Permit-Ready Residential Drawings for Florida Projects
Florida Service Area
Florida residential work is governed by a statewide building code, local amendments, and parcel-specific zoning. Accessory dwelling unit eligibility remains local: 2025 SB 184 did not become law, so the city or county ordinance must be checked before an ADU is treated as feasible. Apex prepares residential drawing sets through a fully remote process and researches the applicable requirements before scope is finalized.
ADU Rules in Florida: State and Local Law
Florida does not currently have a statewide law requiring every local government to allow an accessory dwelling unit on every single-family lot. Florida Statutes Section 163.31771 allows local governments to adopt ordinances permitting accessory dwelling units in residential areas. The official Florida Senate record shows that 2025 SB 184 died in returning messages on June 16, 2025, and 2026 SB 48 died in House messages on March 13, 2026.
That means ADU feasibility still turns on the current ordinance for the applicable city or county, plus the parcel's zoning, overlays, lot dimensions, setbacks, parking, utilities, flood or coastal constraints, and any deed restrictions. A general state summary cannot establish that a specific lot is eligible.
Apex checks the current local planning and building sources before defining an ADU drawing scope. Property owners should confirm the interpretation with the authority having jurisdiction before relying on a design or construction budget. Read the Florida SB 184 Did Not Become Law for the official bill history and source links.
How Permitting Shapes Drafting Work in Florida
Florida runs on a single statewide building code with local amendments layered on top, and in coastal jurisdictions those layers get thick: wind requirements, flood-zone elevation rules, and post-storm rebuild documentation. The practical effect is that Florida building departments expect complete, clearly referenced drawing sets, and incomplete submissions go to the back of the line.
Because our studio is fully remote, our deliverable is built for exactly that reality: a digital, submission-ready set you or your contractor files with the local building department. We research the amendments that apply to your address, draw to them, and note where your jurisdiction will require sealed engineering, such as structural or wind-load documents from a Florida-licensed engineer, so nothing surprises you at intake. Timelines and revision rounds vary by scope, so we quote both up front instead of promising a universal number.
Florida Metros We Serve
Every project below runs through the same remote process, and each metro has its own page covering local permitting flavor and project types. Browse the full list on our service areas hub.
Miami
Dense lots, demanding coastal requirements, and a permit process that rewards complete, well-documented drawing sets.
Tampa
A busy bay-area market where infill builds, ADUs, and remodels all compete for the same permit review queue.
Orlando
Central Florida's growth engine, with new construction and ADU interest spread across a patchwork of city and county jurisdictions.
Jacksonville
A sprawling consolidated city-county with room for new custom builds alongside urban-core renovations.
Cape Coral-Fort Myers
A canal-lined Gulf Coast market where lot-specific site conditions make careful planning and as-built documentation essential.
St. Petersburg
Housing stock averaging a 1972 build year, with over 42% of homes dating to the 1940s through 60s (census data), and rebuild rules after Hurricanes Helene and Milton that push any repair exceeding 49% of a home's value into fully code-compliant, professionally drawn plans.
Fort Lauderdale
Just 227 new single-family homes permitted in all of 2024 at an average construction value near $537,000 (Census Building Permits Survey), with typical home values at $520,973 (Zillow, +4.6%): the classic profile of a coastal market where remodels and additions, not new subdivisions, drive drafting demand.
West Palm Beach
Palm Beach County's fastest-growing large city, up 9,529 residents since the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau estimates), inside a county that permitted $1.47 billion worth of new homes in 2024 (Palm Beach County Planning Division).
Sarasota
Sarasota County authorized 5,259 new single-family homes worth $2.04 billion in 2024 (US Census Building Permits Survey), more single-family permits than Pinellas, Broward, and Palm Beach counties combined: the Gulf Coast's custom-home epicenter.
Working on a Florida project right now?
Send us the lot and what you want to build. We'll confirm which local rules apply to your parcel and come back with a firm number, at no cost.
What Florida Clients Ask Us to Draw
Florida's older coastal housing stock, statewide building code, local amendments, and jurisdiction-specific ADU ordinances create steady demand for careful permit documentation. The right project mix depends on the property and the current local rules.
ADU Plans & Design
ADU plans may be feasible where the current ordinance for Florida allows them. Apex verifies the parcel's zoning and local dimensional requirements before defining the drawing scope; neither 2025 SB 184 nor 2026 SB 48 became law.
Home Additions & Remodel Drafting
In built-out coastal metros like Fort Lauderdale and St. Petersburg, the lot you have is the lot you get. Additions and remodels dominate, and older housing stock means the existing conditions must be documented before the new work is drawn.
Permit-Ready Drawings & As-Builts
Florida's code-heavy permitting culture and post-storm rebuild requirements make accurate as-builts and complete permit sets the difference between a smooth review and a returned application.
Custom House Plans
In growth corridors like Sarasota and Central Florida, ground-up custom homes are alive and well. If your budget or timeline calls for a faster starting point, stock house plans start at $799.
Florida Drafting FAQs
Is it legal to build an ADU anywhere in Florida?
Not automatically. Florida does not currently have a statewide law requiring every local government to allow an accessory dwelling unit on every single-family lot. Florida Statutes Section 163.31771 allows local governments to adopt ordinances permitting accessory dwelling units in residential areas. The official Florida Senate record shows that 2025 SB 184 died in returning messages on June 16, 2025, and 2026 SB 48 died in House messages on March 13, 2026. Eligibility in Florida depends on the current local ordinance and the specific parcel. Confirm the city or county requirements before design.
Can a remote drafting company prepare plans that Florida building departments will accept?
Yes. Building departments review the content of the drawing set, not the drafter's mailing address. We draft to the Florida Building Code, research your jurisdiction's local amendments before drawing begins, and deliver digital files you or your contractor submit locally. Where a jurisdiction requires sealed structural or wind-load documents, those come from a Florida-licensed engineer, and we prepare our drawings so that coordination is straightforward.
How much do house plans cost in Florida?
Stock house plans start at $799. Custom house plans, ADU plans, and addition or remodel drawings are quoted per project based on scope, square footage, and the documentation your jurisdiction requires. Request a free quote and we will price your specific project, with no obligation.
How long does it take to get permit-ready plans in Florida?
It depends on the scope of the project and the documentation your jurisdiction expects, so we quote a timeline up front rather than promising a one-size-fits-all number. Revision rounds are built into every project, and because our workflow is fully digital there is no waiting on office visits or mailed drawings.
Get a Free Quote for Your Florida Project
Tell us what you're building and we'll scope it, confirm the timeline, and give you a firm number before any drafting starts. Every plan set is drafted to your local jurisdiction's documentation standards.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (435) 990-3556.
Start Your Florida Project
Tell us about your lot, your ADU idea, or your remodel, and we will map the path from first sketch to a permit-ready set your building department can review. Serving all nine Florida metros above, and everywhere in between, through one remote process.