Florida HB 803: Skip the Permit for Cosmetic Remodels Under $7,500 (Starts July 1, 2026)

What Changed on July 1, 2026

Starting July 1, 2026, Florida homeowners can do cosmetic remodel work on a single-family home valued under $7,500 without a building permit. Governor DeSantis signed HB 803 into law on May 7, 2026. If you have been putting off a kitchen refresh, bathroom update, or interior paint job because of permit cost and inspection delays, this law was written for you.

The catch is in the details. The exemption only covers cosmetic and finish work. Anything involving electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas components still needs a permit. So does any work on a property inside a flood-hazard zone, which covers a lot of coastal Miami-Dade. And you cannot split one big project into smaller fake projects to stay under the cap. The law calls that anti-bundling, and it is explicitly banned.

This guide explains what HB 803 actually says, what kinds of jobs qualify, what is excluded, and how it changes the math for Miami homeowners planning a remodel this year.

Plain English Summary of HB 803

The bill's exact language is dense. Here is what it means in normal terms:

If you own a single-family home, and the work you want done costs less than $7,500 in total, and the work is cosmetic only, your city or county cannot require you to pull a building permit. That is the rule. Your remodeling team can start work without filing paperwork at the building department, which saves the homeowner permit fees (usually $200 to $800 in Miami-Dade) and skips the 1 to 4 week wait for permit approval and inspector scheduling.

There is a second piece most people are missing. HB 803 also stops homeowners associations from demanding a building permit as a precondition for architectural review. If your HOA used to make you bring a permit copy before they would approve your paint color or new tile, that is now illegal. They still get to approve the project itself. They just cannot use a permit requirement as a stalling tactic anymore.

What Qualifies for the Exemption

The law was designed around the kind of work most homeowners actually want done. The qualifying examples include:

Cosmetic kitchen updates (cabinets, countertops, backsplash, hardware, paint)
Cosmetic bathroom updates (vanity replacement, tile, paint, fixtures that connect to existing rough-in)
Interior painting, top to bottom
Exterior painting (siding, stucco, trim)
Cabinet installation or refacing
Flooring (tile, vinyl plank, hardwood, laminate)
Drywall finishing, patching, and texture
Trim, baseboards, crown molding
Tile work, including backsplashes, shower walls (where no plumbing is moved), and floors
Interior door replacement
Closet build-outs that are not load bearing

These are exactly the kinds of jobs Broke & Fixed Home Solutions does every week in Kendall, Coral Gables, Pinecrest, Doral, and the rest of Miami-Dade. We do not move plumbing lines, electrical runs, or load-bearing structure. So almost everything we do falls inside the HB 803 exemption.

What Does NOT Qualify

HB 803 is generous, but it draws a clear line at any work that touches a building system. The following still require a permit, even if the total project is under $7,500:

Electrical work. New outlets, new circuits, panel changes, ceiling fan additions where there was no electrical box before, recessed lighting installation requiring new circuits.
Plumbing. Moving a sink, toilet, or shower to a new location. Adding a new water line. Replacing the main water shut-off. Tankless water heater installation.
Structural work. Removing or altering load-bearing walls. Adding beams or headers. Foundation repairs.
Mechanical. HVAC equipment install or relocation, ductwork additions.
Gas. Any work on gas lines or gas appliances.
Flood-hazard areas. If your property sits partially or fully inside a flood-hazard zone as defined by the Florida Building Code, the exemption does not apply. A lot of South Florida coastal property is in this category, including parts of Cutler Bay, Palmetto Bay near the bay, and South Miami Heights. Check your flood zone before you assume the exemption covers you.

The anti-bundling provision matters here too. If a contractor tells you, "We will write three separate $6,000 invoices for the same kitchen so we can skip the permit," walk away. That is the exact scenario the law was written to prevent. Doing it can invalidate the exemption and expose the homeowner to back-permitting costs.

What This Means for Miami Homeowners

The honest answer is: it makes small and mid-size projects easier, faster, and cheaper. Three concrete examples from how we actually quote work:

Example 1. Bathroom refresh in Kendall. Replace vanity, install new tile on shower walls (no plumbing moved), repaint, swap hardware. Materials and labor: about $5,800. Under HB 803, no permit needed. Save $300 in permit fees and 2 to 3 weeks of waiting.

Example 2. Kitchen cosmetic update in Pinecrest. Paint cabinets, new hardware, new countertop installed on existing cabinets, tile backsplash, new sink that connects to the existing rough-in (no plumbing moved). Materials and labor: about $7,200. Under HB 803, no permit needed. Save $500 in permit fees and the inspection wait.

Example 3. Full interior repaint in Coral Gables. Entire 2,400 sq ft house, walls, ceilings, and trim. About $6,400. Under HB 803, no permit needed. This was already a no-permit job in most municipalities, but HB 803 makes it consistent statewide so there is no gray area.

There is a fourth scenario where HB 803 might NOT help you, even on a cosmetic job. If you are in an HOA condo or townhome and your association controls the structure, you still need their architectural approval. HB 803 stops them from demanding a permit as a condition of that approval, but they still get to say yes or no to the design itself. So check with your HOA architectural committee early, before you order materials.

Why Now Is the Moment to Plan Your Project

Three things converge in summer 2026 to make this an unusually good window:

HB 803 cuts wait time. Permit-pull no longer adds weeks for cosmetic projects.

Hurricane season is approaching. From June through November, interior projects make more sense than exterior. A bathroom or kitchen update is unaffected by storms.

HOA pressure is lifting. Your association cannot weaponize permit requirements against your architectural request anymore.

The catch is that demand is going to spike. Once homeowners realize they can skip the permit on small jobs, calendars in Miami-Dade will fill up. Our July and August schedules already get tight every year. Book early.

FAQ: Florida HB 803 for Miami Homeowners

Does HB 803 apply to condos and townhomes?

The exemption applies to single-family dwellings. Condos and townhomes governed by an HOA can still benefit from the HOA-cannot-require-a-permit provision, but the main $7,500 exemption is specifically written for single-family. If you live in a condo, check with your association about which interior modifications need their approval, since the building itself may still need permitted work for anything touching shared systems.

Can I bundle a paint + tile + cabinet job to keep it under $7,500?

You cannot split one project into smaller fake projects to dodge the cap. That is the anti-bundling rule. But if you genuinely have multiple separate small projects done at different times (paint in May, tile in August, cabinets in November), each is its own job. A good remodeling team will help you sequence work honestly so you stay inside the law.

What if I am in a flood-hazard zone?

HB 803 does not apply. You will still need to pull a permit for any work, even under $7,500. If you are not sure whether your property is in a flood-hazard zone, check the Miami-Dade County flood zone map online or call your building department. Coastal properties, properties near canals, and properties in low-lying areas of Cutler Bay, Palmetto Bay, and parts of South Miami Heights are most likely affected.

Do I still need to hire an insured remodeling company?

Yes, and you should. Skipping a permit does not skip the rest of the protection homeowners need. If a worker gets hurt on your property and your remodeling team is not insured, you can be held liable. If the work is done poorly and water damage shows up six months later, you want a company with general liability insurance and a clear warranty. HB 803 is about cutting paperwork, not cutting standards.

What about kitchen and bathroom remodels specifically?

If the work is cosmetic and stays under $7,500, you do not need a permit. If you are moving plumbing (relocating a sink, shower, toilet), that part needs a permit even if everything else qualifies. If you are not moving plumbing, just replacing fixtures in their existing locations, you are inside the exemption.

How does HB 803 affect my HOA approval?

Your HOA still gets to approve or reject the design itself, but they can no longer require you to bring a building permit as a precondition of their architectural review. This is a big shift, especially in neighborhoods like Coral Gables, Pinecrest, and parts of Kendall where HOA architectural committees can be slow. Your application now moves faster.

When does HB 803 take effect?

July 1, 2026. The bill was signed by Governor DeSantis on May 7, 2026, and the operative date is July 1. Work started before July 1 may still need a permit under the old rules. Work starting on or after July 1 follows the new rule.

Is HB 803 the same as Senate Bill 803?

HB 803 is the House version of the bill. The Senate companion was Senate Bill 1144. Both passed and the House version is what became law. If you see news articles or social posts referring to "the new $7,500 permit law" or "DeSantis permit exemption," they are all the same statute.

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