§ 9-28. Building permit applicants—Owners acting as own contractor.

(a)

The owner of a property may build or improve a one-family or two-family residence or a farm outbuilding. The owner may also build or improve a commercial building if the cost does not exceed seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000.00). The building or residence must be for the owner's own use or occupancy. It may not be built or substantially improved for sale or lease. If a building or residence is built or substantially improved and is sold or leased within one (1) year after construction is complete, the law will presume that it was built or substantially improved for sale, which violates the exemption.

(b)

The owner must provide direct, onsite supervision of the construction. The owner may not hire an unlicensed person to act as the contractor or to supervise persons working on the building or residence.

(c)

The building official, as defined in the Florida Building Code, may require proof that the applicant is the owner of the property upon or in which construction or installation is to take place and nothing in this section is to be construed to invalidate the requirement for applying for and obtaining permits, paying fees, calling for required inspections and complying with all plans, specifications, codes, laws and regulations applicable. The owner must sign the permit application and the owner-builder affidavit form at the sustainable development department and it must be notarized by a sustainable development department notary.

(d)

When the master permit is held by an owner as set forth in subsections (a) and (b) and any work hereunder is by contract and separate permits are required for the work, the contractor shall separately and in addition to such owner builder, make application for, and obtain permits to include all work done by the contractor.

(e)

The United States, federal agencies and their contractors, in the execution of federal projects authorized by Congress, are exempted from the provisions of this section.

( Ord. No. C-10-30, § 1, 9-21-10 ; Ord. No. C-17-28 , § 24, 9-13-17)