Remote Capture Plan
Measurements, photos, existing records, scans, or a local field resource are assigned before drafting begins.
Jacksonville's 12,551-Permit Year Needs Review-Ready Sets the First Time
12,551single-family permits, 2024
Jacksonville issued 12,551 single-family residential permits in 2024, up 6.17% from 11,821 the year before. That's the cleanest, most precisely-tracked permit count of any city in our service area, and it tells you plainly what's happening on the ground: this is a city where houses are getting built, additions are getting drawn, and plan sets are moving through Duval County review every week. Apex Drafting provides the custom house plans, stock plans, and CADD work behind that pipeline, serving Jacksonville homeowners, builders, and contractors entirely remotely.
What Jacksonville's Permit Numbers Say About the Market
A 6.17% year-over-year jump in single-family permits isn't a rounding error. It means more lots breaking ground, more remodels getting formalized, and more plan sets stacking up in front of Duval County plan reviewers. For a drafting firm, that permit count is the real signal, more reliable than a population headline, because it reflects actual construction activity rather than people simply living somewhere.
Jacksonville also crossed 1,009,833 residents in 2024, becoming one of only two U.S. cities to pass the 1-million mark that year, alongside Fort Worth, Texas. A city that size, paired with a permit count that's still climbing, points to sustained building activity rather than a one-year spike. Zillow lists the average Jacksonville home value at $295,910, down 2.3% year over year, which makes it the most affordable of Florida's major metros. That combination, more permits pulled against a softer price backdrop, tends to pull in first-time builders and value-conscious remodelers alongside production builders, which is exactly the mix that keeps a drafting queue full.
The local drafting field includes established names like Alldraft Home Design, which has operated since 1993 and cites more than 13,000 plans built, along with Evolution Drafting, Start to Finish Drafting & Design, Imagine Architectural Designs, and Warren E. Barry, several of them with an active presence on Angi. Apex Drafting is two months old and doesn't compete on tenure. We compete on turnaround, direct access to the person drawing your plans, and pricing that isn't propping up a storefront.
ADU Rules in Jacksonville: State and Local Law
Florida does not currently have a statewide law requiring every local government to allow an accessory dwelling unit on every single-family lot. Florida Statutes Section 163.31771 allows local governments to adopt ordinances permitting accessory dwelling units in residential areas. The official Florida Senate record shows that 2025 SB 184 died in returning messages on June 16, 2025, and 2026 SB 48 died in House messages on March 13, 2026.
That means ADU feasibility still turns on the current ordinance for Jacksonville, plus the parcel's zoning, overlays, lot dimensions, setbacks, parking, utilities, flood or coastal constraints, and any deed restrictions. A general state summary cannot establish that a specific lot is eligible.
Apex checks the current local planning and building sources before defining an ADU drawing scope. Property owners should confirm the interpretation with the authority having jurisdiction before relying on a design or construction budget. Read the Florida SB 184 Did Not Become Law for the official bill history and source links.
Working on a Jacksonville, FL project right now?
Send us the lot and what you want to build. We'll confirm which local rules apply to your parcel and come back with a firm number, at no cost.
Which Services Fit the Jacksonville Market
Three of our eight services line up directly with what Jacksonville's data is showing.
Custom House Plans
With single-family permits up 6.17% and home values still affordable relative to Miami or Tampa, Jacksonville has room for buyers to build new rather than compete for existing inventory. That's a direct driver of custom plan demand. See Custom House Plans.
ADU Plans & Design
ADU plans may be feasible where the current ordinance for Jacksonville allows them. Apex verifies the parcel's zoning and local dimensional requirements before defining the drawing scope; neither 2025 SB 184 nor 2026 SB 48 became law.
Permit-Ready Drawings & As-Builts
A permit office processing over 12,500 single-family applications a year needs clean, review-ready sets the first time. We draw to what Duval County plan review expects, not a generic national template. See Permit-Ready Drawings & As-Builts.
Jacksonville Drafting FAQ
Does Apex Drafting have an office in Jacksonville?
No. Apex Drafting is a remote drafting company. We serve Jacksonville homeowners, builders, and contractors from our Colorado City, AZ headquarters, working entirely through phone, email, and video calls. Every Jacksonville client works with the same drafter from first sketch to final permit set, without a local office markup on the bill.
Can Apex Drafting design an ADU for a Jacksonville property?
Not automatically. Florida does not currently have a statewide law requiring every local government to allow an accessory dwelling unit on every single-family lot. Florida Statutes Section 163.31771 allows local governments to adopt ordinances permitting accessory dwelling units in residential areas. The official Florida Senate record shows that 2025 SB 184 died in returning messages on June 16, 2025, and 2026 SB 48 died in House messages on March 13, 2026. Eligibility in Jacksonville depends on the current local ordinance and the specific parcel. Confirm the city or county requirements before design.
Is a strengthened version of Florida's ADU law in effect in Jacksonville yet?
Not automatically. Florida does not currently have a statewide law requiring every local government to allow an accessory dwelling unit on every single-family lot. Florida Statutes Section 163.31771 allows local governments to adopt ordinances permitting accessory dwelling units in residential areas. The official Florida Senate record shows that 2025 SB 184 died in returning messages on June 16, 2025, and 2026 SB 48 died in House messages on March 13, 2026. Eligibility in Jacksonville depends on the current local ordinance and the specific parcel. Confirm the city or county requirements before design.
How does Jacksonville home construction compare to the rest of Florida?
Jacksonville pulled 12,551 single-family residential permits in 2024, up 6.17% from 11,821 in 2023, one of the clearest single-family permit counts of any city we track. Zillow puts the average Jacksonville home value at $295,910, down 2.3% year over year, making it the most affordable of the major Florida metros even as permit volume climbs.
Nearby Florida Service Areas
More Florida Markets We Draft For
Same remote process, same permit-ready standard, researched for each market's own rules.
Jacksonville As-Built Drawings and Existing-Condition Plans
Jacksonville remodel and addition work often needs a clear distinction between what exists and what is proposed. An existing-condition or as-built scope can document the current building before new walls, openings, roof tie-ins, fixtures, and structural changes are coordinated.
The City of Jacksonville publishes a current 1 and 2 Family Checklist for the drawing and supporting-document side of a new-building package. Its online permit submission guidance requires electronic documents, explains digital signature handling, and says review begins after prior reviews are complete and fees are paid.
A measured floor plan is not automatically a complete permit base. Depending on the work, the existing set may need exterior elevations, sections, roof geometry, site or drainage information, and consultant input. Apex defines which conditions must be captured and which remain outside the architectural drafting scope.
Coordinated Base Files
PDF and editable CAD deliverables are defined for the designer, contractor, engineer, or permit team receiving them.
Submission QA
The final permit package can be checked against the digital plan submission checklist.
Compare document types in As-Builts vs. Record Drawings, review the field measurement checklist, or request residential as-built drawing services.
Can Jacksonville residential plans be uploaded as password-protected PDFs?
Jacksonville's online permit submission guidance says electronically signed and sealed documents cannot be password protected. Verify the current file, signature, prior-review, and fee requirements before uploading.
Get a Free Quote for Your Jacksonville, FL 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) 990-3556.
Ready to Start Your Jacksonville Project?
Whether you're pulling one of the next single-family permits or drawing up an ADU under Florida's new rules, we can scope it remotely and get a plan set moving.