Florida's New $7,500 Permit Exemption: What Miami Sellers Need to Know
As of July 1, 2026, Florida's HB 803 exempts most residential repairs and improvements under $7,500 from needing a building permit, covering things like painting, flooring, cabinetry, and fencing. Electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, and gas work still require a permit regardless of cost, and homes in flood hazard zones aren't covered by the exemption. Skipping the permit doesn't erase your disclosure obligations or the requirement that the work meet Florida's building code, so sellers in Coral Gables, Pinecrest, and Palmetto Bay should still document what they do before listing.
By Lynley Ciorobea | July 27, 2026
If you've been putting off small pre-listing fixes because you didn't want to deal with the permit office, Florida just made that decision a little easier. HB 803 took effect July 1, 2026, and it's already changing how sellers across Coral Gables, Pinecrest, South Miami, Coconut Grove, and Palmetto Bay approach the "what should I fix before I list" question.
I've had a handful of clients ask me about this in the last few weeks, usually some version of: "Do I actually need a permit for this?" It's a fair question, and the honest answer is that the new law helps with some things and changes nothing at all about others.
What HB 803 Actually Changed
Governor DeSantis signed HB 803 in May 2026, and the headline provision is simple: residential work valued under $7,500 no longer requires a building permit in most cases.
That covers a lot of the cosmetic prep work sellers do before listing:
Interior and exterior painting
Flooring replacement
Cabinetry work
Drywall repair and finishing
Fences and decking
General landscaping and hardscape touch-ups
For a Pinecrest or Palmetto Bay seller doing a round of pre-listing freshening, that's a real time and cost savings. You're not waiting on a permit review just to repaint a room or swap out flooring in a guest bathroom.
But the exemption has real limits, and they matter:
Five trades are excluded no matter the cost. Electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, and gas work still need a permit even if the job is $500. If you're patching drywall after an electrician moves a switch, the drywall might be exempt, but the electrical work isn't.
Flood hazard areas aren't covered. If your property sits in a flood zone, which includes parts of waterfront Coconut Grove and Cocoplum, this exemption doesn't apply to you the same way. You'll want to confirm your zone before assuming any project qualifies.
You can't split a project to dodge the threshold. The law is explicit about this. A $20,000 kitchen refresh doesn't become three exempt $6,600 phases just because you break it into stages. Building departments are watching for this.
Permits also got faster and cheaper for everything else. Beyond the exemption, HB 803 requires timely permit issuance with real deadlines, extends permit validity to a full year (or until the next Building Code cycle), and cuts some of the administrative fees that used to pad project costs. If your project does need a permit, it should move faster than it would have a year ago.
HOAs lost a lever. This is the part that matters most for Coral Gables and Pinecrest sellers whose properties sit under an HOA or architectural review board. HOAs can no longer require you to show a permit as a precondition for architectural review approval. If your association previously wouldn't even look at your proposed fence or landscaping change without a permit in hand, that requirement is gone.
What This Means If You're Prepping to List
The practical effect for most sellers in my pre-listing checklist conversations is this: the small, cosmetic stuff got easier. The big-ticket, systems-level stuff didn't change at all.
Here's how I'd think about it if you're weighing what to tackle before you list:
Exempt now, worth doing: fresh paint throughout, refinished or replaced flooring in a couple of rooms, a new fence along the side yard, cabinet refacing in a secondary bathroom, minor landscaping and hardscape repair. These are exactly the kind of low-cost, high-visibility fixes that buyers notice on a showing, and now you can knock them out without a permitting delay.
Still needs a permit, no matter what: anything touching your electrical panel or wiring, plumbing repairs or rerouting, structural changes (moving a wall, altering a roofline), HVAC replacement, or gas line work. If you were hoping the new law meant you could skip the permit on a roof repair or an HVAC swap because it happened to come in under $7,500, it doesn't work that way. Those five trades are excluded regardless of cost.
This distinction matters a lot if you're deciding between something like fresh interior paint (exempt, quick, cheap) versus impact window installation before you sell, which is a structural, permitted project no matter how the invoice is broken up. Both can be worthwhile investments depending on your timeline, but they sit in completely different categories under this law.
If your home carries a historic designation in Coral Gables, the exemption doesn't override your city's Certificate of Appropriateness review for exterior work either. That's a separate, local approval process, and it still applies even to smaller projects if your home falls under that designation.
The Fine Print Sellers Skip At Their Own Risk
Here's the part I want every seller to actually absorb: the exemption removes the permit, not the accountability.
Your work still has to meet the Florida Building Code even if nobody stamped a permit for it. If a buyer's inspector spots something that doesn't meet code, whether it was technically exempt from permitting or not, it can still become a repair request or a price negotiation during the inspection period.
Your disclosure obligations don't change. Under Florida's Johnson v. Davis standard, you're required to disclose known facts that materially affect the property's value, and that includes work you've done to the home. I walk through this in more detail in my post on what Miami sellers must disclose before listing, and this new exemption doesn't change that obligation one bit. If anything, it makes good recordkeeping more important, not less, because there's no permit file for a buyer's title company to pull.
Insurance is the other piece people miss. If exempt work down the road contributes to a claim (say, a fence that wasn't properly anchored or drywall work that masked an underlying issue), an insurer can still deny or reduce a claim if they determine the work wasn't done to code, permit or no permit. Keep your receipts, contractor invoices, and photos even for projects that don't require a permit. It costs you nothing now and can save you a real headache later.
For sellers weighing a handful of small pre-listing projects, this law is good news. It's faster, it's cheaper, and it removes a bureaucratic step that used to slow down simple cosmetic work. Just don't let the word "exempt" convince you the work matters less. Buyers, inspectors, and insurers are all still going to care about how it was done.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Florida's new permit law mean I don't have to disclose repairs I made before selling?
No. HB 803 removes the permit requirement for qualifying work under $7,500, but it doesn't change Florida's disclosure law. You're still required to disclose known material facts about the property, including work you've had done, whether or not it needed a permit.
Does the $7,500 exemption apply to my whole renovation budget or per project?
It applies per qualifying project, and the law specifically prohibits splitting a larger project into smaller phases to stay under the threshold. A $15,000 renovation doesn't become two exempt $7,500 projects just because you phase the invoicing.
Will this new law help me sell a home that has old unpermitted work from a previous owner?
Not directly. HB 803 changes what requires a permit going forward starting July 1, 2026. It doesn't retroactively legalize or resolve unpermitted work that already exists on your property from before the law took effect. That's still something to address through your local building department or disclose to your buyer.
Are impact windows or a new roof covered by the $7,500 exemption?
No. Impact windows and roofing work generally fall under structural work, and structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and gas work are excluded from the exemption regardless of cost. Those projects still require a standard permit.
Does my HOA still need to approve my project even if it's permit-exempt?
Usually, yes. Your HOA's architectural review process is separate from the building permit process, and most associations still require approval for exterior changes. What changed is that your HOA can no longer require you to produce a permit as a condition of that architectural review.
If you're thinking through which pre-listing projects are worth your time and which ones you can skip, this is exactly the kind of decision I walk clients through before we ever put a home on the market. Every property and every situation is a little different, and the only way to know what actually moves the needle for your home is to look at it together. Reach out anytime.
About Lynley Ciorobea
Lynley Ciorobea is a Miami-born real estate professional known for helping homeowners successfully prepare, position, and sell their homes across Coral Gables, South Miami, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, and the surrounding southern Miami neighborhoods. Since 2007, she has built her business around thoughtful strategy, strong negotiation, and a marketing-first approach designed to help listings stand out in an ever-evolving market.
A true local, Lynley grew up in Pinecrest and graduated from Palmer Trinity School before attending Duke University, where she earned a BA in Psychology. Her deep roots in Miami give her a nuanced understanding of the architecture, lifestyle, and character that make each neighborhood distinct. From classic Old Spanish homes in Coral Gables to newer construction in South Miami and Pinecrest, she brings a local perspective that goes far beyond surface-level market knowledge.
Over the years, Lynley has naturally become a trusted resource for homeowners preparing to sell. Many of her clients come to her long before their home ever hits the market, looking for guidance on timing, pricing, improvements, and how to position their property thoughtfully. She approaches each listing as a strategic launch rather than a simple transaction, combining market insight, negotiation experience, and elevated marketing to help sellers move forward with clarity and confidence.
As the founder of the Lynley Residential Group, Lynley remains personally involved in every listing she represents. She leads each transaction from initial strategy through closing, ensuring that every detail — from pricing and preparation to storytelling and exposure — reflects the uniqueness of the home itself. Her work often centers on architecturally interesting properties and homes where thoughtful positioning can make a meaningful difference in outcome.
Throughout her career, Lynley has consistently ranked among the top real estate agents in Miami. She has been recognized as part of EWM's Chairman's Club, placing in the top 5% of the company; in 2022 she was honored as the #2 individual agent at the company overall with $37 million in annual sales; and she's a leader in Miami with Real Broker. With more than $100 million in career transactions and more than 60 5-star Google reviews, her experience spans a wide range of property types while maintaining a strong focus on seller representation in southern Miami.
Beyond her work with clients, Lynley is known locally for her market insight and community-focused content. Through her weekly newsletter, neighborhood videos, blog posts, and social media, she shares thoughtful perspectives on the Miami real estate market and the lifestyle that surrounds it. Her approach is informative without being overwhelming, offering homeowners a clear understanding of how market conditions affect real decisions.
If you're preparing to sell a home in Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, South Miami, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, or nearby areas, Lynley offers a local perspective shaped by experience, relationships, and a genuine understanding of what makes Miami homes so special. Learn more at lynleyresidential.com.