TO: Mayor and City Commission
FROM: Cale Curtis, City Manager
DATE: July 1, 2026
Title
RESOLUTION - APPROVING A SCHEDULE OF FEES PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 9 - BUILDINGS, ARTICLE III - FEES, SECTION 9-21; PROVIDING FOR CONSISTENCY WITH FLORIDA STATUTES; PROVIDING FOR UPDATED BUILDING PERMIT AND INSPECTION FEES; PROVIDING FOR EFFECTIVE DATE.
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BACKGROUND: CS/CS/HB 803, signed by the Governor on May 6, 2026 and codified as Chapter 2026-63, Laws of Florida, takes effect July 1, 2026. The legislation comprehensively restructures Florida's building permit and inspection framework, imposing significant new obligations and restrictions on local governments including the City of Margate. Thirteen (13) distinct statutory provisions are created or amended, affecting building permit administration, inspection fee structures, private provider relationships, zoning authority over manufactured housing, commercial glazing standards, and the homeowners association pre-approval process.
This Resolution provides for updating the City's Building permit fee schedule and providing for the inspection fee structures and private provider relationships required by HB 803. The amended Florida Statutes requires that inspection fees not be based on job value; therefore, the new schedule has separate line items for all inspection fees. A new $75 fee for processing permit exemption requests for residential work valued under $7,500 has been added as staff will still be required to review all plan documentation in order to consider whether a project meets the statutory exemption.
As the new legislation requires that permit inspections not exceed the cost to the City, a fee study will be conducted in the very near future. The proposed fee schedule included with this resolution sets fees with the intent of being at or below the cost to the City.
RECOMMENDATION: For approval.
FISCAL IMPACT: To be determined based upon the volume of private provider permits and other permit applicati...
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