FBC 9th Edition (2026): What Southwest Florida Should Know

The Short Answer

The Florida Building Code 9th Edition (2026) takes effect on December 31, 2026. The date of your complete permit application decides which edition applies to your project.

The 8th Edition (2023) is the code in effect today. If a complete application is in by December 30, 2026, your project is reviewed under it. If it goes in on or after December 31, 2026, the 9th Edition applies. Only a complete application counts. An application the building department sends back as incomplete does not lock in the older code.

The date matters for your drawings, too. A permit set names the code edition it was designed to. A set drawn to the 8th Edition but submitted on or after December 31, 2026 will need to be updated to the 9th Edition. A 9th Edition set with a complete application in before that date is reviewed under the 8th.

What Does Not Change

The wind design standard does not change. ASCE 7-22 is the wind standard under both the 8th and the 9th Edition, and the 9th Edition brings no new wind map. You may read online that the new code changes the wind requirements. It does not.

The 25% roof rule is also unchanged. It limits how much of a roof section can be repaired or replaced in 12 months before the whole section must meet current code. State law keeps its exception for newer roofs. Some roof installation details do change, as listed below.

Southwest Florida is not in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. That zone covers only Miami-Dade and Broward counties, so its 9th Edition changes do not apply in Lee, Collier or Charlotte County. Homes here are still designed for hurricane winds under ASCE 7-22.

Changes Most Likely to Affect Your Project

Most items below come from published training summaries of the 9th Edition. The garage alarm and saltwater items were checked against the published 9th Edition text. This is not the full list. Before you rely on any item, confirm the final code text and any local requirements with your building department.

• Drip edge: Nearly every roof covering, not only shingles, now needs a drip edge on slopes of 2 inches of rise per foot or steeper.

• Manufacturer's instructions: Roof flashing must follow the code and the manufacturer's installation instructions, so it is wise to include them with the roof permit documents.

• Saltwater corrosion: Within 3,000 feet of a saltwater coastline, fasteners, connectors and plates follow tiered corrosion rules; exterior hardware within 300 feet is stainless. The code leaves saltwater coastline undefined, so on a canal or river lot your building official decides; we have found no state ruling yet.

• Flood paperwork: In a mapped flood hazard area, an Elevation Certificate is due at the foundation inspection and again at the final inspection. Flood documents are also needed before the certificate of occupancy.

• Garage alarms: Under the 9th Edition, an attached garage needs a smoke alarm (FBC-R R314.3, item 5). Where the smoke alarm's listing does not allow a garage, a listed heat detector interconnected with the smoke alarms goes there instead.

• Kitchen smoke alarms: A smoke alarm may not be placed within 10 feet, measured horizontally, of a permanently installed cooking appliance. A limited exception allows 6 feet in some layouts.

• Doors under overhangs: A door that relies on a roof overhang to keep rain off needs a Limited Water (LW) water-resistance rating. The overhang must also extend past each side of the door, not only outward.

• Energy: Homes that use the standard checklist method must earn added efficiency credits. Homes that use whole-house energy modeling must meet a tighter target.

For a residential project of typical scope, mechanical and plumbing plans are not required. The Florida Energy Conservation Code compliance form, a short-form energy calculation, is required. On a 9th Edition project, it must reflect the 9th Edition energy rules.

What to Do Before December 31, 2026

• To stay on the 8th Edition, set a submittal date now that leaves time for a complete application by December 30, 2026.

• If your project could land near that date, decide with your engineer now which edition to design to.

• On a 9th Edition project within 3,000 feet of a saltwater coastline, expect your drawings to show corrosion-rated fasteners and connectors. On a canal or river lot, ask your building department early whether your lot counts.

• In a flood hazard area, plan for both Elevation Certificates, at the foundation and final inspections.

Questions About Your Project?

If your project could land near December 31, 2026, call Michael D. Stewart, P.E., LLC at (239) 292-7670. We can talk through your timing and which code edition your drawings should follow before the permit application goes in.