On June 16, 2025, Governor DeSantis signed HB 683, known as the “Construction Regulations” bill, into law. The clear aim of HB 683 is to trim regulatory drag affecting Florida’s construction sector. With nearly 467,000 new residents last year alone, Florida is struggling to keep up with housing, commercial development, and infrastructure demands. Effective July 1, 2025, this sweeping reform will impact everything from permitting timelines to public bidding and change-order deadlines. It is essential that developers, contractors, and municipal teams understand the upcoming changes to Florida law.
Local Government Permitting Reforms
Under the new law, local building departments can no longer demand copies of contracts or related commercial or financial documents as a condition to submit or receive a building permit. Prior to HB 683, local officials commonly required those contracts as part of the permit package. Many contractors and design-build teams include sensitive pricing terms and contingency clauses in contracts, which placed sensitive financial data into municipal records, unnecessarily exposing proprietary details.
Private Providers, Virtual Inspections and Single–Trade Plans Reviews
The new law also modernizes inspection and the plan review process by incorporating private providers and digital tools. Contractors working on solar, alarm systems, or plumbing can submit limited-scope plans through certified platforms. Local officials must process these within no more than 20 business days after receipt, or if the permit application is related to a single-trade plans review for a single-family or two-family dwelling, no more than 5 business days. If local officials do not act within the statutorily set timeframes, the permit may be issued automatically. Additionally, low risk work (e.g., solar or alarm installations) can now be approved remotely, via video-conferencing inspection, or by private third-party inspectors, not just the local authority. This builds off existing state-level reforms such as the “simplified permitting” process and streamlines submission-to-start timelines for smaller, routine trades like HVAC, electrical, and plumbing.
Public Works Bidding & Procurement Rules
HB 683 also tightens rules governing the public works bid process, aiming to encourage broader participation, including a prohibition on penalties for large volume bidders. State or local government entities cannot penalize contractors simply because they perform large-volume work for the public sector or reward others for doing only smaller projects. This reform ensures the bid evaluation remains merit-based, with volume neither a negative nor bonus factor.
Change Order Prompt Payment and Dispute Process
Perhaps the most impactful provision for contractors: HB 683 imposes strict deadlines on municipalities when processing change orders, including clear consequences. Any local governmental entity receiving a contractor’s price quote for a change order must respond—meaning approve or deny—in writing within 30 days. If declining, the entity must clearly state what is deficient and how to fix it. This timeframe is non-negotiable; local governments can’t contract around it. If the local entity either fails to notify the contractor within 30 days or denies the change order without detailed justification, it becomes liable to the contractor for all associated costs tied to the change order, including labor, materials, equipment, and overhead. This shifts risk back to municipalities, forcing local governments to now track and meet internal deadlines or face financial responsibility for project-cost overruns.
What Contractors Should Do Now
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- *Remind municipal staff/inspectors on key dates and responsibilities (July 1 baseline).
- *Review permitting submissions clearly (avoid posting private contracts).
- *Track all submitted change orders with reminders to trigger government action within 30 days.
- *Use private providers or plan platforms when beneficial, especially for solar, alarm, or other trades.
Joshua B. Loren and Bruce E. Loren of Loren & Kean Law are based in Palm Beach Gardens and Ft. Lauderdale. Loren & Kean Law is a boutique law firm concentrating in construction law and employment law. Mr. Bruce Loren has achieved the status of Board Certified by the Florida Bar in Construction Law, recognizing his expertise in this area. Mr. Joshua Loren focuses his practice on construction, labor and employment law, only representing the interests of employers and business owners. The firm represents all types of construction clients in every aspect of the construction process. They can be reached at jloren@lorenkeanlaw.com or bloren@lorenkeanlaw.com or 561-615-5701.
