Pasco County energy calcs & Manual J.
Manual J and S on a new A/C, even when it isn’t a new house.
Pasco County asks for Manual J heat-load calculations and Manual S unit-selection data whenever a new A/C system is installed, plus an AHRI certificate; a like-for-like change-out needs only the AHRI certificate. New homes need Florida energy and load calculations. Pasco is zone 2A, and its 34°F heating design comes from the Hernando County airport.
- Department
- Pasco County Building Construction Servicesunincorporated · PascoGateway1
- 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 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
- 9 primary sourcesEvery number on this page links to its source · references
What Pasco reviewers ask for
Pasco publishes one requirements sheet per work type, and the A/C sheet draws a line other counties blur. A change-out or upgrade, with or without ductwork, needs the AHRI certificate; a new A/C installation needs the AHRI certificate plus Manual J calculations and Manual S unit-selection data.4 Moving a condenser adds a site plan, and FEMA A or V zones add substantial-improvement paperwork.4
The rest of the Pasco submittal notes2 more paragraphs
New homes, townhomes, duplexes and triplexes list 'Florida Energy calculations and Load calculations where applicable', with every document submitted electronically.5 The additions sheet is more specific and also more dated: it asks for one complete set of R402-2017 or R405-2017, an extra front sheet signed by the preparer and the owner or agent, a Manual J short form and an energy guide, and it still names the 2020 code.6 We prepare to the current edition and flag the form-year mismatch on the cover.
The county posts average review times on each sheet: additions showed 8 days the month we read it, while A/C permits are instant 'quick permits'.64
Building departments
1 department · addresses, phones, portals
Pasco's incorporated cities, Dade City, New Port Richey and Zephyrhills among them, may run their own building departments or contract with the county, so check with the city first; we name no contacts for them here.
| Department | Address | Phone | Portal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pasco County Building Construction Services (unincorporated) | See official page | Official page | PascoGateway1 |
Design conditions
91°F cooling · 34°F heating · zone 2A · weather stations
Cooling station: Hernando County airport (ASHRAE). Heating station: Hernando County airport (ASHRAE).3
Pasco has no station of its own in the design table, so it takes the Hernando County airport values: 91°F cooling and 34°F heating.3 Zone 2A.2 A 34°F heating design is ten degrees colder than Pinellas next door, which in our view is the reason heat-pump balance points and strip heat deserve a real Manual S check here rather than a copied selection.
Worked example
2,100 sq ft house → 27,610 Btu/h, 2.3 tons · illustrative
Illustrative · not a Manual J
A 2,100 sq ft three-bedroom block home with attic ducts. What sets Pasco apart is the heating column: at a 34°F design, the heating load is a much larger fraction of the cooling load than it is in our South Florida examples, which is why we check heat-pump output at the design temperature before settling on strip heat.
| House | new single-storey block home, Wesley Chapel |
|---|---|
| Conditioned area | 2,100 sq ft, 1 storey, 9.33 ft ceilings |
| Bedrooms / occupants | 3 / 4 |
| 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 / 34°F heating (sourced above) |
| Indoor design | 75°F cooling / 70°F heating |
| Design grains difference | 48 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: 31,750 Btu/h.8
Local housing
Median year built 1995 · 61.7% single-family detached · Census ACS
One unit in six (16.7%) is a mobile home, and 61.7% are single-family detached.9 The median home dates from 1995, though 42.7% were built in 2000 or later.9 Owner occupancy is 74.9%; electric heat, 90.6%.9
Utility rebates
Duke Energy Florida
- Duke Energy Florida. Duke Energy Florida's HVAC rebate tops out at $1,000: $300 for a replacement A/C, $500 for a heat pump. It needs a Home Energy Check done within 24 months, a licensed contractor and a permit, which a Pasco A/C job already has.7
Utility programs change often; check the program page before you count on a rebate.
Pasco County questions
3 answers · Do I need a Manual J for an A/C change-out in Pasco County?
Do I need a Manual J for an A/C change-out in Pasco County?
Not for a straight change-out. Pasco's A/C requirements sheet asks for an AHRI certificate on a change-out or upgrade, with or without ductwork. A new A/C installation is different: it needs the AHRI certificate plus Manual J heat-load calculations and Manual S unit-selection data with the application.
Which energy forms does Pasco County want for an addition?
The additions sheet asks for one complete R402 or R405 set and an extra front sheet signed by the preparer and the owner or agent, plus a Manual J short form and an energy guide. It still cites the 2017 form years; we prepare current-edition forms and note that on the cover.
How long does Pasco County take to review a residential addition?
Pasco prints an average on each requirements sheet; the additions sheet showed eight days for the month we read, while A/C permits issue instantly as quick permits. Averages move month to month, so check the current sheet in PascoGateway before you promise a start date.
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
9 primary references · numbered to match the citations
- 01Pasco County, Building Construction: Permits and Formspascocountyfl.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
- 04Pasco County, Permit Submittal Requirements: Residential Air Conditioning Units (PDF)cms1files.revize.com
- 05Pasco County, Permit Submittal Requirements: Residential New (PDF)cms1files.revize.com
- 06Pasco County, Permit Submittal Requirements: Residential Additions (PDF)cms1files.revize.com
- 07Duke Energy Florida, Rebate for HVAC Replacementduke-energy.com
- 08Florida Building Commission, R405-2026 documentation checklist example (quotes R403.7.1.1 cooling equipment sizing limits)floridabuilding.org
- 09U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates (B25018, B25024, B25034, B25035, B25003, B25040), via Census Reportercensusreporter.org