St. Johns County energy calcs & Manual J.
A clearance sheet first, then two energy sets with Manual J and D.
St. Johns County's residential sufficiency checklist wants two sets of energy forms plus one extra signature page, including Manual J and Manual D, citing FBC Energy Conservation section 103. It comes after an approved clearance sheet and site plan. St. Johns is climate zone 2A, with design limits of 90°F cooling and 37°F heating from the St. Augustine airport.
- Department
- St. Johns County Building Services Divisionunincorporated · Building Department1
- Code edition
- FBC Energy Conservation, 8th Ed. (2023)9th Ed. (2026) scheduled for Dec 31, 2026 · what changes2
- Climate zone
- Zone 2A1% cooling 90°F · 99% heating 37°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
- 6 primary sourcesEvery number on this page links to its source · references
What St. Johns reviewers ask for
The sufficiency checklist reads like an intake desk's to-do list, and the office ticks each line as pending, received or not applicable.4 First comes a completed clearance sheet with an approved site plan under the Land Development Code; then the permit application, two sets of plans, two sets of truss engineering and two signed product-approval forms.4
The rest of the St. Johns submittal notes2 more paragraphs
The energy line is specific: two sets of energy sheet forms and one additional copy of the signature page, including Manual J and D, under FBC Energy Conservation section 103.4 That spare signature page is the item people forget; we include it as its own page in the packet.
When you call, the county asks you to reference the contractor's name, the job address and the clearance sheet number.4 A recorded notice of commencement must reach the department before the first inspection.4
Building departments
1 department · addresses, phones, portals
The City of St. Augustine and the City of St. Augustine Beach sit inside the county; check with each city how it issues building permits; we don't publish contacts for them here.
| Department | Address | Phone | Portal |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Johns County Building Services Division (unincorporated) | See official page | (904) 827-6800 | Building Department1 |
Design conditions
90°F cooling · 37°F heating · zone 2A · weather stations
Cooling station: St. Augustine airport (ASHRAE). Heating station: St. Augustine airport (ASHRAE).3
St. Augustine's airport supplies both limits, 90°F cooling and 37°F heating, cooler on both counts than Jacksonville's Cecil Field values next door.3 Zone 2A.2 Ocean exposure explains the gentler cooling figure, we suspect, but a 37°F heating design still makes the heat pump's low-temperature output worth checking on every Manual S.
Worked example
3,200 sq ft house → 32,390 Btu/h, 2.7 tons · illustrative
Illustrative · not a Manual J
A 3,200 sq ft, four-bedroom two-storey frame home, sized up because the county's 6.2-room median is the largest we've seen.5 We lowered the design moisture difference to 40 grains as a stated assumption for the coast. The heating figure is the one to read: at 37°F it is a meaningful share of the cooling load.
| House | new two-storey frame home, Nocatee area |
|---|---|
| Conditioned area | 3,200 sq ft, 2 storeys, 9 ft ceilings |
| Bedrooms / occupants | 4 / 5 |
| Glazing | 15% of floor area (480 sq ft), U 0.3, SHGC 0.25 |
| Walls / ceiling | R-13 walls, R-38 ceiling under a vented attic |
| Air leakage | 4 ACH50 |
| Ducts | in the attic, 6% gain allowance |
| Ventilation | mechanical, per FBC formula |
| Outdoor design | 90°F cooling / 37°F heating (sourced above) |
| Indoor design | 75°F cooling / 70°F heating |
| Design grains difference | 40 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: 37,250 Btu/h.6
Local housing
Median year built 2007 · 72.6% single-family detached · Census ACS
St. Johns has the newest and largest homes in our county set: median year built 2007, 65.1% of units from 2000 on, a 6.2-room median and 72.6% single-family detached.5 Owner occupancy is 84.2%.5 Electric heat, at 85.3%, is the lowest share here, which leaves room for gas furnaces and gas-pack systems in the mix.5
Utility rebates
No confirmed residential A/C rebate listed
No utility rebate for St. Johns County homes made our verified list this round. If the house is on FPL or JEA, read that utility's current program page; we cite those programs on other county pages, not here, because we haven't confirmed which serves a given St. Johns address.
Utility programs change often; check the program page before you count on a rebate.
St. Johns County questions
3 answers · How many energy calc copies does St. Johns County want?
How many energy calc copies does St. Johns County want?
Two sets of energy forms, plus one additional copy of the signature page, and the checklist says the set includes Manual J and Manual D. It cites FBC Energy Conservation section 103. Bring them with two sets of plans, after the clearance sheet and approved site plan are done.
What is the St. Johns County clearance sheet?
It's the first line on the county's residential sufficiency checklist: a completed clearance sheet with an approved site plan under the Land Development Code. The building application, plans and energy forms follow it, and the county asks you to quote the clearance sheet number whenever you call or fax.
Are there utility A/C rebates in St. Johns County?
We haven't confirmed a utility rebate program for St. Johns County homes, so we don't list one here. Florida Power & Light and JEA both run programs elsewhere in the state; check which utility serves the address and read its current program page before counting on a rebate.
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
6 primary references · numbered to match the citations
- 01St. Johns County, Building Departmentsjcfl.us
- 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
- 04St. Johns County Building Department, Residential Sufficiency Checklist (PDF, 2026)sjcfl.us
- 05U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates (B25018, B25024, B25034, B25035, B25003, B25040), via Census Reportercensusreporter.org
- 06Florida Building Commission, R405-2026 documentation checklist example (quotes R403.7.1.1 cooling equipment sizing limits)floridabuilding.org