Marion County energy calcs & Manual J.
Manual J and D in one line, a signed R405, and one PDF per placeholder.
Marion County's new-home checklist bundles ACCA Manual J and D with the A/C layout, diffuser sizes and a full set of Florida energy forms, including a signed R405. Everything is filed in the county's Civic Access portal. Marion is climate zone 2A, with design limits of 92°F cooling and 34°F heating.
- Department
- Marion County Building Safetyunincorporated · Civic Access (permits.marionfl.org)1
- 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 34°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
- 11 primary sourcesEvery number on this page links to its source · references
What Marion reviewers ask for
The single-family and duplex checklist, revised August 4, 2026, files the energy work under one heading: 'ACCA Manual J & D,' prepared in accordance with the ASHRAE load calculation manual, with the A/C layout and diffuser sizes, a gas layout where gas is used, and a complete set of State of Florida energy code forms including a signed R405.4 The plans must name the compliance path and the code cycle the house is designed under.4
The rest of the Marion submittal notes2 more paragraphs
Window and glazed-door U-factor and SHGC go either on the plans or on the product approval specification sheet, with each glazed opening type keyed to the layout.4 Those numbers feed the R405 directly, so we read them from your schedule rather than assuming defaults.
Uploads have a mechanical constraint: in Civic Access each 'Requested Files' placeholder accepts exactly one PDF, and approvals from other county departments must land before the permit issues.4 Changing equipment on an existing house is lighter. The mechanical scope checklist wants a Manual J for new equipment, a Manual D only when ducts are added, and an R405 signed and dated by the preparer and the owner's agent; a like-for-like replacement just enters the unit data online.5
Building departments
1 department · addresses, phones, portals
Ocala, Belleview and Dunnellon appear as their own permit-issuing places in the Census Bureau's 2025 permit file, which means they issue building permits apart from the county.7 Use each city's own building page for its office details. The volume sits outside them anyway: unincorporated Marion issued 5,031 of the county's 5,420 new one-unit permits.78
| Department | Address | Phone | Portal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County Building Safety (unincorporated) | 2710 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, FL 34470 | 352-438-2400 | Civic Access (permits.marionfl.org)1 |
Design conditions
92°F cooling · 34°F heating · zone 2A · weather stations
Cooling station: Ocala Muni (Manual J). Heating station: Ocala Intl. J Taylor (ASHRAE).3
Marion's cooling limit, 92°F, comes from Ocala Municipal and its heating limit, 34°F, from Ocala International; RESNET pairs two stations here.3 Zone 2A.2 Among our county pages only Duval's 32°F is colder, and Pasco shares 34°F. In our reading that makes heat-pump capacity at design, and the strip heat behind it, as important as the cooling total.
Worked example
1,850 sq ft house → 25,430 Btu/h, 2.12 tons · illustrative
Illustrative · not a Manual J
A three-bedroom, 1,850 sq ft block house near the county's 5.4-room median.9 The 50-grain design moisture difference is our assumption for inland Marion; the 92°F and 34°F limits are the county's.
| House | new single-storey block home, southwest Ocala |
|---|---|
| Conditioned area | 1,850 sq ft, 1 storey, 9.33 ft ceilings |
| Bedrooms / occupants | 3 / 4 |
| Glazing | 13% of floor area (240 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 / 34°F heating (sourced above) |
| Indoor design | 75°F cooling / 70°F heating |
| Design grains difference | 50 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: 29,240 Btu/h.10
Local housing
Median year built 1993 · 67.5% single-family detached · Census ACS
Mobile homes are 18.2% of Marion's housing units and single-family detached houses 67.5%.9 The median unit dates from 1993, 37.5% were built from 2000 on, and 86.8% of occupied homes heat with electricity, a share in the lowest fifth of Florida's 67 counties.911 Marion's 5,420 new one-unit permits in 2025 ranked fifth in the state.8
Utility rebates
Duke Energy Florida
- Duke Energy Florida. Homes on Duke Energy Florida's lines can qualify for its HVAC replacement rebates, $300 for an A/C and $500 for a heat pump up to a $1,000 cap, after a Home Energy Check within the prior 24 months.6
Utility programs change often; check the program page before you count on a rebate.
Marion County questions
3 answers · Does Marion County need a Manual D for a new house?
Does Marion County need a Manual D for a new house?
Yes. The county's single-family checklist lists 'ACCA Manual J & D' together, with the A/C layout, diffuser sizes and a gas layout when gas is used. It also wants the complete Florida energy code forms with a signed R405, and the plans must state the compliance path and code cycle.
How do I upload energy calcs in Marion's Civic Access portal?
Register at permits.marionfl.org and apply there; all documents are submitted electronically. Each 'Requested Files' placeholder accepts only one PDF, so put the right document in each slot. Approvals from other Marion County departments must be in place before the building permit can be issued.
Do I need a Manual J to replace an A/C in Marion County?
Not for a straight replacement: the mechanical scope checklist asks you to enter the manufacturer, size, SEER rating and unit type online. New equipment is different. It needs a Manual J, a Manual D if ducts are added, and an R405 signed and dated by the preparer and owner's agent.
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
11 primary references · numbered to match the citations
- 01Marion County, Building Safetymarionfl.org
- 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
- 04Marion County Building Safety, Checklist: Single Family Residence / Duplex – New Construction (PDF, REV 8/4/26)marionfl.org
- 05Marion County Building Safety, Checklist: Mechanical Scope – Residential (REV 8/4/26), Building Safety formsmarionfl.org
- 06Duke Energy Florida, Rebate for HVAC Replacementduke-energy.com
- 07U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual place data, South Region (1-unit housing units by permit-issuing place)www2.census.gov
- 08U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual county data (new privately-owned 1-unit housing units)www2.census.gov
- 09U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for Marion County, FL (B25018, B25024, B25034, B25035, B25003, B25040), via Census Reportercensusreporter.org
- 10Florida Building Commission, R405-2026 documentation checklist example (quotes R403.7.1.1 cooling equipment sizing limits)floridabuilding.org
- 11U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates (B25001, B25003, B25018, B25024, B25034, B25035, B25040), via Census Reportercensusreporter.org