Palm Beach County, FL HVAC permit requirements

Florida Building Code 8th Edition (2023), including Residential, with Palm Beach County amendments 'EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 31, 2023'.

Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation, 8th Edition (2023). The county amendments point to it in 101.4.6: 'The provisions of the Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation shall apply to all matters governing the design and construction of buildings for energy efficiency.'

No county document found names 'Manual J'. For new one- and two-family homes, the PBC amendments to 107.3.5 (minimum plan review criteria) require '10. Residential Energy Code submittal (including calculation and mandatory requirements)' and '12. Mechanical: Equipment and location, Duct systems'. The state mandatory R403.7.1 (Manual S/J sizing) applies through that energy submittal. The county's A/C change-out form (PB-O-021) asks for no load calculation.

The residential plan-review list asks for 'Duct systems', and the commercial list asks for '7. Duct systems'. Manual D is not named in any county document found.

Palm Beach County 'Florida HVAC Efficiency Card Form' (PB-O-021, Rev. 09/30/2020): 'The following information is required for replacement of mechanical equipment and must be available for the inspector at time of inspections.' It asks for permit number, SEER or EER, and for both replacement and existing systems: manufacturer, air handler and condenser model numbers, voltage, heat strip, tons, minimum circuit ampacity, HACR breaker/fuse size, wire size, and the evaporator coil model where the air handler accepts more than one coil. The qualifier signs a certification. No load calculation is listed. Per PBC amendments, HVAC design documents by an engineer do not include 'any document for the replacement or repair of an existing system in which the work does not require altering a structural part of the building or for work on a residential one, two, three or four-family structure.'

Per the state code: R402 prescriptive, R405 performance, R406 ERI. County amendment 110.3.11.3: 'If required by energy code path submittal (Section R405), confirmation that the envelope and duct test requirements shall be received by the building official.'

One- and two-family plan review (107.3.5): 'Residential Energy Code submittal (including calculation and mandatory requirements)' and 'Mechanical: Equipment and location, Duct systems'. The mechanical rough-in inspection 'includes mechanical provisions of the energy code and approved energy calculation provisions.' Replacements need the HVAC Efficiency Card (PB-O-021) on site for inspection. An A/C contractor certified under Ch. 489 may design systems for buildings under 100 persons and $125,000 or less, when each system is 15 tons or less with its own duct system.

The statewide 9th Edition (2026) FBC is scheduled to take effect 12/31/2026 per the Florida Building Commission workplan. No Palm Beach County 9th-Edition amendment document was found.

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