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Certificate of Compliance

Certificate of Compliance for Florida Private-Provider Projects

The Certificate of Compliance is the document FCC files after the required private-provider inspection scope is complete. It matters at closeout, but it does not mean every remaining jurisdiction item disappears or the permit closes automatically the second FCC is done.

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553.791

Florida Statute

Final Step

COC In FCC Scope

Local

Retained Items Stay With Jurisdiction

205+

Building Department Registrations

Direct Answer

What is the Certificate of Compliance in a Florida private-provider project?

In a Florida private-provider workflow under F.S. 553.791, the Certificate of Compliance is the document FCC files with the building department after the required FCC inspection scope is complete. It tells the jurisdiction the private-provider inspection portion of the job has been completed. It does not replace the permit application, does not replace the NTBO, and does not guarantee immediate closeout if zoning, fire, public works, utilities, or other jurisdiction-retained items are still outstanding.

Closeout Workflow
What Contractors Need To Know Before the COC Gets Filed

What the COC actually is

The Certificate of Compliance is a closeout document tied to the private-provider inspection scope.

  • FCC files the COC with the building department after the required FCC inspection scope is complete.
  • It confirms the private-provider inspection portion of the project has reached the point where FCC can certify compliance.
  • It is part of the closeout record, not a replacement for the permit file or the building department.

When FCC files it

The timing is simple: not at permit issuance, not at the first passed inspection, and not just because the job looks done.

  • FCC files the COC after the required private-provider inspections for FCC's scope are complete.
  • Inspection results are transmitted during the job; the COC comes at the end of the required FCC inspection scope.
  • If the project still has incomplete FCC inspection items, the COC is not ready yet.

What can still delay closeout

This is the part teams need to separate clearly. FCC can finish its scope and the job can still have local loose ends.

  • Jurisdiction-retained items such as zoning, fire, utilities, drainage, public works, landscaping, or similar local requirements can still hold up final closeout.
  • FCC does not pull permits, file permit applications, or file the NTBO.
  • A filed COC does not mean every condition outside FCC's scope has already been cleared by the jurisdiction.
Comparison
What the COC Covers and What It Does Not

The clean way to explain this page is simple: the COC closes out FCC's required private-provider inspection scope. It does not erase whatever still belongs to the contractor, permit team, or the local jurisdiction.

Who performs the private-provider inspections?
FCC Private Provider Scope
FCC performs the eligible private-provider inspection scope under F.S. 553.791.
Still Outside FCC Scope
Jurisdiction-retained inspections stay with the local authority.
Who sends inspection results during the project?
FCC Private Provider Scope
FCC transmits inspection results after completed inspections.
Still Outside FCC Scope
The jurisdiction may still have its own internal timing for reflecting those records.
Who files the Certificate of Compliance?
FCC Private Provider Scope
FCC files the COC after the required FCC inspection scope is complete.
Still Outside FCC Scope
The contractor, owner, or permit team does not replace this filing with a separate FCC-side document.
Who files the NTBO?
FCC Private Provider Scope
FCC does not file the NTBO.
Still Outside FCC Scope
The fee owner or the fee owner's contractor files the NTBO; a permit coordinator can submit it on their behalf.
Who handles permit applications and permit filing?
FCC Private Provider Scope
FCC does not pull permits or file permit applications.
Still Outside FCC Scope
The contractor, owner representative, or permit expediter handles that workflow.
Does a filed COC mean the permit closes automatically?
FCC Private Provider Scope
No. The COC completes FCC's filing responsibility for the required private-provider inspection scope.
Still Outside FCC Scope
Final closeout can still depend on jurisdiction-retained items and local approval conditions.
Related
Related Resources

Florida Private Provider

View Page

Notice to Building Official

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Virtual Inspections

View Page

Building Permit Delays Florida

View Page

Florida Statute 553.791

View Page
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Certificate of Compliance in a Florida private-provider project?
It is the document the private provider files with the building department after the required private-provider inspection scope is complete. In FCC's workflow, the COC is the closeout filing tied to FCC's inspection scope under F.S. 553.791.
When does FCC file the Certificate of Compliance?
FCC files the COC after the required FCC inspection scope for the project is complete. It is an end-of-scope filing, not something filed at permit intake or at the start of the project.
Does the Certificate of Compliance close the permit automatically?
Not always. The COC is an important closeout document, but final permit closeout can still depend on jurisdiction-retained items such as zoning, fire, public works, utilities, drainage, landscaping, or other local requirements that FCC does not control.
Can FCC file the COC if local retained items are still outstanding?
FCC can only file the COC once the required FCC inspection scope is complete. But even after that filing, final permit closeout can still be delayed if the jurisdiction is waiting on retained inspections, local approvals, or other outstanding conditions outside FCC's scope.
Does FCC pull permits, file permit applications, or file the NTBO?
No. FCC does not pull permits, file permit applications, or file the NTBO. FCC handles plan reviews, virtual inspections, inspection-result transmission, and COC filing when appropriate under the private-provider workflow.
What happens after FCC files the COC?
The building department receives the COC as part of the permit record. Depending on the jurisdiction and the project, the permit may still need any remaining jurisdiction-retained inspections, approvals, or local conditions cleared before final closeout is completed.

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