North Port energy calcs & Manual J.
The energy form and the Manual J both need the legal description.
North Port's online single-family checklist wants the Energy Code Calculation form and the Manual J Calculation Form, and both must show the property's legal description. Items go in a set order, starting with the Certificate of Zoning Compliance. North Port issued 1,910 new single-family permits in 2025. It is zone 2A, with Sarasota's 92°F cooling design.
- Department
- City of North Port, Development Services DepartmentOnline submittal1
- Code edition
- FBC Energy Conservation, 8th Ed. (2023)9th Ed. (2026) scheduled for Dec 31, 2026 · what changes2
- Climate zone
- Zone 2A1% cooling 92°F · 99% heating 43°F3
- Price
- $195 · $445 · $595Energy calc from · full package · sealed. Same in all 67 counties · price list
- Ready by
- 2–3 business daysExpedited: within 24 business hours, +$150. Clock starts when complete plans pass intake (3:00 PM ET cutoff) · how it works
- Evidence
- 8 primary sourcesEvery number on this page links to its source · references
What North Port reviewers ask for
The checklist, revised October 2024, asks applicants to submit in a fixed order, and item eight reads 'Energy Code Calculation form and Manual J Calculation Form - must have legal description.'4 A Manual J that identifies the house only by street address doesn't meet that line, so we carry the lot, block and addition from the permit application onto both documents.
The rest of the North Port submittal notes2 more paragraphs
The same checklist wants the Sarasota County Property Appraiser's parcel detail page, a recorded notice of commencement with the legal description, and truss layouts initialed by the house's engineer.4 Electronic plans must be digitally signed in a way that still allows city staff to add markups; the checklist shows the Bluebeam setting.4
Once a permit number is issued, a payment of 10% based on square footage under roof is due, and impact fees must be paid by check before the certificate of occupancy.4
Building departments
1 department · addresses, phones, portals
North Port's Development Services Department permits everything inside the city; the rest of Sarasota County, including Venice and Sarasota itself, is covered on the Sarasota County page.
| Department | Address | Phone | Portal |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of North Port, Development Services Department | 4970 City Hall Boulevard, North Port, FL 34286 | (941) 429-7044 | Online submittal1 |
Design conditions
92°F cooling · 43°F heating · zone 2A · weather stations
Cooling station: Sarasota/Bradenton (Manual J). Heating station: Sarasota/Bradenton (Manual J).3
North Port takes Sarasota County's limits, 92°F cooling and 43°F heating, both from the Sarasota/Bradenton station.3 Zone 2A, even though Lee County to the south is 1A.2 Our note: North Port sits a degree warmer in cooling design than Charlotte next door, whose limit is 91°F, so don't reuse a Port Charlotte calc across the line.
Worked example
1,950 sq ft house → 26,470 Btu/h, 2.21 tons · illustrative
Illustrative · not a Manual J
A 1,950 sq ft three-bedroom block home, the city's typical new build in our reading of the 5.5-room median.6 Design temperatures are Sarasota County's.
| House | new single-storey block home, North Port |
|---|---|
| Conditioned area | 1,950 sq ft, 1 storey, 9.33 ft ceilings |
| Bedrooms / occupants | 3 / 4 |
| Glazing | 14% of floor area (273 sq ft), U 0.32, SHGC 0.25 |
| Walls / ceiling | R-7.8 walls, R-38 ceiling under a vented attic |
| Air leakage | 5 ACH50 |
| Ducts | in the attic, 8% gain allowance |
| Ventilation | mechanical, per FBC formula |
| Outdoor design | 92°F cooling / 43°F heating (sourced above) |
| Indoor design | 75°F cooling / 70°F heating |
| Design grains difference | 45 gr/lb (assumption) |
Illustrative only. A simplified block-load estimate with the inputs shown, not an ACCA Manual J, and not for permitting. A real calc goes room by room with your plans, orientation and equipment data. Code ceiling for single-stage cooling at 1.15× total load: 30,440 Btu/h.7
Local housing
Median year built 2005 · 81.0% single-family detached · Census ACS
North Port's housing is among the newest we've recorded: 69.5% of units built in 2000 or later, a 2005 median, and 81.0% single-family detached.6 Owner occupancy is 80.9%.6 The city issued 1,910 one-unit permits in 2025, behind Port St. Lucie and Cape Coral among cities outside Jacksonville.8
Utility rebates
FPL
- FPL. FPL's instant $200 invoice credit applies to a full indoor-and-outdoor central system replacement rated 15.2 SEER2 or better, installed by a participating contractor; mini-splits are excluded.5
Utility programs change often; check the program page before you count on a rebate.
North Port questions
3 answers · Does North Port require the legal description on the Manual J?
Does North Port require the legal description on the Manual J?
Yes. Item eight of the city's online single-family checklist says the Energy Code Calculation form and the Manual J Calculation Form must have the legal description. Copy the lot, block and addition exactly as they appear on the permit application, and include them on both documents.
In what order should I upload a North Port house package?
The checklist asks for a fixed order: zoning compliance certificate, permit application, property appraiser parcel page, unity of title if lots are combined, subcontractor form, recorded notice of commencement, right-of-way permit if needed, then the energy calc and Manual J, trusses and sealed plans.
Is North Port in climate zone 1A like Lee County?
No. North Port is in Sarasota County, which Table R301.1 of the 8th Edition energy code places in zone 2A, warm-humid. Lee County to the south is 1A. North Port's design limits, Sarasota's, are 92°F cooling and 43°F heating, so a Lee County calc can't be reused.
Price
One statewide price in all 67 counties. Building departments decide what they accept; we don’t guarantee approval. Revisions for plan-review comments on the same design are free.
Nearby and related
Sources
8 primary references · numbered to match the citations
- 01City of North Port, Permit Formsnorthportfl.gov
- 022023 Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation (8th Ed.), Table R301.1, climate zones by countyup.codes
- 03RESNET / ENERGY STAR, Appendix A: HVAC Design Temperature Limits by State and County (v4, 2019). 1% cooling and 99% heating values drawn from the ASHRAE 2013 Handbook of Fundamentals and ACCA Manual J 8th Ed.resnet.us
- 04City of North Port, Submittal Checklist for Online New Single-Family Residence (PDF, revised October 2024)northportfl.gov
- 05FPL, Ways to Save: A/C Rebatefpl.com
- 06U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for North Port (B25018, B25024, B25034, B25035, B25003, B25040), via Census Reportercensusreporter.org
- 07Florida Building Commission, R405-2026 documentation checklist example (quotes R403.7.1.1 cooling equipment sizing limits)floridabuilding.org
- 08U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual place data, South Region (new 1-unit housing units by permit-issuing place)www2.census.gov