Jacksonville City Council voted 16-0 on June 23, 2026, to let licensed private firms review development site plans, a move supporters say will speed approvals and trim carrying costs for builders and homebuyers. The ordinance adds a private-provider option into city code while keeping the Planning Department in charge of oversight. Council President Kevin Carrico and members Ken Amaro and Raul Arias were absent for the vote.
As reported by the Jax Daily Record, Ordinance 2026-0363 allows professionally licensed private reviewers to submit their findings to the Planning Department and requires the department to flag any deficiencies within 10 days. Private firms are barred from reviewing site plans for property they own or for projects where they provided professional development services. Reviewers must also certify that they know the relevant state and local laws and complete a course that covers those requirements.
How the Change Ties to State Law
Under Florida Statutes Section 553.791, property owners can choose licensed private providers to perform plans review and submit affidavits certifying that projects comply with the building code. The statute lays out the affidavit process, review timelines and audit rules for private providers. Jacksonville's new ordinance folds those mechanics into Chapter 654 of the city code and locks in a local 10-day response window for site-plan reviews. City officials say pairing state authority with local rules is meant to give developers predictability without loosening enforcement.
Supporters Say It Will Cut Delays and Costs
Developers and several council members argued that having a private-review option could reduce overhead that eventually lands in a home's sale price and shorten the time projects sit waiting for approval. Jean Yoder of Landon Homes told the Land Use and Zoning Committee that "these delays cost us $3,000, average, because every day is a missed opportunity to close for an affordable house," according to the Jax Daily Record. Rory Diamond, who introduced the ordinance, also pointed out that private reviewers carry professional and insurance risk that city staff reviewers do not, a built-in check the legislation underscores.
Safeguards, Conflicts and Implementation
The ordinance requires private reviewers to certify under penalty of perjury that they understand the applicable statutes and to complete a course on those laws. It bars firms from reviewing projects where they have an ownership stake or where they provided professional services. For projects that would create at least 1,000 feet of roadway that will become city-managed right-of-way, reviewers must submit a draft plan to the city 10 business days before filing the final affidavit and site plan. Those procedures appear in agendas and minutes from the file's path through council committees ahead of the June vote, according to City of Jacksonville records.
Cities across Florida have used private-provider pathways for years, and places like Orlando and Tampa publish private-provider affidavits and submittal checklists on their permitting pages. The real test in Jacksonville will be how quickly the city can stand up registration, training and audit processes to match the promised faster review timelines. Builders, housing advocates and city planners are expected to watch permit turnaround times and early audit results closely as the program rolls out.
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