Florida

Florida Permit Guide for Metal Carports, Garages and Barns

In Florida, Redemption Steel offers red iron structures rather than standard carports. Florida has one statewide building code, the Florida Building Code, and every county and city enforces it through its own building department. If your land is outside city limits, the county building division handles the permit. Inside a city, the city usually does. Plan on a permit and engineered drawings for most steel buildings, because Florida's wind rules are some of the strictest in the country.

Building code in effect

The Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), took effect December 31, 2023, according to the Florida Building Commission. It is based on the 2021 International Codes, with Florida's own changes for wind, flood and energy. The Commission has scheduled the 9th Edition (2026) to take effect December 31, 2026, and Miami-Dade County has announced that permit applications submitted on or after that date must meet the new edition. Under Section 553.73, Florida Statutes, counties and cities may adopt technical amendments that are stricter than the state code, but only with a public hearing and a showing of local need.

Who issues permits

Building permits are issued by local government building departments. Section 553.80, Florida Statutes, puts enforcement of the Florida Building Code on each local government and legally constituted enforcement district. In practice, the county building division covers unincorporated land and each city covers land inside its limits. Zoning and setbacks are a separate review by the county or city planning or zoning office, and flood rules are enforced locally too.

County permit guides

County guides are coming soon.

Don't see your county? Call 919-725-8176 and we'll help you find the right office.

When you need a permit

No statewide shed size exemption: Florida law does not set one size below which a backyard building skips a permit. Section 553.73(10)(h) only exempts storage sheds of 720 square feet or less (not built for living in) from the wind-borne debris impact standards. That is not a permit exemption.
Example county: Hillsborough County lists residential sheds and greenhouses under 150 square feet as not needing a permit, and notes that being exempt from a permit does not waive any other building code requirement.
Red iron buildings and garages: A red iron building or garage is new construction and needs a building permit from your county or city. Expect to submit engineered plans that meet your local design wind speed.
High-Velocity Hurricane Zone: Miami-Dade and Broward counties are in the Florida Building Code's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, which has its own single wind speeds and tougher rules. Buildings there get extra review.
Commercial property: Buildings for a business are reviewed under the Florida Building Code, Building volume, and usually need sealed drawings and more plan review than a residential accessory building.

Farm buildings

Section 604.50, Florida Statutes, exempts any nonresidential farm building, farm fence or farm sign on land used for bona fide agricultural purposes from the Florida Building Code and from any county or municipal code or fee. Lands used for urban agriculture are not covered. A nonresidential farm building is a temporary or permanent building used mainly for agricultural purposes, on land that is an integral part of a farm operation or classified as agricultural land under Section 193.461, and not meant to be lived in. Examples in the statute include barns, greenhouses, shade houses, farm offices, storage buildings and poultry houses. Section 553.73(10)(c) also lists nonresidential farm buildings on farms as exempt. The exemption does not cover code provisions that carry out local, state or federal floodplain management rules, so flood rules still apply.

Wind and snow

Florida's big design issue is hurricane wind. Near the coast, many areas fall in the wind-borne debris region, and Miami-Dade and Broward sit in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone with the strictest rules in the state. Low-lying land also brings flood zone requirements. Your local building department sets the wind speed your building has to meet, so ask for that number when you call. We can help you get engineered drawings for a red iron building that meet the wind speed your county or city requires.

Before you order

Find out first whether your property is in a city or unincorporated county land. That tells you which building department issues the permit.
Ask the building department for your design wind speed and whether your lot is in the wind-borne debris region or the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone.
Check your flood zone. Even exempt farm buildings still have to follow floodplain management rules.
Check HOA rules and setbacks with the zoning office, and if you are claiming the farm exemption, ask what proof of agricultural use the county wants.

Common questions

Do I need a permit for a carport in Florida?
In most of Florida, yes. There is no statewide size exemption for backyard structures, and local exemptions are small (Hillsborough County's is for sheds and greenhouses under 150 square feet). Redemption Steel offers red iron structures in Florida rather than standard carports, and those need a permit from your county or city building department.

Do I need a permit for a metal garage in Florida?
Yes. A metal garage or red iron building is new construction under the Florida Building Code. Expect to submit engineered plans that meet your local wind speed, plus zoning and flood review.

Are farm buildings exempt?
Yes, if they qualify. Section 604.50, Florida Statutes, exempts nonresidential farm buildings on land used for bona fide agricultural purposes from the Florida Building Code and local codes and fees. The building can't be a home, and floodplain management rules still apply.

Sources

Permit rules change. Always confirm with your local permit office before you build.

Looking at buildings? See our metal carports, metal garages and metal buildings.

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