How to Know If You Need an Architect or Engineer for a Tenant Buildout
In Melbourne, a tenant buildout needs plans signed and sealed by an architect or engineer unless the job is a parking lot or work under $2,500 that does not affect the structure or the exits (Building Section FAQ).
At Reach Commercial Real Estate, we represent tenants. We help you find locations, compare costs, investigate property questions and negotiate the lease.
1. Check the plan rule in unincorporated Brevard County
In unincorporated Brevard County, it depends on the permit type. A new interior build-out, or an alteration that changes the occupancy classification, goes through a Commercial New Construction permit. That application asks for construction documents signed and sealed by a Florida registered architect or engineer.
An interior alteration that keeps the same occupancy classification goes through a Commercial Renovation permit. Its plans line reads "N/A."
2. Know when state law calls for an architect or engineer
The Florida Building Code says construction documents are prepared by a registered design professional where the state's engineer and architect laws require one (Florida Building Code, Building, section 107.1).
Florida exempts some small buildings from the architect requirement. The exemption covers buildings costing less than $25,000, but it excludes buildings intended for public use (Florida Statutes, section 481.229(1)(c)). The law does not define a building intended for public use, so check with the building department before you assume you do not need stamped plans.
3. Ask what your trade contractors can design
Some electrical, plumbing, air-conditioning and mechanical contractors can design the systems they install without an engineer, on smaller projects (Florida Statutes, section 471.003(2)(h)). The system has to be worth $125,000 or less, and the project has to meet one of these:
800 amps (240 volts) or less of electrical service on a commercial building.
Fewer than 250 plumbing fixture units.
Heating and air conditioning of 15 tons or less per system.
A design for 100 people or fewer.
A coffee shop dining area of 600 net square feet with tables and chairs holds 40 occupants, which is under the 100-person figure.
4. Know how a design-build contract works
A general contractor can take on a design-build contract without an architect's license, as long as a licensed architect does the architectural work (Florida Statutes, section 481.229(3)). The engineering law follows the same pattern (section 471.003(2)).
5. Put design responsibility into your lease
Our tenant checklist asks when a licensed general contractor or an architect or engineer is needed, and what the lease says about landlord work versus tenant work.
You can ask for a TI allowance and a permit contingency. Once you pick a property, we negotiate the business terms, and your Florida commercial leasing attorney reviews the legal language.
Extra items to add to your list
Your sign. In unincorporated Brevard County, signs go through a Commercial Miscellaneous permit, and its application asks for construction documents signed and sealed by a Florida registered architect or engineer.
Product approvals and truss engineering. The county's Commercial New Construction plans line lists Florida Product Approvals and truss engineering with the sealed plans.
Start your search with Reach
You do not need to find the property before calling us. In most deals the landlord pays our fee.
Call 321-514-0876 with your business type, equipment list, seating goal and target opening date, or with the address of a space you have found.
See tenant representation and the space needs analysis.
Related: the leasing guide and the Brevard County Commercial Rent Guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a square-footage threshold for needing an architect?
No. Florida's architect and engineer laws have no square-footage cutoff (sections 481.229, 471.003 and 481.203). The thresholds they set are a dollar amount, the contractor design limits and a 100-person occupancy figure.
Can an interior designer prepare the plans?
Not for architectural or engineering work. Florida defines interior design as work on nonstructural interior elements, and the definition excludes architectural and engineering work except choosing fixtures and where they go (section 481.203(10)). An interior designer also cannot act as a contractor without a contractor's license (section 481.229(7)).
Sources
Written by Cassandra Hartford, founder and CEO of Reach Commercial Real Estate. She has worked in Brevard County commercial real estate for 17 years, representing buyers, sellers, landlords, and tenants across Florida's Space Coast.
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