How do I obtain a Florida Product Approval For My Building Product?

As a product manufacturer, obtaining a Florida Product Approval for your products is an important step in ensuring that your products are eligible for use in the state of Florida. Other states also recognize the Florida Product Approval System for permitting, or use them as a baseline for local engineer approval.

Here’s how you or your design professional can obtain a Florida Product Approval for your building product:

1. Review the standards: Before you start the approval process, review the standards set by the Florida Building Code. This will give you an idea of the requirements that your products must meet in order to be approved for use in the state.

2. Conduct testing: To demonstrate that your products meet the standards set by the Florida Building Code, you will need to conduct testing. This could include laboratory testing, field testing, or both. You may also need to provide supporting documentation such as calculations, reports, and specifications. Testing needs to be recognized by the referenced standards set forth in the Florida Building Code or demonstrated to be equivalent.

3. Submit an application: Once you have completed the necessary testing, you can submit an application for Florida Product Approval to the Florida Building Commission. Your application should include a description of your product, test results, and any other relevant information.

   1. Submittals follow certain formats.  Some formats require quality assurance and validation.  Validators and quality assurance agencies need to be independent from all other parties.

4. Wait for review: After you have submitted your application, it will be reviewed by the Florida Building Commission. This review process can take several weeks, depending on the complexity of your application and the workload of the review team.

5. Obtain approval: If your application is approved, you will receive a certificate of approval from the Florida Building Commission. This certificate verifies that your product meets the standards set by the Florida Building Code and is eligible for use in the state.

By following these steps, you can obtain a Florida Product Approval for your products and ensure that they are eligible for use in the state of Florida. It’s important to note that you may need to renew your approval periodically, depending on the type of product and the standards set by the Florida Building Code.  Product approvals must also be renewed or re-affirmed for each building code cycle.