St. Petersburg, FL Building Safety: Green Building Code (2026)
Key Facts
- Eligible permits
- Approved after Feb. 22, 2007
- Residential refund
- $300 (FGBC Green Home Standard)
- Commercial refund
- $1,000 (USGBC LEED standard)
- Large-site refund
- $2,500 (1+ acre, LEED site & structure)
- Trigger
- Refund paid after certification evidence submitted
- Code location
- Chapter 12, Fees
Summary
St. Petersburg refunds part of the building permit fee to owners who certify new construction as a green structure under City Code § 12-1: $300.00 for a Florida Green Building Coalition-certified home, $1,000.00 for a USGBC LEED-certified commercial building, and $2,500.00 for a LEED-certified project on an acre or more of vacant land.
Commercial and residential construction permit applications approved after February 22, 2007, are eligible for a partial refund of permit fees if the structure constructed is certified as a green structure. For residential construction, the structure must satisfy all the requirements of the current Green Home Designation Standard of the Florida Green Building Coalition. Upon receipt of sufficient evidence of this certification of the structure, the city will refund $300.00 of the permit fee paid. For commercial construction, the structure must satisfy all the requirements of the most current USGBC LEED standard. Upon receipt of sufficient evidence of this certification of the structure, the city will refund $1,000.00 of the permit fee paid. For development of vacant land of one acre or more, the structures and site must satisfy all the requirements of the most current USGBC LEED standard. Upon receipt of sufficient evidence of this certification of the structures and site, the city will refund $2,500.00 of the permit fee paid.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 54).
Full Breakdown
Section 12-1 of the City Code, titled 'Incentive for green building certification,' rewards developers who build to a recognized green standard rather than mandating one. Any commercial or residential construction permit application approved after February 22, 2007 qualifies. 00 of the permit fee already paid. 00 refund of the permit fee. 00 of the permit fee once certification evidence is received. The refund is triggered only after the applicant documents the certification, the ordinance does not describe a pre-approval or plan-review credit, so the money comes back after the building or site has actually earned the third-party rating.
The section sits in Chapter 12, Fees, alongside the City's other permit-fee provisions, and works as a companion to the separately adopted Florida Building Code (Chapter 8, Article II), which sets the mandatory construction standards every project in St. Petersburg must meet regardless of whether it pursues green certification.
Violations & Fines
This is a voluntary incentive, not a mandatory duty; there is no violation for building without green certification. However, refunds are paid only upon receipt of 'sufficient evidence' of certification, and submitting false certification documentation to obtain a fee refund would fall under the Code's general penalty (§ 1-7): up to $500.00 in fines and 60 days in jail, in addition to any fraud exposure and repayment of the refund.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is green building required in St. Petersburg?
How much can I get back for certifying a new home?
What about a commercial building or a large development?
When does the city pay the refund?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Petersburg
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