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Florida Building Code 2008 Page 1
Florida Building Code
Reference: www.floridabuilding.org
The newly adopted Florida Building Code replaces 470 local codes that crisscross the
state. With the adoption of the new code come changes that may impact the cost of
construction:
1) General changes—those changes that are not building specific
2) Wind load requirements—changes related to changes in hurricane resistance
a) Wind speed
b) Exposure classification (Near Atlantic or Gulf Coast vs. Inland)
c) Walls—wood or masonry
d) Windows and sliding glass doors
e) Wind-Borne Debris protection (if used)
f) Doors: entrance and garage doors
g) Roof covering
h) Roof structure (trusses and tie-down connections)
3) Termite treatments and related roof downspout and condensate discharge
requirements.
4) Concrete slab construction
5) Gable end-wall construction
6) Screen enclosures
7) Energy Code changes
8) Mechanical Code changes
9) Plumbing Code changes
General Changes
General changes are those changes that are not building specific, such as plan review
time and newly required inspections that may require an increase in fees by the local
government. However, contacts with several Building Officials found that they do not
anticipate any fee increase based on the FBC. Some fees may increase based on current
operating costs, but those increases are not based on anticipated future costs prompted by
the FBC.
A Fort Myers builder allows one month for the building department to issue a building
permit. For each additional month delay in issuing the permit, they estimate a cost of
approximately $1,400. Only time will tell if this type of cost materializes.
Although the information required on drawings increases modestly, the change is not
expected to increase costs from design professionals. All the information that is required
on the plans must have been determined during the design of the house. Adding it to the
plans does not require the development of “extra” information.
Required inspections. The building official shall determine the timing and sequencing
of when inspections occur and what elements are inspected at each inspection.
Florida Building Code 2008 Page 2
1. Foundation inspection - While not a new inspection, code stipulates elements
to be inspected during foundation inspection: stem-wall, monolithic slab-on-grade,
piling/pile caps, footers/grade beams
2. Framing inspection - Was called Frame Inspection and now includes elements
to be inspected: window/door framing, vertical cells/columns, lintel/tie beams,
framing/trusses/bracing/connectors, draft stopping/fire blocking, curtain wall framing,
energy insulation, and accessibility.
3. Sheathing inspection (new inspection) - To be made either as part of a dry-in
inspection or done separately at the request of the contractor after all roof and wall
sheathing and fasteners are complete and shall at a minimum include the following
building components: roof sheathing, wall sheathing, sheathing fasteners, and roof/wall
dry-in.
4. Roofing inspection (new inspection) - Shall at a minimum include the
following building components: dry-in, insulation, roof coverings, and flashing.
5. Final inspection - No difference. To be made after the building is completed
and ready for occupancy.
6. Swimming pool inspection (new inspection) - First inspection to be made
after excavation and installation of reinforcing steel, bonding and main drain and prior to
placing of concrete. Final inspection to be made when the swimming pool is complete
and all required enclosure requirements are in place.
Wind Load Requirements
Wind load requirements refer to code changes related to improvements in hurricane
resistance. Wind speed by itself, does not control design requirements for construction,
wind load does! Implementation of the Florida Building Code requires many new
considerations to be taken into account to properly determine wind loads on buildings. A
look at the wind speed map for the Southern Building Code (SBC-97) shown below has
three contour lines for the entire State. Wind speeds on this map are measured using the
“Fastest Mile” measurement system and ranges from 110 mph in the south down to 90
mph in the north.
Florida Building Code 2008 Page 3
However, the wind load provisions of the Florida Building Code are based on the
American Society of Civil Engineers Standard ASCE 7-98 (Minimum Design Loads for
Buildings and Other Structures) that uses a different wind speed measurement system
called “3-second peak gust”. As a result, changes in design methods are required. The
equivalent "3-second-peak-gust" wind speed is about 20 mph higher than the
“fastest-mile” wind speed. The ASCE 7-98 3-second-peak-gust wind map for Florida is
also shown below with wind speeds ranging from 100 mph to 150 mph.
There also are two new definitions in the FBC that warrant discussion with respect to
wind loads. The first is the FBC definition of “exposure categories” and the second is
the "wind-borne debris" region.
Florida Building Code 2008 Page 4
Exposure Categories
“Exposure” is the term used to describe the area surrounding the building in question
with regard to the ability of wind to blow directly on the structure without disruption
from surrounding structures. ASCE 7-98 provides definitions for Exposures A, B, C, and
D; however, Florida has adopted a different definition of Exposures B and C than appears
in the text of ASCE 7-98.
Exposure C (known as the open country exposure in ASCE 7-98) is used in the FBC
as applicable only to Miami-Dade and Broward counties, the barrier islands, and land
areas within 1500 ft of the coastline in the rest of the state.
All other buildings will be designed for Exposure B, (known as urban and suburban
areas with many single-family or similar sized buildings within a distance of 1500
feet) regardless of whether the structure is in the middle of a field or in the middle of a
suburban setting.
Wind-Borne Debris Region
The Florida Building Code defines the wind-borne debris region as any area with a
3-second-peak-gust wind speed at 30 feet (10 meters) above ground of 120 mph or
higher. This area is shown on the 3-Second-Peak-Gust map as the shaded area around
the coastline of the southern portion of the state. There are two exceptions to this
definition:
1. Areas within one mile (1.6 km) of the coastal mean high water line where
the basic wind speed is 110 mph (49 m/s) or greater.
2. Areas where the basic wind speed is 120 mph (53 m/s) or greater.
Because of the changes in the wind speed contour lines for "fastest-mile" vs. "3-second-
peak-gust", some areas of Florida will have design wind speeds and loads that will be
lower in relation to current Building Code requirements, some will remain the same, and
some will see increases ranging from minor to major. Presented in the following table
are examples of the changes for various locations in Florida.
SBC Wind Equivalent FBC Exposure
County Location name Change
Speed (FM*) 3-sec. gust 3-sec. gust category
Alachua Gainesville 90 110 100 -10 B
Bay Lower Grand Lagoon 100 120 130 +10 C
Brevard Cocoa West 95 115 120 +5 B
Broward Fort Lauderdale 110 130 140 +10 C
Clay Bellaire-Meadowbrook 90 110 110 0 B
Collier Golden Gate 110 130 130 0 B
Duval Bloomingdale 100 120 110 -10 B
Duval Jacksonville 90 110 120 +10 B
Hernando Wicki Wachee Gardens 100 120 110 -10 C
Hillsborough Town N’ Country 100 120 120 0 B
Indian River Vero Beach 100 120 140 +20 C
Lake Mid Florida Lakes 95 115 100 -15 B
Lee Lehigh Acres 100 120 120 0 B
Martin Indiantown 100 120 130 +10 B
Miami-Dade Miami 120 140 146 +6 C
Miami-Dade Miami Island 120 140 146 +6 C
Florida Building Code 2008 Page 5
Monroe Key West 120 140 150 +10 C
Okaloosa Niceville 95 115 130 +15 B
Palm Beach Palm Beach 110 130 145 +15 C
Palm Beach Royal Palm Beach 110 130 140 +10 B
Santa Rosa Gulf Breeze 95 115 140 +25 C
Santa Rosa Jay 90 110 120 +10 B
Sarasota South Venice 110 130 130 0 C
St. John’s St. Augustine 90 110 120 +10 C
Wakulla Lighthouse Point 100 120 120 0 C
Wakulla Woodville 95 115 110 -5 B
*Footnote: FM = "fastest-mile" wind speed.
Estimated Cost Impact
A study conducted jointly by the Shimberg Center for Affordable Housing and Applied
Research Associates, Inc., of North Carolina compared the cost of constructing homes
under the Standard Building Code and the Florida Building Code. The key results are
summarized below. As may be seen, the primary differences among the cost grouping
are based on wind-related factors rather than the general changes in the code. The
estimated cost increase per square foot for masonry homes ranges from $0.23 to $7.45
and the increased cost for wood-frame construction ranges from $0.24 to $4.10 per
square foot.
*WBDR – Wind-borne debris region
Site conditions Opening Wind speed Cost increase per square foot
protection (3-sec gust) Masonry Wood-frame
Non-WBDR* None 100-120 mph $0.23-$0.73 $0.24-$0.71
130-140 mph $0.79-$1.28 $0.76-$1.02
In WBDR Shutters 120-130 mph $1.06-$1.67 $1.04-$1.59
140-150 mph $1.55-$2.49 $1.35-$2.00
In WBDR Impact resistant 120-130 mph $3.27-$6.71 $3.25-$3.65
glass 140-150 mph $3.64-$7.45 $3.43-$4.10
Source: Shimberg Center for Affordable Housing and Applied Research Associates, Inc. 2002. Florida
Building Code Cost and Loss Reduction Benefit Comparison Study. Florida Department of Community
Affairs, Tallahassee, FL. Contract Number 01-RC-11-12-00-22-002.
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