Longwood & unincorporated Seminole County City permit & inspection handled on every changeout
Longwood, Florida
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Do you need a permit to replace an AC unit in Longwood, FL?

Yes. A City of Longwood mechanical permit is required for a residential air conditioning changeout inside the city limits. The City's own building code amendments list exactly eight permit-exempt mechanical items and equipment replacement is not one of them. The residential change-out fee is $246.61. What the City does waive is plans examination.

Longwood adopted its own Chapter 1

The eight exempt items, and why a changeout is not among them

Longwood did not simply inherit the state's administrative provisions. By Ordinance No. 21-2196 it adopted its own Florida Building Code Chapter 1 administrative amendments. Section 105.2, “Work exempt from permit,” lists the mechanical work you may do without one:

  1. Portable heating appliances
  2. Portable ventilation equipment
  3. Portable cooling units
  4. Steam, hot or chilled water piping within any heating or cooling equipment regulated by the code
  5. “Replacement of any part that does not alter its approval or make it unsafe”
  6. Portable evaporative coolers
  7. Self-contained refrigeration systems containing 10 lb or less of refrigerant, on motors of 1 hp or less
  8. Load-management control devices

An air conditioner or heat pump changeout is not on that list. It is the fifth item that homeowners usually reach for — “replacement of any part that does not alter its approval” — and it does not cover equipment. Swapping a capacitor or a contactor is a part. Swapping the condenser alters the approved equipment.

“Exemptions: Plans examination by the building official shall not be required for the following work: 1. Replacing existing equipment such as mechanical units, water heaters, etc.”

City of Longwood, 2020 FBC Chapter 1 Administrative Amendments, Section 107.3

So a Longwood changeout is permitted and inspected but never sits in plan review. That is a City-adopted amendment rather than a statewide default, and it is the practical reason a Longwood changeout permit turns around quickly.

A number worth checking yourself

The residential fee is higher than the commercial one

Under Resolution 26-1724, effective 1 July 2026, the City's flat fee for a residential mechanical change-out is $246.61. The commercial mechanical change-out is $229.69.

The residential permit costs about seventeen dollars more than the commercial one. That is unusual enough to be worth stating plainly rather than rounding away, and it is the City's published schedule, not an estimate. If a Longwood quote shows a permit line that is materially different from $246.61, ask what it is for.

And it only applies inside the city. A Longwood-address job that turns out to be unincorporated is billed on Seminole County's schedule instead.

Residential change-out
$246.61
Commercial change-out
$229.69
Adopted by
Resolution 26-1724
Effective
1 July 2026
Plans examination
Not required for equipment replacement

The expensive mistake

Your mailing address does not decide your building department

Which building department a Longwood address files with A schematic map band. Interstate 4 runs as a diagonal line down the middle. Everything on the west side of the line, labelled ZIP 32779 and the Wekiwa Springs and Jamestown areas, files with the Seminole County Building Division in Sanford. Everything on the east side inside the city limits, in ZIP 32750, files with the City of Longwood Building Division. I-4 West of I-4 All of ZIP 32779 · Wekiwa Springs · Jamestown Sweetwater Oaks · Wekiva Hunt Club · Sabal Point The Springs · Innswood → Seminole County Building Division, Sanford Inside the city limits ZIP 32750 · The Woodlands · Longwood Hills Highland Hills · Columbus Harbor · Sanlando Springs → City of Longwood Building Division

The City of Longwood's own FAQ states that everything with a Longwood mailing address lying west of I-4 — including the Wekiwa Springs and Jamestown areas — and every property in ZIP 32779 is not in the City, and directs those owners to permit through Seminole County. It points at the Seminole County Property Appraiser's GIS site as the way to check a specific parcel.

In practice that puts Sweetwater Oaks, Wekiva Hunt Club, Sabal Point, The Springs and Innswood outside the City. All five say “Longwood, FL” on the mailbox. All five file in Sanford.

City of Longwood Building Division
174 West Church Avenue, Longwood, FL 32750 · 407-260-3462 · Monday–Friday 8:00–4:30. Permits filed through the City's SmartGov portal.
City inspection requests
407-260-3471, with all requests in by 3:30 p.m. the business day before the desired inspection. A Friday-afternoon changeout cannot get a Monday inspection unless it was called in by Friday 3:30.
Seminole County Building Division
1101 E. First Street, Sanford, FL 32771 · 407-665-7050. Permits via Building Permits Online and plans via ePlan ProjectDox.

Conditions that stop an inspection

Notice of Commencement, and attic access

The $7,500 line on the Notice of Commencement

Longwood requires a Notice of Commencement recorded with Seminole County, with a certified copy delivered to the City at application or before the first inspection. The City states that if no NOC is on file at the time of scheduling, “the inspection will not be completed and all work must remain open.”

But a NOC is not required for a mechanical permit to repair or replace an existing heating or air conditioning system valued under $7,500, per F.S. 713.135(d). Most residential changeouts land near that line and fall on either side of it depending on tonnage and how much duct work is in the scope — which decides whether the homeowner has to record a document at the county courthouse before the City will inspect.

Attic access is a condition, not a courtesy

The City's mechanical permit application has a dedicated “CHANGE OUT: YES / NO” checkbox and, immediately after it, “IF THIS IS A CHANGE OUT, IS UNIT LOCATED IN ATTIC SPACE: YES / NO” with the note that if the answer is yes, access must be provided.

In Longwood's 1970s and 80s stock the air handler is very often in the attic, so a failed inspection over a blocked hatch, a missing ladder or stored boxes on the platform is a real local failure mode, not a hypothetical one. Clear the hatch before the inspector's window.

Emergency replacement

Longwood's adopted Section 105.2.1 allows an emergency equipment replacement to proceed with the permit application submitted “within the next working business day to the building official.” In August, on a system that has quit entirely, that is the provision that lets work start the same day.

Cost Recovery Agreement

Signing a Longwood permit application binds the applicant to a Cost Recovery Agreement under Longwood City Code Chapter 59, under which the City may assess back its direct review, processing and inspection costs. That is unusual among small Seminole County cities. It matters most on commercial work and inside the Historic District.

What changed on 1 July 2026

HB 803 does not exempt your AC changeout

CS/CS/HB 803 (2026) requires local governments to exempt single-family work valued under $7,500 from permitting. A lot of homeowners have read the headline and concluded that a changeout no longer needs a permit. It does. The bill expressly carves out “any electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work performed on property containing a single-family dwelling,” and separately excludes property in a flood hazard area. The exemption never reaches mechanical work.

What HB 803 does give you is a decision deadline, and it comes with two conditions attached:

  • A local government must approve, approve with conditions, or deny a mechanical permit on an existing single-family dwelling within five business days of a complete and sufficient application — but only where the value of the work is under $15,000 and the applicant is using the local government's own plans reviewer (§553.792(1)(a)1.). Above $15,000 a longer tier of the same statute applies, so the five-day clock is not a flat rule.
  • Separately — and this is not HB 803's doing — an HVAC replacement is named in the definition of a single-trade inspection at §553.791(1)(r), which is the private-provider statute and predates HB 803. That is a category of inspection, not a category of permit. It does not make a changeout easier to permit; it means an owner may hire a licensed private provider to do the plans review or inspection instead of waiting on the building department.

In Longwood both are largely moot on a straightforward changeout, because the City already waives plans examination for equipment replacement and inspects on next-business-day scheduling. They matter more on the county side of I-4.

Seminole County has stated that fees for common permit types including air conditioning changeouts will increase as it moves to actual-inspection-cost fees under HB 803 (effective 1 July 2026) and HB 399 (effective 1 January 2027). If your address is on the county side of the line, expect that number to move.

Seminole County is not in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone

You will find Central Florida contractor pages claiming HVHZ requirements apply to equipment here. They do not. Under the 2023 Florida Building Code — Residential, section R202, the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone is Broward and Miami-Dade counties only. Seminole County is not in it. Wind-load anchoring of a condenser pad is still a real code requirement; HVHZ product approval is not the rule that governs it here.

Check the licence yourself, in ninety seconds

Florida regulates air conditioning contracting under Chapter 489, Part I. §489.105(3) defines the classes by scope: a Class A contractor is unlimited; a Class B contractor is limited to 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 Btu of heating in any one system; Class C is service-only and closed to new holders. A residential changeout sits comfortably inside Class B limits.

A certified contractor holds a state certificate and may contract anywhere in Florida; a registered contractor may contract only in the jurisdiction that issued the registration. Look up any number at the DBPR licensee search before you sign.

Historic District work

The Longwood Historic District was listed on the National Register on 5 October 1990 — 37 historic buildings bounded by West Pine Avenue, South Milwee Street, Palmetto Avenue and CR 427. The City's mechanical permit application states that for projects in the Historic District the department may retain a licensed architect specialising in historic structures to evaluate submittals, at the applicant's cost. Budget for the possibility before you plan equipment placement on a contributing building.

Questions people actually type

Permit questions, answered for Longwood specifically

Do you need a permit to replace an AC unit in Florida?

In Longwood, yes. The City adopted its own Florida Building Code Chapter 1 amendments by Ordinance No. 21-2196, and its list of permit-exempt mechanical work runs to exactly eight items. A condenser or air handler changeout alters the approved equipment, so it is not on that list and a City mechanical permit is required, at $246.61 under Resolution 26-1724. Statewide, HB 803 (2026) exempts sub-$7,500 single-family work from permitting but expressly carves mechanical work back out, so the exemption never reaches an AC changeout anywhere in Florida.

Do I need a permit?

The City of Longwood Building Division answers this in its own FAQ, and for an air conditioning changeout inside the city limits the answer is yes. The City's adopted Chapter 1 amendments exempt only eight mechanical items and equipment replacement is not one of them. What the City does waive is plans examination: Section 107.3 states plans examination is not required for “Replacing existing equipment such as mechanical units, water heaters, etc.” So the permit is pulled and the job is inspected, but it never sits in plan review. The full answer.

Is my address/parcel located within the City of Longwood City limits?

Not necessarily — and this is the single most expensive thing to get wrong on a Longwood permit. The City's FAQ states that everything west of I-4 with a Longwood mailing address, including the Wekiwa Springs and Jamestown areas, and every property in ZIP 32779, is outside the city and permits through Seminole County instead. That puts Sweetwater Oaks, Wekiva Hunt Club, Sabal Point, The Springs and Innswood on the county's schedule and the county's portal. Check the parcel on the Seminole County Property Appraiser's GIS site before anyone pulls anything. The full answer.

Do I need a permit to remove a tree?

Longwood's Land Development Code requires a tree removal permit for removal, replacement or alteration of trees under LDC 3.5.5 — but the City's FAQ states that “owner-occupied single-family dwellings are exempt from the tree protection requirements and are not required to obtain a tree removal permit.” For an owner-occupant that means the limbs hanging over your condenser can be cut back without a City permit. It matters here more than it sounds: a crown that shades a condenser also fills it. The full answer.

What permits are needed for ductless installation in Florida?

A ductless mini-split is mechanical work and is permitted the same way as a conventional changeout — a City of Longwood mechanical permit inside the city, a Seminole County permit outside it. HB 803's sub-$7,500 single-family exemption does not reach it, because the bill carves out “any electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work performed on property containing a single-family dwelling.” A mini-split is also a field-assembled system under the EPA's Technology Transitions rule, so new installations use A2L refrigerant unless every component was manufactured or imported before 1 January 2025. The full answer.

Sources

  1. City of Longwood, 2020 FBC Chapter 1 Administrative Amendments (Exhibit A to Ordinance No. 21-2196), Sections 105.2, 105.2.1 and 107.3. https://www.longwoodfl.org/DocumentCenter/View/4736/2020-FBC-Londwood-Administrative-Amendments-PDF-
  2. City of Longwood Fee Schedule (Resolution 26-1724, effective 1 July 2026). https://www.longwoodfl.org/702/Fee-Schedule
  3. City of Longwood Mechanical Permit application. https://www.longwoodfl.org/DocumentCenter/View/4604/Mechanical-Permit-application-PDF-
  4. City of Longwood, Permitting and Inspections. https://www.longwoodfl.org/169/Permitting-and-Inspections
  5. City of Longwood FAQ: “Is my address/parcel located within the City of Longwood City limits?”. https://www.longwoodfl.org/Faq.aspx?QID=159
  6. City of Longwood FAQ: “Do I need a permit to remove a tree?”. https://longwoodfl.org/FAQ.aspx?QID=163
  7. City of Longwood Building Division FAQ: “Do I need a permit?”. https://www.longwoodfl.org/FAQ.aspx?QID=173
  8. Florida CS/CS/HB 803 (2026), enrolled text. https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/803
  9. Florida Statutes §553.79 — §553.79(1)(a) baseline permit requirement; §553.79(1)(g) the $7,500 single-family exemption and its carve-outs (created by s. 8, ch. 2026-63). https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/553.79
  10. Florida Statutes §553.791 — private provider statute; §553.791(1)(r) defines “single-trade inspection” and names HVAC replacements; §553.791(2)(a) the owner's election. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/553.791
  11. Florida Statutes §553.792(1)(a)1. — permit decision deadlines, including the 5-business-day tier (created by s. 10, ch. 2026-63). https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/553.792
  12. Florida Statutes §713.135 — Notice of Commencement, including the §713.135(d) exception for HVAC repair or replacement under $7,500. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/713.135
  13. Seminole County, New State Legislation Affecting Permits. https://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/departments-services/development-services/building/new-state-legislation-affecting-permits
  14. Seminole County Building Division. https://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/departments-services/development-services/building
  15. Florida Statutes §489.105(3), definitions of Class A, B and C air-conditioning contractor. https://www.flsenate.gov/laws/statutes/2024/489.105
  16. Florida Statutes §489.119(5)(b), licence number required in advertising. https://www.flsenate.gov/laws/statutes/2024/489.119
  17. Florida DBPR licensee search. https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp
  18. Longwood Historic District (National Register, listed 5 October 1990). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longwood_Historic_District_(Longwood,_Florida)

Figures are dated. Permit fees, rebate amounts and code cycles change — re-check the primary source before you rely on a number here.

We pull the permit and meet the inspector

On a Longwood changeout that means the mechanical permit, the attic access sorted before the window, and the inspection booked by 3:30 the day before — we handle it. On the county side of I-4 it means filing in Sanford instead.

Call (689) 336-1871See what's covered