House Plans and Custom Drafting Across Florida
Florida Service Area
On July 1, 2025, Florida rewrote the rules for backyard housing. Senate Bill 184 now requires every local government in the state to allow at least one accessory dwelling unit on single-family-zoned lots, and it bars certain restrictive local provisions that used to kill ADU projects before a single line was drawn. Overnight, millions of Florida lots became candidates for a second home. What did not change: every one of those projects still needs professionally drawn, code-compliant plans to get through a Florida permit counter. That is the work we do. Apex Drafting Services prepares custom house plans, ADU plans, and permit-ready drawing sets for Florida clients through a fully remote process, drafting to the Florida Building Code and researching your jurisdiction's local amendments before we draw.
Florida's ADU Law: What SB 184 Actually Requires
Florida's 2025 session produced SB 184, and it is the single most important piece of paper in the state's residential drafting market right now. Effective July 1, 2025, it sets a statewide floor: local governments must allow at least one ADU on single-family-zoned lots, and certain restrictive local provisions that once blocked these projects are off the table.
The statewide floor
If you own a single-family-zoned lot in Florida, your city or county can no longer say a flat no to an accessory dwelling unit. That is the floor SB 184 established, and it applies statewide.
What is still decided locally
The floor is not a blank check. Local jurisdictions still set the specifics within SB 184's framework: maximum size, setbacks, parking, and similar dimensional rules. Two lots in neighboring cities can face very different ADU envelopes even though both must allow one. This is exactly why our process starts with jurisdiction research, not with a template floor plan.
About SB 48: not law
You may see references to a strengthening bill, SB 48, from the 2026 session. It passed the Florida Senate 38-0 but died in the House on March 13, 2026. It is not enacted, and any plan drawn against its provisions would be built on sand. We design to SB 184 as it stands plus your local code, nothing more and nothing less.
Ready to test what your lot allows? Our ADU Plans & Design service starts with that exact question.
How Permitting Shapes Drafting Work in Florida
Florida runs on a single statewide building code with local amendments layered on top, and in coastal jurisdictions those layers get thick: wind requirements, flood-zone elevation rules, and post-storm rebuild documentation. The practical effect is that Florida building departments expect complete, clearly referenced drawing sets, and incomplete submissions go to the back of the line.
Because our studio is fully remote, our deliverable is built for exactly that reality: a digital, submission-ready set you or your contractor files with the local building department. We research the amendments that apply to your address, draw to them, and note where your jurisdiction will require sealed engineering, such as structural or wind-load documents from a Florida-licensed engineer, so nothing surprises you at intake. Timelines and revision rounds vary by scope, so we quote both up front instead of promising a universal number.
Florida Metros We Serve
Every project below runs through the same remote process, and each metro has its own page covering local permitting flavor and project types. Browse the full list on our service areas hub.
Miami
Dense lots, demanding coastal requirements, and a permit process that rewards complete, well-documented drawing sets.
Tampa
A busy bay-area market where infill builds, ADUs, and remodels all compete for the same permit review queue.
Orlando
Central Florida's growth engine, with new construction and ADU interest spread across a patchwork of city and county jurisdictions.
Jacksonville
A sprawling consolidated city-county with room for new custom builds alongside urban-core renovations.
Cape Coral-Fort Myers
A canal-lined Gulf Coast market where lot-specific site conditions make careful planning and as-built documentation essential.
St. Petersburg
Housing stock averaging a 1972 build year, with over 42% of homes dating to the 1940s through 60s (census data), and rebuild rules after Hurricanes Helene and Milton that push any repair exceeding 49% of a home's value into fully code-compliant, professionally drawn plans.
Fort Lauderdale
Just 227 new single-family homes permitted in all of 2024 at an average construction value near $537,000 (Census Building Permits Survey), with typical home values at $520,973 (Zillow, +4.6%): the classic profile of a coastal market where remodels and additions, not new subdivisions, drive drafting demand.
West Palm Beach
Palm Beach County's fastest-growing large city, up 9,529 residents since the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau estimates), inside a county that permitted $1.47 billion worth of new homes in 2024 (Palm Beach County Planning Division).
Sarasota
Sarasota County authorized 5,259 new single-family homes worth $2.04 billion in 2024 (US Census Building Permits Survey), more single-family permits than Pinellas, Broward, and Palm Beach counties combined: the Gulf Coast's custom-home epicenter.
What Florida Clients Ask Us to Draw
Demand in a state follows its law and its housing stock. Florida has a statewide ADU mandate, a deep bench of older coastal homes, and building departments that require thorough documentation, and the project mix reflects all three.
ADU Plans & Design
SB 184 made the ADU conversation legal on single-family lots statewide, which makes it Florida's clearest growth category. We design the unit to your local size, setback, and parking specifics so the plan you fall in love with is one your jurisdiction can actually approve.
Home Additions & Remodel Drafting
In built-out coastal metros like Fort Lauderdale and St. Petersburg, the lot you have is the lot you get. Additions and remodels dominate, and older housing stock means the existing conditions must be documented before the new work is drawn.
Permit-Ready Drawings & As-Builts
Florida's code-heavy permitting culture and post-storm rebuild requirements make accurate as-builts and complete permit sets the difference between a smooth review and a returned application.
Custom House Plans
In growth corridors like Sarasota and Central Florida, ground-up custom homes are alive and well. If your budget or timeline calls for a faster starting point, stock house plans start at $799.
Florida Drafting FAQs
Is it legal to build an ADU anywhere in Florida?
Statewide, yes, with local fine print. Florida's SB 184, effective July 1, 2025, requires every local government to allow at least one accessory dwelling unit on single-family-zoned lots and bars certain restrictive local provisions. Cities and counties still set the specifics, including size, setbacks, and parking, so what you can build is always a lot-by-lot question. A follow-up bill, SB 48, passed the Florida Senate 38-0 in the 2026 session but died in the House on March 13, 2026, so SB 184 remains the current standard.
Can a remote drafting company prepare plans that Florida building departments will accept?
Yes. Building departments review the content of the drawing set, not the drafter's mailing address. We draft to the Florida Building Code, research your jurisdiction's local amendments before drawing begins, and deliver digital files you or your contractor submit locally. Where a jurisdiction requires sealed structural or wind-load documents, those come from a Florida-licensed engineer, and we prepare our drawings so that coordination is straightforward.
How much do house plans cost in Florida?
Stock house plans start at $799. Custom house plans, ADU plans, and addition or remodel drawings are quoted per project based on scope, square footage, and the documentation your jurisdiction requires. Request a free quote and we will price your specific project, with no obligation.
How long does it take to get permit-ready plans in Florida?
It depends on the scope of the project and the documentation your jurisdiction expects, so we quote a timeline up front rather than promising a one-size-fits-all number. Revision rounds are built into every project, and because our workflow is fully digital there is no waiting on office visits or mailed drawings.
Get a Free Quote for Your Florida Project
Tell us what you're building and we'll scope it, confirm the timeline, and give you a firm number before any drafting starts. Every plan set is drafted to your local jurisdiction's documentation standards.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (435) 668-1095.
Start Your Florida Project
Tell us about your lot, your ADU idea, or your remodel, and we will map the path from first sketch to a permit-ready set your building department can review. Serving all nine Florida metros above, and everywhere in between, through one remote process.