What does design and permitting cover?
Everything the permit office needs to approve your ADU: a survey, a site plan, floor plans and elevations, structural engineering, energy calculations and product approvals. Then the review itself, and every round of comments until the permit is issued. We include it in each build, or do it as a stand-alone service.
Who issues ADU permits around Jacksonville?
- City of Jacksonville. Most of Duval County, through the city's Planning and Development Department and its building inspection division.
- The beach cities. Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach each run their own codes and permits.
- Neighboring counties and cities. Clay, St. Johns and Nassau counties, and cities such as Orange Park, St. Augustine and Fernandina Beach, have their own rules.
The address decides which office reviews your project, so it is the first thing we check.
What goes into a Northeast Florida ADU plan set?
- Survey and site plan: lot lines, easements, setbacks, drainage and, on flood-zone lots, elevations.
- Architecture: plans and elevations showing placement behind the house and height relative to it.
- Structure: foundation and framing engineered for Florida Building Code wind loads.
- Flood design: lowest-floor elevation, flood vents for any enclosure below, flood-resistant materials.
- Energy: Florida energy code compliance for insulation, windows and cooling.
- Product approvals: windows, doors and roofing approved for use in Florida.
What extra reviews can come up?
- Historic districts. Jacksonville neighborhoods such as Riverside-Avondale and Springfield, St. Augustine's historic districts and Fernandina Beach's downtown can require design review.
- Coastal construction. Oceanfront parcels seaward of the state's coastal construction control line can need a permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
- HOA approval. Many subdivisions require architectural approval before the city application. See can an HOA block an ADU.
Which code edition will my plans follow?
The 9th edition of the Florida Building Code takes effect December 31, 2026. Which edition applies depends on when the application is filed, so on projects near that date we confirm it before the engineering is finalized.
Related
As of October 2026. Sources: reporting on City of Jacksonville Ordinance 2022-0448; ICC on the 2026 Florida Building Code; Florida coastal construction control line program.