Florida Building Code 9th Edition: What Changes Dec 31, 2026

Short answer: the Florida Building Code, 9th Edition (2026) takes effect statewide on December 31, 2026. It replaces the 8th Edition (2023), which stays in force until then.

Which edition applies to your project

Florida generally ties a permit to the code edition in effect when the application is submitted. In practice, drawings submitted before December 31, 2026 are reviewed under the 8th Edition, and anything submitted on or after that date is reviewed under the 9th. Building departments can differ on what counts as a complete submittal, so confirm the cut-off rule with yours before you plan around it.

What the 9th Edition is based on

Each Florida edition takes the latest International Codes and adds Florida-specific amendments. The 9th Edition moves to the 2024 International Codes, while the 8th Edition is built on the 2021 versions. A few changes matter most for permit drawings:

• Wind loads. Structural design moves to the ASCE 7-22 standard, replacing ASCE 7-16. In a hurricane state that touches roof framing, connections, and the design pressures used for windows and doors.
• Electrical. Electrical requirements move up to the 2023 National Electrical Code.
• Energy. The energy conservation volume follows the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code, so compliance forms and calculations change with it.

What this means for your drawings

• The code edition is listed on the cover sheet. Plan reviewers check it first, and a set drawn to the wrong edition can be sent back.
• Wind calculations prepared under ASCE 7-16 may need to be redone for a submittal after the change.
• Product approvals for windows, doors and roofing should match the design pressures in the edition your permit falls under.

Planning around the switch

• Submitting soon? Decide early which edition your set is drawn to, and leave room for corrections. Building departments tend to get busy close to a code change.
• Starting a design now for a 2027 submittal? Design it to the 9th Edition from the start so nothing has to be redone.
• Not sure? Ask your building department how they treat applications submitted before the change but completed after it.

How we handle it

Every set we seal lists the code edition it was designed to. For Florida projects submitted on or after December 31, 2026 we design to the 9th Edition, and for earlier submittals we confirm with you which edition applies. See our Florida permit engineering page for what Florida building departments typically ask for.

Sources

• 2026 Florida Building Code, Building, Ninth Edition (International Code Council)

This article is general information, not a code interpretation for a specific project. Your building department has the final word on which edition applies.