind of thing that varies locally even though the underlying code doesn't.
Duct testing has a real exemption worth knowing before you order one. R403.3.3's exception for ducts and air handlers located entirely inside the building thermal envelope removes the testing requirement outright - worth designing toward on additions, accessory dwelling units, or any project where a mechanical closet or chase can be kept inside conditioned space.9
What to confirm with your local building department before finalizing a compliance strategy:
What energy code does Florida use in 2026, and is it statewide? Florida uses the 2023 Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation, 8th edition, based on the 2021 IECC with Florida-specific amendments, effective December 31, 2023.1 Unlike home-rule states, Florida is not locally adopted - the Florida Building Commission sets one code statewide, and Section 553.73, Florida Statutes, tightly limits how far a local government can deviate from it.4 Whatever county or city issues your permit, the code text itself is the same.
Does Florida accept a REScheck report for a permit? Yes, on the prescriptive/UA path only. Section R101.5.1.1.1 of the 2023 FBC, Energy Conservation states directly that an accurately completed Form R402 demonstrates compliance, or alternatively "a Florida REScheck computer printout" may be submitted to demonstrate compliance with Sections R402, R403, and R404.12 It does not satisfy the separate simulated-performance path in Section R405 - that one requires Commission-approved software.
The DOE energy code tracker says Florida can't use REScheck - is that wrong? It's not wrong, it's answering a narrower question. The DOE's state status page lists Florida's "Can use COM/REScheck" as No, because it's checking whether the plain national IECC edition of REScheck matches Florida's amended code - it doesn't.3 But the Florida Building Code itself, in Section R101.5.1.1.1, separately names a Florida-specific REScheck printout as an accepted compliance document for the R402 prescriptive/UA path. Both statements are accurate; they're answering different questions.
Is a Manual J load calculation required in Florida? Yes. Section R403.7.1 of the 2023 FBC, Energy Conservation is a mandatory provision: heating and cooling equipment shall be sized in accordance with ACCA Manual S, based on loads calculated in accordance with ACCA Manual J or another approved calculation methodology.11 The code explicitly disallows designer safety factors or padding for future expansion. It's a mandatory item under every compliance path.
What climate zone is my Florida county in? Florida spans two IECC climate zones under the 8th edition: 1A, covering Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Collier, Hendry, Lee, and Monroe counties, and 2A, covering the rest of the state.5 Every county in the state is also flagged "warm-humid." Palm Beach moved from Zone 2 to Zone 1 between the 7th and 8th editions - confirm your county against the code's own table.
Who prepares these reports? Travis Smith, a Certified Residential Energy Inspector / Plans Examiner - the same certification your building department's reviewer holds.
Need a Florida REScheck report? Florida's own code names a Florida-specific REScheck printout as an accepted document for the R402 prescriptive/UA path, and we run it on that dedicated Florida state edition of the tool rather than a generic national IECC setting - the distinction that matters, since the two produce different results. A REScheck report is $149, delivered ready to attach to your permit application.
On the R405 performance path? Say so up front. The simulated-performance path requires Form R405 generated by Commission-approved software, and REScheck - Florida edition or otherwise - does not satisfy that requirement. We won't run a REScheck report against an R405 project and call it compliant. A Manual J load calculation is still required and still available for R405 projects, since Section R403.7.1's equipment-sizing requirement applies regardless of which envelope path a project uses.
Need a Manual J load calculation? Section R403.7.1 makes ACCA Manual J-based load calculations and ACCA Manual S-based equipment sizing mandatory statewide, with no designer safety-factor padding allowed. That applies to new construction and to change-outs where ductwork is touched - Alachua County's own checklist, for one, requires Manual J and Manual D together once ductwork is replaced, altered, or added.16 If your change-out is heat-pump-related, see our heat pump change-out Manual J guide for how that requirement plays out on a straight equipment swap. A room-by-room Manual J report is $249, sized up to 3,000 sq. ft.
Need both? The Manual J + REScheck package is $349 - one submission covering the mandatory equipment-sizing requirement and the Form R402/REScheck envelope path together.
Every report comes with the same guarantee: accepted by your building department, or we revise it free until it clears.
Contact us with your plans and the county where you're pulling the permit, and we'll confirm which compliance path your project needs and whether REScheck actually applies - not a generic answer. See pricing, or browse the full state guides index and guides library for other states and topics.
Every claim on this page was checked directly against the 2023 Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation, 8th edition's own published text (via the Digital Codes platform at iccsafe.org and its UpCodes mirror, both reproducing the state-adopted code verbatim), Florida Statutes, the U.S. Department of Energy's state energy code tracker, and Florida-hosted county permit forms and checklists - not secondary blog summaries, except where explicitly noted below.
Current code edition = 2023 FBC, Energy Conservation, 8th edition, based on 2021 IECC, effective 12/31/2023. VERIFIED. The Digital Codes platform's (iccsafe.org) own listing states "2021 IECC / Amended / Effective Date: Dec 31, 2023" directly on the chapter page.5 Independently corroborated by multiple Florida county building-department notices (Osceola County, Charlotte County) stating the identical December 31, 2023 effective date and applying it to permit-application-date cutovers.2
Effective-date cutover rule (applications submitted before 12/31/2023 stay under the 7th edition). VERIFIED. Charlotte County's own public notice states this directly: "any permit application submitted at 12:00 AM on December 31st or later will be subject to the new 8th edition... any permit application submitted prior to 11:59 PM on December 30th will be subject to the 7th edition."2
DOE state profile: Current State Code (Residential) = 2021 IECC with Amendments, effective 12/31/2023; Can use COM/REScheck = No. VERIFIED (primary source). Fetched directly from energycodes.gov/status/states/florida.3
Statewide adoption, local-amendment limits under Section 553.73, F.S. VERIFIED (primary source). Fetched directly from the Florida Senate's official statute text, Section 553.73(4)(a)-(e), confirming local governments may adopt only more-stringent technical or administrative amendments meeting the enumerated conditions (documented local need, non-discriminatory, no new subject matter, 30-day transmission, subject to Commission review at the next code cycle).4
Climate zones 1A / 2A and county assignments (Table C301.1, mirrored for residential purposes). VERIFIED (primary source). Fetched directly from the Digital Codes platform (iccsafe.org) and UpCodes' full county-by-zone table for the 2023 FBC-EC 8th edition; all seven Zone 1A counties (Broward, Collier, Hendry, Lee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Palm Beach) and the remaining Zone 2A counties confirmed directly from the table text.5
Palm Beach County reclassified from Zone 2 to Zone 1 between the 7th and 8th editions. VERIFIED, secondary corroboration. Confirmed by a Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP) summary of the 8th edition specifically calling out this change; consistent with the current Table C301.1 listing Palm Beach as 1A, and with the 7th-edition-era code excerpts (via UpCodes' 2014/5th-edition mirror showing the historical Zone 1 counties as Broward, Dade, and Monroe only) that predate Palm Beach's addition.17
Table R402.1.2 values for Zones 1 and 2. VERIFIED (primary source). Pulled directly from the Digital Codes platform's (iccsafe.org) UpCodes mirror of the 2023 FBC-EC 8th edition Chapter 4, matched against a Martin County-hosted PDF of the code's own Form R402, which reproduces the identical Zone 1/Zone 2 table values.18
R402.4.1.2 air-leakage threshold (7 ACH50 in Zones 1 and 2). VERIFIED (primary source), corroborated. Fetched directly from the UpCodes mirror of the 2023 FBC-EC full section text. Independently corroborated by three Florida county-hosted Envelope Leakage Test Report PDFs (Putnam County, Seminole County, Leesburg/Lake County) that all quote the identical "seven air changes per hour in Climate Zones 1 and 2" language verbatim from the code.19
R403.3.3 duct-leakage thresholds and in-envelope exemption. VERIFIED (primary source). Fetched directly from the UpCodes mirror of the 2023 FBC-EC full section text, including both rough-in and postconstruction test options and the exemptions for in-envelope ducts and for R405-path projects not claiming duct-leakage credit.19
Duct insulation minimums (R-6 attic ducts under 3", R-4.2 non-attic unconditioned ducts under 3"). VERIFIED. Pulled from the Martin County-hosted copy of the code's own Form R402, Appendix RD.18
R403.7.1 mandatory Manual J / Manual S equipment sizing, no designer safety factors, 1.15x cooling-capacity cap. VERIFIED (primary source). Fetched directly from the UpCodes mirror of the 2023 FBC-EC full section text, including the sizing-capacity exception for attached multi-family units and the separate signed-and-sealed design-professional exception.11
R101.5.1.1.1 (Form R402 / Florida REScheck) and R101.5.1.1.2 (Form R405, Commission-approved software) as separate administrative provisions. VERIFIED (primary source). Fetched directly from the UpCodes mirror of 2023 FBC-EC Chapter 1, quoting both section texts verbatim; independently corroborated by two real Florida permit-review notes (West Palm Beach eGovPlus system) quoting the identical R101.5.1.1.1/R101.5.1.1.2 language to applicants, and by a Florida Building Commission staff comment document reproducing the same R101.5.1.1.1 text for the pending 9th edition (confirming the language's continuity).12
Form R406 (ERI path) as a fourth documented compliance route alongside R402/Total UA/R405. VERIFIED. Confirmed via a Nassau County-hosted copy of the code's own Appendix RD "Residential Energy Conservation Code Documentation Checklist," which lists "Form [R402, TOTAL UA, R405 or R406]-2023" as the governing checklist header.18
Florida Product Approval system and its separation from NFRC-rated energy values (R303.1.3). VERIFIED. The Product Approval/Rule 61G20-3 framework confirmed via a Florida Building Commission presentation slide deck hosted on floridabuilding.org describing the rule's scope (windows, doors, skylights, roofing, and other envelope product categories).20 The NFRC-based fenestration rating requirement (Section R303.1.3, including the default U-factor/SHGC tables for unlabeled products) confirmed directly from the UpCodes mirror of the 2023 FBC-EC section text.20
HVHZ (Miami-Dade, Broward) requires NOA or HVHZ-rated Product Approval, on top of the statewide approval used elsewhere; does not change energy-code numeric thresholds. VERIFIED, secondary corroboration. The HVHZ/NOA structural-approval framework is well-documented across multiple industry sources describing Florida Building Code Chapter 1620's HVHZ provisions; this page did not locate a single authoritative primary-source page stating in one place that HVHZ leaves Table R402.1.2/R402.4.1.2/R403.3.3 numeric values unchanged, so that specific conclusion rests on the fact that those code sections themselves, as fetched directly from Digital Codes/UpCodes, contain no HVHZ-specific carve-out language.
R401.3 Certificate and EPL display card as separate, additional mandatory documentation. VERIFIED. Confirmed directly from the UpCodes mirror of the 2023 FBC-EC Chapter 4 text (EPL display card, citing Florida Statutes Section 553.9085) and the UpCodes summary of Section R401.3.1's certificate-posting requirement.21
Alachua County HVAC-replacement checklist: Manual J and Manual D required if ductwork is replaced, altered, or added. VERIFIED (primary source). Fetched directly from Alachua County's own hosted PDF, "HVAC Replacement - Residential, Permit Submittal Requirements."22
What remains genuinely unconfirmed or outside this page's scope: the exact intake-document requirements of every individual Florida county or municipal building department (there are dozens); whether any specific county's HVAC change-out checklist differs from Alachua County's in requiring Manual J/D on straight equipment swaps with no duct work; and the complete, itemized list of Commission-approved R405 performance software titles, which changes over time and is maintained directly by the Florida Building Commission rather than reproduced here. Confirm any of these directly with your local building department or the Florida Building Commission before finalizing a compliance strategy.
This page summarizes Florida's statewide 2023 Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation, 8th edition for general guidance. Code requirements are interpreted locally by your plan reviewer even where the underlying text is statewide. Always confirm current requirements with your building official before finalizing design or bidding.
VERIFIED (primary source): Digital Codes (codes.iccsafe.org/content/FLEC2023P1), "2023 Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation, Eighth Edition," listing 2021 IECC basis, "Amended," Effective Date Dec 31, 2023. Chapter 1 [RE] Scope and Administration confirmed via up.codes/viewer/florida/fl-energy-conservation-code-2023/chapter/RE_1/re-scope-and-administration, including the "no license or registration required" provision for single-family/duplex/townhouse compliance forms. ↩↩↩
VERIFIED (primary source): Osceola County, "Community Development Announcements" and "Building Office Frequent Questions," osceola.org, stating the December 31, 2023 effective date for the 8th edition. Charlotte County, "New 8th Edition of the Florida Building Code," charlottecountyfl.gov, stating the identical effective-date cutover rule for permit applications submitted before/after December 31, 2023. ↩↩↩
VERIFIED (primary source): U.S. Department of Energy, Building Energy Codes Program, "Florida | State Profile," energycodes.gov/status/states/florida, listing Current State Code (Residential) = "2021 IECC with Amendments," Effective Date 12/31/2023, State Amendments = Yes, Can use COM/REScheck = No. ↩↩↩↩
VERIFIED (primary source): The Florida Senate, "2025 Florida Statutes," Section 553.73, flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/0553.73, quoted directly for subsection (4)(a)-(e) governing local-government technical and administrative amendment authority and limits. ↩↩↩↩
VERIFIED (primary source): Digital Codes (iccsafe.org) / UpCodes mirror, 2023 FBC-EC Chapter 3 [CE] General Requirements, Table C301.1 "Climate Zones, Moisture Regimes, and Warm-Humid Designations by County," up.codes/viewer/florida/fl-energy-conservation-code-2023/chapter/CE_3/ce-general-requirements and codes.iccsafe.org/content/FLEC2023P1/chapter-3-ce-general-requirements, full county list confirmed directly (all counties listed 1A or 2A with warm-humid asterisk). ↩↩↩↩
Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP), "Florida Energy Code 2023 (8th Edition) - Effective Dec 31, 2023 | Requirements," bcapcodes.org/florida/2023-fbc-energy-conservation-8th-edition, stating Palm Beach County moved from Zone 2 under the 7th edition to Zone 1 under the 8th edition. ↩
VERIFIED (primary source): Digital Codes (iccsafe.org) / UpCodes mirror, 2023 FBC-EC Chapter 4 [RE] Residential Energy Efficiency, Table R402.1.2 "Insulation and Fenestration Requirements by Component," up.codes/viewer/florida/fl-energy-conservation-code-2023/chapter/RE_4/re-residential-energy-efficiency. Cross-checked against Martin County's hosted Form R402 PDF, martin.fl.us/resource/energy-efficiency-form-r402-2023, which reproduces the identical Zone 1/Zone 2 table values and the impact-rated-fenestration U-factor exception. ↩↩↩↩
VERIFIED (primary source), corroborated: UpCodes mirror, 2023 FBC-EC Section R402.4.1.2 "Testing," up.codes/viewer/florida/fl-energy-conservation-code-2023/chapter/RE_4/re-residential-energy-efficiency, quoted verbatim. Corroborated by three independent Florida county-hosted Envelope Leakage Test Report PDFs quoting identical section text: Putnam County (putnam-fl.gov), Seminole County (seminolecountyfl.gov), and Leesburg/Lake County (leesburgflorida.gov). ↩↩↩
VERIFIED (primary source): UpCodes mirror, 2023 FBC-EC Section R403.3.3 "Duct Testing," up.codes/viewer/florida/fl-energy-conservation-code-2023/chapter/RE_4/re-residential-energy-efficiency, quoted verbatim including rough-in/postconstruction test thresholds and the in-envelope and R405-path exceptions. ↩↩↩
VERIFIED (primary source): Martin County hosted Form R402 PDF, martin.fl.us/resource/energy-efficiency-form-r402-2023, "Air leakage/Duct test" section listing R-6 (ducts in unconditioned attics, diameter < 3 in.) and R-4.2 (ducts in unconditioned space, not attics, diameter < 3 in.). ↩↩
VERIFIED (primary source): UpCodes mirror, 2023 FBC-EC Section R403.7 "Heating and Cooling Equipment (Mandatory)" and R403.7.1 "Equipment Sizing," up.codes/s/heating-and-cooling-equipment-mandatory and up.codes/viewer/florida/fl-energy-conservation-code-2023/chapter/RE_4/re-residential-energy-efficiency, quoted verbatim including the no-safety-factor language, the 1.15x cooling-capacity cap, and the attached-multifamily sizing exceptions. ↩↩↩↩↩↩
VERIFIED (primary source): UpCodes mirror, 2023 FBC-EC Chapter 1 [RE] Scope and Administration, Sections R101.5.1.1.1 "Building Thermal Envelope Alternative" and R101.5.1.1.2 "Simulated Performance Alternative," up.codes/viewer/florida/fl-energy-conservation-code-2023/chapter/RE_1/re-scope-and-administration, both quoted verbatim. Corroborated by two real West Palm Beach eGovPlus permit-review-note records quoting the identical R101.5.1.1.1/R101.5.1.1.2 language to applicants (onestopshop.wpbgov.com and onestopshop.wpbgov.org), and by a Florida Building Commission staff comment PDF (floridabuilding.org/fbc/thecode/2026_Code_Development/March_2026_Comments/Comment_by_staff1.pdf) reproducing the same R101.5.1.1.1 text. ↩↩↩↩↩
VERIFIED: Florida Building Commission presentation slides on Product Approval, floridabuilding.org/fbc/Committees/product_approval/2026_Changes/2026_PA_Presentation_Chat.pdf, describing Rule 61G20-3, F.A.C. scope (windows, doors, skylights, roofing, panel walls, shutters, structural components, impact protective systems) administered by DBPR. NFRC-based fenestration rating requirement (R303.1.3) and default U-factor/SHGC tables confirmed via UpCodes mirror, up.codes/viewer/florida/fl-energy-conservation-code-2023/chapter/RE_3/re-general-requirements, quoted verbatim. ↩↩
HVHZ/NOA structural-approval framework corroborated across multiple industry sources describing Florida Building Code Chapter 1620's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone provisions for Miami-Dade and Broward counties, including the NOA-or-HVHZ-rated-Product-Approval requirement; this page did not independently pull FBC Chapter 1620's primary text, and treats this item as secondary-source corroborated rather than primary-verified. ↩
VERIFIED (primary source): UpCodes mirror, 2023 FBC-EC Section R401.3 "Energy Performance Level (EPL) Display Card (Mandatory)" (citing Florida Statutes Section 553.9085) and the related Certificate provision, up.codes/viewer/florida/fl-energy-conservation-code-2023/chapter/RE_4/re-residential-energy-efficiency and up.codes/s/certificate-mandatory, both quoted verbatim. ↩↩
VERIFIED (primary source): Alachua County Department of Growth Management, Building Division, "HVAC Replacement - Residential, Permit Submittal Requirements," growth-management.alachuacounty.us/formsdocs/BLD_20260224181516_HVAC_Change_out_inspection_checklist_residential_2-26.pdf, quoted verbatim: "If [any] ductwork is being replaced, altered, or added, manual J and Manual D forms are also required and a 3000 - Rough-in Mechanical inspection should be scheduled as well." ↩↩
Building Codes Assistance Project, cited above at footnote 6; historical Zone 1 county list (Broward, Dade, Monroe only, pre-Palm Beach) cross-checked against UpCodes' mirror of the 2014 FBC-EC 5th edition, up.codes/viewer/florida/fl-energy-conservation-code-2014. ↩
VERIFIED (primary source): Martin County, hosted Form R402 PDF (2023 Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation, 8th Edition, Appendix RD), martin.fl.us/resource/energy-efficiency-form-r402-2023. Nassau County, hosted "Appendix RD Forms" PDF confirming the "Form [R402, TOTAL UA, R405 or R406]-2023" documentation checklist header, nassaucountyfl.com/DocumentCenter/View/26134/Energy-Forms---Residential. ↩↩
VERIFIED (primary source): UpCodes mirror, 2023 FBC-EC Sections R402.4.1.2 and R403.3.3, cited above at footnotes 8 and 9. ↩↩
Cited above at footnote 15. ↩
Cited above at footnote 16. ↩
Travis Smith, ICC-Certified Residential Energy Inspector / Plans Examiner. The same certification your building department's plan reviewer holds - working for you.