Palm Coast energy calcs & Manual J.
A separate signed front page, and no uploads while a review is open.
Palm Coast lists energy calculations among its new single-family permit documents and wants the front page, bearing the preparer's signature and Florida seal, uploaded as a separate file. A blower door test form and duct leakage report are due before the certificate of occupancy. The city issued 1,356 new single-family permits in 2025; climate zone 2A.
- Department
- City of Palm Coast, Building DivisionOnline permitting portal1
- Code edition
- FBC Energy Conservation, 8th Ed. (2023)9th Ed. (2026) scheduled for Dec 31, 2026 · what changes2
- Climate zone
- Zone 2A1% cooling 91°F · 99% heating 39°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 Palm Coast reviewers ask for
For a new single-family residence, the city's list runs from signed and sealed drawings and an engineered truss or roof framing plan through the product approval and color sheets to energy calculations, with one extra instruction: upload the front page of the energy calcs, carrying the preparer's signature and Florida seal, as a separate document.1 We deliver that page as its own PDF.
The rest of the Palm Coast submittal notes2 more paragraphs
Electronic plans must carry a digital signature; the city won't accept photocopies of a signed and sealed document.1 Processing usually takes about five days, and revisions may be submitted only after every outstanding review is complete, since the city takes no submittals during an open review cycle.1 Revisions cost $40.1 The list also asks for a geotechnical report under FBC Section 1803 and a grading and drainage plan by a Florida-licensed engineer, not a surveyor.1
Before the certificate of occupancy, the city wants a termite certificate, a blower door test form and a duct leakage report on file, plus all fees paid.1 Lots in an 'A' flood zone need an elevation certificate at application, and the boundary survey must show the flood zone.1 The notice of commencement is recorded with the Flagler County Clerk in Bunnell before any inspection.1
Building departments
1 department · addresses, phones, portals
Palm Coast's Building Division permits inside the city; unincorporated Flagler, Bunnell and Flagler Beach are separate permit-issuing jurisdictions in the Census file.5 Palm Coast issued 1,356 of Flagler County's 1,950 one-unit permits in 2025, seventh among Florida cities outside consolidated Jacksonville.56 Flagler County is covered in our East Central hub.
| Department | Address | Phone | Portal |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Palm Coast, Building Division | See official page | 386-986-3780 | Online permitting portal1 |
Design conditions
91°F cooling · 39°F heating · zone 2A · weather stations
Cooling station: Daytona Beach International Airport (Manual J). Heating station: Daytona Beach International Airport (Manual J).3
Palm Coast uses Flagler's limits, both from Daytona Beach International Airport: 91°F cooling and 39°F heating.3 Zone 2A.2 Volusia shares that pair, and every Atlantic county south of them, Brevard to Miami-Dade, designs warmer, between 41°F and 48°F.3
Worked example
2,100 sq ft house → 28,160 Btu/h, 2.35 tons · illustrative
Illustrative · not a Manual J
A 2,100 sq ft, four-bedroom single-storey block house, near the city's 5.9-room median.7 It uses Flagler's 91°F and 39°F limits; the 45-grain moisture difference is our coastal assumption.
| House | new single-storey block home, Palm Coast |
|---|---|
| Conditioned area | 2,100 sq ft, 1 storey, 9.33 ft ceilings |
| Bedrooms / occupants | 4 / 5 |
| Glazing | 14% of floor area (294 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 | 91°F cooling / 39°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: 32,380 Btu/h.8
Local housing
Median year built 2003 · 86.6% single-family detached · Census ACS
Palm Coast is a young city of houses: 86.6% of units are single-family detached, only 0.3% are mobile homes, and the median dates from 2003, with 60.8% built from 2000 on.7 Owner occupancy is 81.9% and 94.1% of occupied homes heat with electricity.7
Utility rebates
FPL
- FPL. On FPL service, a central A/C or heat pump of 15.2 SEER2 or better, with indoor and outdoor units both replaced by a participating contractor, qualifies for a $200 instant invoice credit; mini-splits don't.4
Utility programs change often; check the program page before you count on a rebate.
Palm Coast questions
3 answers · How should energy calcs be uploaded in Palm Coast?
How should energy calcs be uploaded in Palm Coast?
With the online permit, and the front page of the energy calculations, showing the preparer's signature and Florida seal, uploaded as its own document, per the city's single-family requirements. Electronic plans need a digital signature; Palm Coast doesn't accept photocopies of signed and sealed documents.
Can I upload corrections while Palm Coast is still reviewing my permit?
No. The city says revisions may be submitted only after all outstanding reviews are complete, and it doesn't accept submittals during an open review cycle. Wait for every reviewer's comments, answer them together and attach the city's revision sheet so the package routes correctly. Revisions are charged $40.
What energy documents does Palm Coast need before a certificate of occupancy?
A blower door test form and a duct leakage report, along with the termite certificate and payment of all fees, according to the city's single-family residence page. You can email them to the Building Division or submit them through the online permitting portal before requesting the certificate of occupancy.
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 Palm Coast, Building Division (permit requirements by project type)palmcoast.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
- 04FPL, Ways to Save: A/C Rebatefpl.com
- 05U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual place data, South Region (1-unit housing units by permit-issuing place)www2.census.gov
- 06U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual county data (new privately-owned 1-unit housing units)www2.census.gov
- 07U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for Palm Coast (B25018, B25024, B25034, B25035, B25003, B25040), via Census Reportercensusreporter.org
- 08Florida Building Commission, R405-2026 documentation checklist example (quotes R403.7.1.1 cooling equipment sizing limits)floridabuilding.org