Nassau County Building Department reports 12,620 permits issued in FY 2023/2024

The Nassau County Building Department issued 12,620 permits during the fiscal year 2023/2024, according to a memorandum from Building Official Keith Ellis to County Manager Taco Pope. The report, dated October 8, 2024, highlighted the department's accomplishments during the fiscal year that ran from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024.

The permits issued covered a wide range of construction and renovation activities across Yulee and Nassau County. This included 757 new single-family residential permits, 143 senior single-family residential permits, and 117 manufactured and modular home permits. The department also processed 704 residential addition permits and 727 residential repair/remodel permits. Commercial development saw 78 new commercial permits, 44 commercial additions, and 117 commercial repair/remodel permits.

In addition to construction permits, the department issued 2,948 electrical permits, 2,218 mechanical permits, and 3,211 plumbing, gas, and irrigation permits. Other significant categories included 986 re-roof permits, 239 pool permits, and 330 miscellaneous permits. Staff completed 2,496 plan reviews and conducted 20,178 field inspections. The department also issued 1,233 Certificates of Occupancy and Certificates of Completion.

Beyond permit processing, the Building Department continued to accept both electronic and hard copy applications to streamline the process for residents. They updated Construction Certificate Management Procedures as required by FEMA/CRS and acquired two new inspector vehicles. Staff completed required continuing education units and examinations to maintain State of Florida licensing and ICC certifications.

The department handled 2,220 open permit/lien requests and other public records requests, ensuring compliance with Florida Statute 119 and FOIA. They also continued organizing and scanning current and archived records for prompt retrieval. Flood hazard zone determinations were performed on all required permit applications, and compliance with FEMA regulations was ensured for structures in Special Flood Hazard Areas.

Nassau County maintained its participation in the FEMA/NFIP Community Rating System (CRS) program. This involved verifying, approving, and archiving elevation certificates for new or substantially improved structures in flood hazard areas. Deputy Floodplain Administrator and CRS Coordinator regularly attended CRS Program for Public Information (PPI) meetings with the City of Fernandina Beach. The county also adopted a Multi-Jurisdictional PPI and executed an Interlocal Agreement with the City of Fernandina Beach for CRS outreach activities.

Building Official Keith Ellis, Deputy Floodplain Administrator, and CRS Coordinator participated in community outreach events to promote floodplain information awareness. Internal training on elevation certificates was conducted, focusing on field-verification and FEMA requirements. The Deputy Floodplain Administrator also presented at the 2024 Florida Floodplain Managers Association (FFMA) Conference on CRS annual reporting requirements.

The department enforced the Unsafe Building Ordinance 2019-15, performing 130 unsafe structure inspections and follow-up inspections. One case went to the Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals, and 61 cases achieved compliance. An audit program for Private Provider projects was implemented per F.S. 553.791 (19). Staff secured a contract for professional plan review services and assisted IT in evaluating, selecting, and purchasing new permitting software (Accela).

The department provided workflow for the permitting process to be included in the Accela transition and implemented new process standards for financial management. They attended the first round proposed budget meeting with Office of Management and Budget staff. Contractor licensing requirements were verified, and candidates were sponsored for required exams. Field inspectors continued to use iPads or cell phones with Verizon air-cards to remotely access DocStar for approved plans. Building Official Ellis and a Plans Examiner attended the BOAF Conference in Orlando for required continuing education. Staff also attended 47 Development Review Committee (DRC) meetings, reviewed approximately 109 site plan/plat submittals, 91 pre-application reviews, and 74 DRC final sign-offs.

Residents can anticipate continued efforts by the Nassau County Building Department to streamline permitting processes and ensure safety and compliance in construction projects across the county.