Palm Beach County energy calcs & Manual J.
Calcs for each unit type, and an equipment schedule with sensible capacity.
Palm Beach County's Type 5 plan-review checklist asks for Florida energy efficiency and HVAC sizing calculations for each unit, with the count of each unit type on the plan, plus an HVAC equipment schedule showing sensible capacity, equipment locations and duct systems. The county permits unincorporated areas. Palm Beach is climate zone 1A.
- Department
- Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning & Building, Building Divisionunincorporated · County PZB permitting (see Type 5 checklist)1
- Code edition
- FBC Energy Conservation, 8th Ed. (2023)9th Ed. (2026) scheduled for Dec 31, 2026 · what changes2
- Climate zone
- Zone 1A1% cooling 91°F · 99% heating 44°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
- 7 primary sourcesEvery number on this page links to its source · references
What Palm Beach reviewers ask for
The Type 5 checklist is explicit about scope: energy efficiency and HVAC sizing calculations for each unit, with the number of each unit type shown on the site or floor plan.1 A subdivision with three models needs three calcs, not one.
The rest of the Palm Beach submittal notes2 more paragraphs
It also asks for an HVAC equipment schedule with sensible capacity, and plans showing equipment locations and duct systems.1 Few checklists name sensible capacity outright. We put it on the Manual S summary so the reviewer finds it without opening manufacturer data.
The checklist PDF we read carries a 2020 date stamp.1 Check the county's site for a newer version under the 8th Edition.
Building departments
1 department · addresses, phones, portals
The county's Building Division covers unincorporated Palm Beach County, and its service guide notes that municipalities generally run their own building departments.5 For a city address, use that city's own building page; we only publish contacts we've read on an official site.
| Department | Address | Phone | Portal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning & Building, Building Division (unincorporated) | See official page | Official page | County PZB permitting (see Type 5 checklist)1 |
Design conditions
91°F cooling · 44°F heating · zone 1A · weather stations
Cooling station: Belle Glade (Manual J). Heating station: Belle Glade (Manual J).3
Palm Beach borrows its design limits from Belle Glade, out by Lake Okeechobee: 91°F at 1% cooling and 44°F at 99% heating.3 It's zone 1A.2 Our observation: that heating value is four degrees cooler than Broward's, because the station is inland, so a coastal Boca house is sized against a slightly harsher winter than its weather suggests. It changes heat-strip sizing, not cooling.
Worked example
2,650 sq ft house → 34,000 Btu/h, 2.83 tons · illustrative
Illustrative · not a Manual J
A 2,650 sq ft four-bedroom two-storey, typical of the production subdivisions the Type 5 'each unit type' rule is written for. The second floor cuts roof area per square foot, which is why this load per square foot runs lower than the Lee and Charlotte single-storey examples.
| House | new two-storey home, west Palm Beach County subdivision |
|---|---|
| Conditioned area | 2,650 sq ft, 2 storeys, 9 ft ceilings |
| Bedrooms / occupants | 4 / 5 |
| Glazing | 15% of floor area (398 sq ft), U 0.32, SHGC 0.25 |
| Walls / ceiling | R-7.8 walls, R-38 ceiling under a vented attic |
| Air leakage | 4 ACH50 |
| Ducts | in the attic, 8% gain allowance |
| Ventilation | mechanical, per FBC formula |
| Outdoor design | 91°F cooling / 44°F heating (sourced above) |
| Indoor design | 75°F cooling / 70°F heating |
| Design grains difference | 52 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: 39,100 Btu/h.6
Local housing
Median year built 1986 · 45.1% single-family detached · Census ACS
Utility rebates
FPL
- FPL. FPL's rebate is a $200 instant invoice credit for a SEER2 15.2 or higher central A/C or heat pump, indoor and outdoor units both replaced by a participating contractor; mini-splits don't count.4
Utility programs change often; check the program page before you count on a rebate.
Palm Beach County questions
3 answers · Does Palm Beach County need a separate calc for each model?
Does Palm Beach County need a separate calc for each model?
Yes. The Type 5 plan-review checklist asks for Florida energy efficiency and HVAC sizing calculations for each unit, with the number of each unit type shown on the site or floor plan. If a project has three models or three orientations that change the load, expect to submit a calc for each.
What does 'sensible capacity' on Palm Beach County's checklist mean?
It's the part of an A/C unit's output that lowers air temperature, as opposed to latent capacity, which removes moisture. Palm Beach's Type 5 checklist asks for an HVAC equipment schedule showing sensible capacity, so the reviewer can compare it against the calculated sensible load. Our Manual S summary lists both.
Why is Palm Beach County's design temperature taken from Belle Glade?
The RESNET county table assigns each county the most extreme station within its borders: highest cooling, lowest heating. For Palm Beach that's Belle Glade, inland by Lake Okeechobee, giving 91°F cooling and 44°F heating. Coastal homes are sized to that limit, which mostly affects heating, not cooling.
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
7 primary references · numbered to match the citations
- 01Palm Beach County, Type 5 Plan Review Checklist (PDF)pbcdmzspptest.pbcgov.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
- 04FPL, Ways to Save: A/C Rebatefpl.com
- 05Palm Beach County, PZB Service Reference Guide (PDF)pbcdmzspptest.pbcgov.org
- 06Florida Building Commission, R405-2026 documentation checklist example (quotes R403.7.1.1 cooling equipment sizing limits)floridabuilding.org
- 07U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates (B25018, B25024, B25034, B25035, B25003, B25040), via Census Reportercensusreporter.org