What Is the Florida Building Approval Code?
The Florida Building Code (FBC), implemented in 2001, is a single, statewide building system regulating everyone involved in altering, constructing or repairing buildings. Prompted by a series of natural disasters in the early 1990s, it replaced the existing complex system of local regulations.
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Aim
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The code is designed to help improve Florida's building environment. Updated every three years, the building code system exists to protect the "health, safety and welfare of Florida citizens." The state commits to simple and clear guidelines that are affordable while promoting innovation and new technology while emphasizing accountability and uniformity.
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Agreed by the Florida legislature and enforced by local government, the FBC covers seven main areas. These are: building, plumbing, mechanical, fuel, existing buildings, residential, and hurricane zones.
Product approval under the FBC is also mandatory and covers doors, windows, roofs, shutters, new technology additions and skylights.
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Approvals
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The code requires that a stipulated standard is met throughout Florida and when a permit for work is granted, it only has a finite period of validity. Building permits, for example, are valid as long as there's an approval inspection within 180 days of issue. After this, there must be an approval inspection every 180 days until the work is done.
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References
- Photo Credit two florida buildings under construction image by Bo Widerberg from Fotolia.com
