The Escambia County Budget
This is your window into Escambia County's budget and finances. Use the tools below to learn about the County's unique budget process, view our most frequently asked questions, and explore all of the County's financial information - online, anytime.
Building Services
Mission Statement
Provides efficient, responsive services that enhance the quality of life, meet common needs, and promote a safe and healthy community.
Objectives / Priorities
- Ensure that all buildings and structures within Escambia County’s jurisdictional authority are constructed in accordance with the provisions of the Florida Building Code, Florida Fire Prevention Code, and appropriate Florida Statutes.
- Review of construction plans prior to permit issuance to ensure structures are designed in accordance with applicable codes.
- Issue permits for approved projects in the areas of Building, Roofing, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas and Fire Prevention
- Conduct field inspections of permitted structures to ensure compliance with the current Florida Building Code, Building, Residential, Existing Building, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Flood Hazard, Fire Prevention, Accessibility, Energy Conservation, and related Florida Statutes and Administrative Rules.
- Technical and administrative support to the Contractor Competency Board, Board of Electrical Examiners and Inspections Fund Advisory Board.
- Review products, methods and materials for use in construction.
- Investigate complaints related to building and fire code requirements, unapproved projects, and contractor licensing complaints.
- Utilize our multi discipline inspectors to streamline inspections and increase efficiency.
Goals
During Fiscal Year 2025/2026, the Building Inspections Department will continue to comply with Section 468.604, Florida Statutes, Responsibilities of Building Code Administrators, Plans Examiners, Inspectors, as well as all other applicable Florida Statutes, Codes, Rules, Regulations, Laws and Ordinances.
Performance Measures
|
FY 2022/2023 Actual |
FY 2023/2024 Actual |
FY 2024/2025 Estimate |
FY 2025/2026 Estimate |
|
| Number of Inspections Performed | 83,096 | 80,425 | 78,826 | 80,000 |
| Number of Permits Issued | 38,572 | 33,435 | 29,689 | 30,000 |
Benchmarking
| Escambia County: | Seminole County: | |||
| Permit Review Time Frames | Total Days | # Permits Received Online Per Day | Total Days | # Permits Received Online Per Day |
| Fiscal Year 2024/2025 | 2 | 60-75 | 3 | 75-130 |
Funding Priorities
| Major Issues Funded | Amount |
| Purchase 4 Replacement Vehicles | $172,000 |
| Permit Tech I - Plan Review | $51,822 |
Significant Changes for Fiscal Year 2025 / 2026
During FY 2025-26, the Building Services Department will continue to strive to provide first class service to our customers, citizens, and visitors to Escambia County. The Building Services Department continues the implementation of an upgraded version of our MyGovernmentOnline permitting software to make the permitting process more consistent with neighboring jurisdictions, more user-friendly, and more customer service oriented.
The Building Official will continue to provide additional training for inspectors and encourage inspectors to attend training in an effort to obtain other certifications that they may be qualified for.
The Building Services Department will continue to work towards adopting and implementing updated floodplain management Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) provided by FEMA to mitigate the possibility of future losses for Escambia County citizens and continue to work on strategies to improve and/or maintain the County’s current CRS 6 rating. Promote the new customer portal for floodplain information including access to historical elevation certificates and base flood elevation data.
The Building Services Department will continue to provide a Community Outreach program geared toward the “do-it-yourselfers”. This program includes How-To Workshops, tutorials, videos, and more.
The Building Services Department will continue to work with contractors and homeowners to achieve completion of their projects in a safe and code-compliant manner.