Pinellas County energy calcs & Manual J.
The oldest housing on this list, and a checklist that asks for three of everything.
Pinellas County's one- and two-family checklist asks for complete sets of the Form 402 energy forms, signed on the front sheet, and three copies of the Manual J, one fastened to each energy form. That checklist predates the 8th Edition, so confirm the current count. St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Largo permit separately. Pinellas is climate zone 2A.
- Department
- Pinellas County Building & Development Review Servicesunincorporated and partner communities · Pinellas County permitting (see Permitting Guide)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 45°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 Pinellas reviewers ask for
The county's one- and two-family minimum-requirements checklist asks for complete sets of the Form 402 energy forms with the front sheets signed, and three copies of the Manual J, one fastened to each energy form.4 Its own wording reads 'one (3) complete sets', a typo that leaves the count ambiguous.4
The rest of the Pinellas submittal notes2 more paragraphs
That checklist is headed FBC 6th Edition (2017).4 It still shows what reviewers check, including wall and ceiling insulation against the energy form, but the 8th Edition has been in force since December 31, 2023, so treat the copy counts as something to confirm, not gospel.
Our practice for Pinellas: one combined digital PDF per document, R405 or R402 with the Manual J attached directly behind it, which satisfies the 'fastened to each energy form' intent in an electronic submittal.
Building departments
1 department · addresses, phones, portals
The county permits unincorporated Pinellas and several partner communities, while St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Largo issue their own building permits.1 For the smaller cities, check with the county which ones it permits for.
| Department | Address | Phone | Portal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinellas County Building & Development Review Services (unincorporated and partner communities) | See official page | Official page | Pinellas County permitting (see Permitting Guide)1 |
Design conditions
92°F cooling · 45°F heating · zone 2A · weather stations
Cooling station: St. Petersburg / Clearwater (Manual J). Heating station: St. Petersburg-Clearwater (ASHRAE).3
Both Pinellas limits come from the St. Petersburg/Clearwater record: 92°F at 1% cooling and 45°F at 99% heating.3 It's zone 2A.2 Our view: surrounded by water on three sides, Pinellas has the mildest winter design in the Tampa Bay group, two degrees warmer than Hillsborough, so heat-strip sizing comes down a notch.
Worked example
1,400 sq ft house → 37,680 Btu/h, 3.14 tons · illustrative
Illustrative · not a Manual J
A 1,400 sq ft two-bedroom block ranch from the 1960s: small, leaky and old, like most of the county's stock.7 The leakage and duct-loss figures are deliberately pessimistic assumptions, and the load per square foot shows it.
| House | 1960s single-storey block ranch, A/C replacement |
|---|---|
| Conditioned area | 1,400 sq ft, 1 storey, 8 ft ceilings |
| Bedrooms / occupants | 2 / 3 |
| Glazing | 14% of floor area (196 sq ft), U 0.8, SHGC 0.65 |
| Walls / ceiling | R-4.1 walls, R-19 ceiling under a vented attic |
| Air leakage | 10 ACH50 |
| Ducts | in the attic, 18% gain allowance |
| Ventilation | none (existing home) |
| Outdoor design | 92°F cooling / 45°F heating (sourced above) |
| Indoor design | 75°F cooling / 70°F heating |
| Design grains difference | 42 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: 43,340 Btu/h.8
Local housing
Median year built 1976 · 47.4% single-family detached · Census ACS
Pinellas has the oldest housing stock in this group: the median home was built in 1976, 59.4% of units predate 1980, and only 13.2% were built in 2000 or later.7 Mobile homes are 9.7% of units.7 Most of our Pinellas work will be replacements and additions on 1950s–70s block ranches; that's our inference from the age data.
Utility rebates
Duke Energy Florida · Tampa Electric (TECO)
- Duke Energy Florida. Duke Energy Florida offers HVAC rebates up to $1,000, with $300 for an A/C replacement and $500 for a heat pump. It requires a free Home Energy Check within the previous 24 months, a licensed contractor and a local permit.5
- Tampa Electric (TECO). If your Pinellas home is on Tampa Electric, its Heating & Cooling Program pays tiered rebates for qualifying ducted systems.6
Utility programs change often; check the program page before you count on a rebate.
Pinellas County questions
3 answers · How many energy forms does Pinellas County need?
How many energy forms does Pinellas County need?
The county's one- and two-family checklist asks for complete sets of the Form 402 energy forms, signed on the front sheet, and three copies of the Manual J, one fastened to each energy form. That checklist is labeled FBC 6th Edition (2017), so confirm the current count with Building & Development Review Services.
Does Pinellas County permit St. Petersburg and Clearwater?
No. St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Largo issue their own building permits. The county permits unincorporated Pinellas and several partner communities. Confirm which jurisdiction the parcel is in before you upload; the energy calc we deliver is the same, but the portal, fees and checklist differ by city.
Are there A/C rebates in Pinellas County?
Duke Energy Florida offers HVAC rebates up to $1,000, with $300 for an A/C replacement and $500 for a heat pump, if a Home Energy Check was done in the previous 24 months and the work is permitted. Customers on Tampa Electric have that utility's own tiered program instead.
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
- 01Pinellas County, Permitting Guidepinellas.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
- 04Pinellas County, Minimum Requirements for One & Two Family Structures, FBC 6th Ed. (2017) (PDF)pinellas.gov
- 05Duke Energy Florida, Rebate for HVAC Replacementduke-energy.com
- 06Tampa Electric, Heating & Cooling Programtampaelectric.com
- 07U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates (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