What Is a Certificate of Occupancy in Florida?

To obtain a Certificate of Occupancy in Florida, all required inspections must be passed and all permit conditions must be satisfied. The process: (1) complete construction per the approved permit drawings; (2) schedule and pass all required final inspections — structural, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical; (3) resolve any outstanding plan review comments or inspection corrections; (4) submit any required final documentation (energy compliance affidavit, survey, etc.); (5) the building department issues the CO. In Lee County, the CO is issued through the ePlan system after all inspections are closed. In Collier County, a final survey showing the finished floor elevation is typically required before CO issuance for projects in flood zones.

Before a CO can be issued in Florida, all of the following final inspections must be passed: building final (structural and architectural); electrical final; plumbing final; mechanical/HVAC final; and, for projects in flood zones, a flood elevation certificate confirming the finished floor elevation meets the required Base Flood Elevation plus freeboard. For commercial projects, additional inspections may be required: fire alarm, fire suppression, accessibility (ADA), and elevator. Pineland Engineering provides construction administration services to help clients pass inspections on the first attempt.

Occupying a building without a Certificate of Occupancy in Florida is a violation of Florida Statute 553.79. Consequences include: fines from the local building department (typically $250–$500 per day); forced evacuation of the building; difficulty obtaining homeowner's insurance; inability to refinance or sell the property; and potential liability if someone is injured in an unoccupied building. If you have a building that was occupied without a CO, you will need to obtain a retroactive CO by completing any outstanding inspections and resolving any code violations.