Private Provider vs Building Department in Florida

What the statute allows

Florida Statute 553.791 permits an owner or contractor to retain a licensed private provider — typically an engineer or architect with the appropriate credentials — to perform plan review, building inspections, or both, in place of the local building department. The building official retains authority to issue the permit and certificate of occupancy and retains audit rights; the private provider performs the review and inspection function and certifies compliance.

The statute has been amended over time, including provisions extending the framework to single-trade permit applications.

The honest cost-benefit

Private providers charge for their work, and that cost sits on top of the jurisdiction's permit fees — which are generally not reduced because you brought your own reviewer. So the question is straightforward: is the time saved worth more than the fee?

When the answer is yes

• The jurisdiction's plan review is running many weeks and your schedule cannot absorb it.
• Inspection scheduling is the bottleneck and your trades are standing idle waiting for next-available slots.
• The project is phased or fast-tracked and sequencing flexibility has real value.
• You are building a repeat prototype and a provider who knows the design can move quickly.
• Delay cost is high — a lease commencement, a seasonal opening, financing terms.

When the answer is no

• The jurisdiction is already fast. Paying to save a few days on a two-week turnaround is a poor trade.
• The project is small and fixed provider costs weigh heavily against a modest permit.
• The jurisdiction administers private provider projects reluctantly, adding administrative steps that erode the saving. This varies far more than anyone advertises.
• The project is unusual and would benefit from the building official's direct engagement throughout.

The mechanics that trip people up

1. The notice. The statute requires notice to the building official within a defined timeframe. File it late or incorrectly and you can forfeit the option for that project.
2. Scope definition. Plan review only, inspections only, or both. These can be split, and a common arrangement is department plan review with private inspections.
3. Audit rights. Jurisdictions may audit the private provider's work. This is routine and should not derail anything, but it should be expected.
4. The CO still comes from the building official. The private provider certifies; the jurisdiction issues.

Our position

We are not a private provider and we have no financial interest in whether you use one. On roughly half the projects where clients ask about it, our honest read is that the jurisdiction is fast enough that it will not pay for itself. Where it does pay, we handle the notice, the coordination and the scheduling.