Boots on the Ground in Tallahassee

A message from FHBA Governmental Affairs Chair, FL Board Certified Construction Attorney, CEO of Zinzow Law, and founder of ZinDocs, Justin R. Zinzow. 

As the Florida 2026 Legislative Session convenes in Tallahassee (January 13 – March 13, 2026), the Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA) is leading the charge to protect the construction industry and expand housing opportunities for all Floridians.

Our mission remains clear: eliminate burdensome regulations and lower costs to keep the American Dream of homeownership attainable.

2026 FHBA Legislative Priorities

Our “Tier 1” priorities focus on creating a more predictable and efficient business environment for builders across the state:

• Standardized Permitting Forms: Establishing a uniform set of building department forms and permit categories statewide to eliminate the costly “patchwork” of local requirements.

• Permit-Timeline Solutions: Implementing stricter municipal response times for permit applications, ensuring projects stay on schedule even after natural disasters.

• Private Provider Expansion: Enhancing the use of private inspectors to relieve overburdened local building departments and speed up the review process.

• Septic Approval Decoupling: Allowing residential construction to begin before final septic approvals are secured, preventing unnecessary delays in the build cycle.

• Infrastructure & Stormwater: Supporting stormwater-credit trading and ensuring that impact fee increases are transparent and limited.

• Workforce Housing: Continued advocacy for Live Local 4.0 and the Sadowski Housing Trust Fund to support affordable housing initiatives.

Protecting Your Bottom Line

Under the guidance of Justin R. Zinzow—a Florida Board Certified Construction Attorney—we are closely monitoring legislation that affects liability and contract law, including:

• Construction Defect Reform: Monitoring efforts to refine statutes of repose and limitations for latent defects.

• Unlicensed Contracting: Pushing for stricter penalties to protect legitimate, licensed professionals from fraudulent competition.

• Prompt Processing: Ensuring local governments adhere to the 35-day deadline for approving or denying public project change orders.

Get Involved

Trade your hardhats for handshakes and JOIN US at the FHBA Legislative Conference in Tallahassee, February 2–4, 2026, to meet with elected officials and advocate for our industry. Your engagement through the FHB PAC is critical to stopping burdensome regulations before they reach the Governor’s desk.

At Team Z and FHBA, we don’t just follow the law—we build the legal framework that allows you to build Florida. 

Watch your inbox for our “Legislative Redline” updates-we’ll be breaking down floor votes and committee wins in real-time. 

We hope to see your boots in Tallahassee.