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The Florida Building Code is based on national model building codes and national consensus standards which are amended where necessary for Florida's specific needs. However, code requirements that address snow loads and earthquake protection are pervasive; they are left in place but should not be utilized or enforced because Florida has no snow load or earthquake threat. The code incorporates all building construction-related regulations for public and private buildings in the State of Florida other than those specifically exempted by Section 553.73, Florida Statutes. It has been harmonized with the Florida Fire Prevention Code, which is developed and maintained by the Department of Financial Services, Office of the State Fire Marshal, to establish unified and consistent standards.

The base codes for the Fifth edition (2014) of the Florida Building Code include: the International Building Code®, 2012 edition; the International Plumbing Code®, 2012 edition; the International Mechanical Code®, 2012 edition; the International Fuel Gas Code®, 2012 edition; the International Residential Code®, 2012 edition; the International Existing Building Code®, 2012 edition; the International Energy Conservation Code®, 2012 edition; the National Electrical Code, 2011 edition; substantive criteria from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers' (ASHRAE) Standard 90.1-2010. State and local codes adopted and incorporated into the code include the Florida Building Code, Accessibility, and special hurricane protection standards for the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone.

The code is composed of nine main volumes: the Florida Building Code, Building, which also includes state regulations for licensed facilities; the Florida Building Code, Plumbing; the Florida Building Code, Mechanical; the Florida Building Code, Fuel Gas; the Florida Building Code, Existing Building; the Florida Building Code, Residential; the Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation; the Florida Building Code, Accessibility and the Florida Building Code, Test Protocols for High-Velocity Hurricane Zones. Chapter 27 of the Florida Building Code, Building, adopts the National Electrical Code, NFPA 70, by reference.

Under certain strictly defined conditions, local governments may amend requirements to be more stringent than the code. All local amendments to the Florida Building Code must be adopted by local ordinance and reported to the Florida Building Commission, then posted on www.floridabuilding. org in Legislative format for a month before being enforced. Local amendments to the Florida Building Code and the Florida Fire Prevention Code may be obtained from the Florida Building Commission web site, or from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation or the Florida Department of Financial Services, Office of the State Fire Marshal, respectively.