Duval County (Jacksonville), FL HVAC permit requirements

Jacksonville and Duval County are one consolidated government, so one office handles building permits for the city and county. The office describes its job this way: ‘The Building Inspection Division is responsible for protecting the public health, safety and welfare through the enforcement of the Florida Building Code and the City of Jacksonville’s building ordinances.’

The division’s own forms are headed ‘City of Jacksonville - Department of Public Works’, with ‘Building Inspection Division’ beneath it. Whether any other incorporated community inside the county runs its own permit office is Not verified here.

Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023). The division’s home page says: ‘The current code in effect is the Florida Building Code 8th Edition (2023).’ On timing it says: ‘Documents for permits submitted on or after January 1, 2024 will need to reference and comply with the Florida Building Code 8th Edition (2023).’

Its FAQ lists what that includes: Florida Building Code, Building; Fuel Gas; Mechanical; Plumbing; Accessibility; Energy Conservation; and Existing Building. The prior edition’s local rules were not retrieved and are Not verified.

For one- and two-family new buildings, the city’s checklist has a heading that reads: ‘Energy Form 402 & 405 - FBC Energy Conservation 101.5.1’. Under it the city asks the applicant to ‘Complete and provide form R402, R405, R406 or total UA, with required signatures.’ and ‘Complete the Energy Performance Level (EPL) display card.’

The checklist also gives the form-header number: ‘City of Jacksonville jurisdiction number is 261300’.

Required in the new-building package. This is one of the few jurisdictions we have read that writes the words. The same energy section of the checklist says: ‘Provide HVAC system sizing and selection (ACCA Manual S).’ and ‘Provide calculations, based on ACCA Manual J, 2023, 8th Edition minimum, FBC-Energy Conservation R403.’

It also sets an oversizing limit: ‘The equipment total cooling shall be within 100% to 115% of the project’s required cooling load. If the Manual J does not contain equipment information, provide an equipment summary sheet (manufacturer, tonnage, model number, total cooling, SEER; HSPF/AFUE, FBC-Energy R403).’

Scope matters. The checklist is titled for ‘One and Two Family New Buildings, Accessory Structures and Additions’. It is labelled ‘Resource only - This does not replace or limit compliance with the Florida Building Code or Local Ordinance.’

Required in the same package. The checklist item reads: ‘Provide a duct supply, return air and air distribution design (ACCA Manual D), FBC-Energy Conservation R103.2; FBC-Mechanical 603-2.’

A permit is required for replacing air conditioning units. The city’s FAQ lists, under permit-required work: ‘Repairs – replacement of water heaters or other plumbing fixtures, irrigation systems, air conditioning units, new electrical service, rewiring, etc.’ The residential page lists what does not need one, under Mechanical: ‘Replacement of any part within a single piece of equipment’. Whole-unit replacement is not on that list.

The city also publishes an inspection waiver for like-for-like replacements. The form is titled ‘PROPERTY OWNER REQUEST FOR INSPECTION EXEMPTION FOR REPLACEMENT OF ONE- AND TWO-FAMILY HVAC EQUIPMENT’. It requires ‘a notarized property owner signature’, states ‘Total Cost:’ ‘(cannot exceed $5,000)’, and says the rule applies ‘for replacement of existing electric one- and two-family HVAC equipment only, when requested by the property owner.’ It also says ‘the Building Inspection Division reserves the right to deny this request.’ The form carries a ‘Permit Number’ field, so it waives inspections, not the permit.

Not verified: whether a changeout permit requires a submitted Manual J, S or D. The only Manual J checklist we found is the new-building one above, and we found no mechanical-replacement checklist on the forms page. Ask the division before assuming either way.

JaxEPICS only. The division states: ‘Online (electronic) permit submission is now required for all permit types.’ and ‘You must have a JaxEPICS account to submit for a permit.’ The portal is jaxepics.coj.net. ‘All documents submitted must be in PDF format.’

Review order is described this way: ‘Your plan review time frame does not start until Zoning, Concurrency, and Development Services have approved the plans for review and your plan review fee has been paid.’ The Notice of Commencement threshold on the new-building checklist is ‘A Notice of Commencement (NOC) form is required if the total job cost is more than $5,000.00.’ while the residential page says ‘When improvements exceed $5,000. ($15,000 for mechanical work.)’ Both are the city’s own words; check which applies to your scope.

Office: ‘214 North Hogan Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202’, phone ‘904-255-8500’, email ‘[email protected]’.

Not every page on the city site has been updated. The residential permits page still describes a counter process: ‘You must have two complete sets of architectural plans, site plans, truss engineering when necessary, and three sets of energy calculations and Manual J when the work involves a new space that is heated or cooled.’ That is a counter process, which conflicts with the portal-only rule above, though it also ties Manual J to a new conditioned space. The commercial page cites ‘the 1997 Energy Efficiency Code for Building Construction’. We follow the dated checklist and flag the rest.

Not verified. None of the Jacksonville documents we read states a climate zone, so none is shown on this page.