Plan Submittal Requirements

Digitally Signed Documents

For Digitally signed documents:

Create one PDF file per discipline to contain the corresponding drawings, ex: (A-1, A-2, A-last in one ARCHITECTURAL PDF file, etc.).

Important Note: Zip Files / PDF Packages are not acceptable file formats and thus not allowed for uploading.

Apply a seal and date in the title block of all pages. Check document security and only leave restrictions for changing and assembling the document. Apply your verifiable digital signature by a Certificate Authority from the trusted agencies listed below.

Plans, Applications & Supporting Documents

For Plans, Application(s), and Supporting documents’ submittal, these items must be ready to be uploaded as follows.

Plans

1. All drawings and supporting documents in the plans package must be in PDF format. One PDF per discipline.
2. PDF files shall only have one layer (flattened) without any embedded objects. Do not flatten after the signature has been applied.
3. PDF files only. All security settings must be unrestricted.
4. PDF files shall not be encrypted, password-protected and must allow mark-ups.
5. Plans must be submitted as one set per discipline, each page showing stamp, and each set digitally signed by the design professional.
6. Drawings must contain a scale.
7. All drawings’ files should have the same X/Y axis at (0,0) to allow overlay of drawings for an effective review.

Application Supporting Documents

Please refer to the checklists for your specific permit type you are submitting for. Checklists are available on our Permitting Forms and Checklist page.

1. Signed and Notarized Permit application(s) and Cost Affidavit, if applicable.

Supporting Documents (Calculations, NOAs, Etc.)

1. Plumbing and Electrical calculations (small tables) shall be grouped with corresponding plumbing and electrical drawings in one PDF file per discipline (numbered pages and scanned in consecutive order with cover page as the first page).
2. Structural and Energy calculations to be saved and uploaded in individual PDF files. One per discipline.
3. All pages belonging to one NOA or a Florida approval shall be grouped in one PDF. The cover, details, and all components to be used shall be properly marked and be together in one PDF. No isolated pages should be submitted. Prepare one PDF for each NOA.
4. Other supportive documents, like owners' information (Property Appraiser's, Corporate documents, recorded warranty deeds, etc.) can be submitted in multiple pages as PDF.

• All drawings must be Digitally signed.
• Digitally signed and sealed using one of the following trusted agencies:

1. IdenTrust
2. DigiCert
3. Entrust Datacard
4. Sectigo
5. TSCP

If uploading a multi-page PDF, the design professional shall digitally sign and seal each page. If there is a limitation with the software being used to develop drawings, the design profession may digitally sign and seal the Cover Sheet or First Sheet of a bound set, as long as an accurate Index of Drawings, listing all the sheets, with their sheet number and latest revision date, which are intended to be signed and sealed, is included within that Cover or First Sheet.

The Building Department adds a Reviewed for Compliance dated stamp to the upper-right corner of each page within the set of plans and support documents. Please ensure that you leave a “2 by 2” or, “3 by 3”, or “4.5  by 4.5” blank (empty) area in the upper-right corner of the submitted plans. Note the blank space will be dependent on the size of the plan sheet.

• Applications may be notarized using a Remote Online Notary and an electronic signature. Although we do not endorse any vendor, here we list four companies that provide this service.

1. Notarize.com
2. Safedocs.com
3. Notarycam.com
4. Onlinenotary.net

• Scanned notarized signatures are accepted. PDF files only. All security settings must be unrestricted. (Files shall not be encrypted, or password protected, and should allow markups).
  • Example of Proper Security Settings (PNG)
• Orientation: Landscape or Portrait will be accepted for documents. Drawings in Landscape orientation only.
• All file names should be in uppercase (capital) letters.File names must not contain special characters, such as asterisks, parentheses, periods, and question marks, shapes, etc. If you encounter an issue uploading files, the portal only accepts Windows standards for name files. This means if a file's name has any of these characters: # % & { } / \ ? < > * ? $ ! ' : @ " + ` | = ~ ( ) it will not accept the file. It will also not accept files with Unicode character symbols. That includes file names that have a tilde, umlaut, eszett, etc.
• File names must include the permit number and discipline. For example: BD-YY-XXXXX-PT-R-ARCHITECTURAL Plans. If you do not have the permit number yet, you may use the files' contents as the name. For example, "Architectural Plans".

Important Notice:

• Electronic submissions are required by State law to be digitally signed and sealed. For more information, see the Florida Administrative Code listed below:
• Licensed Architects: F.A.C. 61G1-16.005 and F.A.C. 61G1-16.003
• Licensed Engineers: F.A.C. 61G15-23.001, F.A.C. 61G1-15.004, and F.A.C. 61G1-15.005
• Licensed Surveyors: F.A.C. 5J-17.062

Naming Conventions

How to Name Your Files

• Files should be named according to the permit number and discipline or files’ contents of the documents being submitted.
• For example, if submitting Architectural Plans, file name would be BD-YY-XXXXX-PT-R-ARCHITECTURAL. The system will label the file with the corresponding version of submission number. Subsequent submissions will have increased (by one) version numbers.
• If you do not have the permit number yet, you may use the files' contents as the name. For example, "Architectural Plans".

Examples of File Names