A Private Provider is required to register with the Building Division. Registration requires maintenance of certain licenses and other standards intended to ensure that Private Providers are qualified to perform plan review and inspection activities per FS 553.791.

To prepare for a Certificate of Occupancy (CO) or Certificate of Completion (COC), ensure the following:

1. Ensure all final inspections, including Building, Electrical, Mechanical, and Plumbing, have been passed.
2. Confirm that all CO Holds have been released.
3. Verify that all associated fees have been paid. To check these items, visit our Online Services portal for easy access and verification.

Scheduling a virtual inspection with VuSpex is easy! Contractors can log in to the VuSpex GO App on their device and select the desired inspection type from the available options. Once selected, they can complete offline field reports or complete live virtual inspections.

A property owner must engage the services of one or more private, qualified professionals to serve as 'Private Providers' for their project. To use the service for plan review, the owner must notify the Building Division at the time it files its application for a permit. Failing to notify at the time of filing will disqualify the owner from using the program for plan review. To use the service for inspections, the owner must notify the Building Division prior to the first scheduled inspection. An owner who opts to use the program for plan review will also be required to use the program for inspections.

Local government building officials will send notices about required inspections by certified mail. They will send this notice to the condominium association or cooperative association.

The condominium or cooperative association must notify the unit owners of the required milestone inspection within 14 days after receiving the written notice from building officials and provide the date that the milestone inspection must be completed. This notice may be sent to unit owners electronically (e.g. via email) or by posting on the association’s website if the unit owners consented to receive notices electronically.

Residential Roof Express                                 
800 Combined Dry-In, Flashing & In Progress   
801 Roof Dry-In & Flashing                                                                     
802 Roof Sheathing/Re-Nailing                                                                  
803 Roof Final Inspection                                    
804 Roof In-Progress                                           
805 Roof Pre-Inspection (Roof Over)
 
Roof Standard
106 Roof Sheathing
117 Building Final
132 Roof In-Progress   
139 Combined Dry In, Flashing & In Progress
140 Dry-In & Flashing

Residential Door and Window Express            Door/Window Standard
141 Door/Window Bucks                                      141 Door/Window Bucks
117 Building Final                                                 117 Building Final
 
Pool (Gas Inspections Only)
303 Gas Rough In
304 Gas Final
 
 
Residential Plumbing Express                              Plumbing Standard
Plumbing Final-Video Inspection                              Plumbing Final-Video Inspection
 
AC Change Out Residential Express                    Mechanical Standard
Mechanical Final-Video Inspection                           Mechanical Final-Video Inspection

1. Low Voltage Commercial applications must select Standard Electrical Application. This includes standalone applications for low voltage electrical systems such as telephones, data transmissions, fire and security systems, closed-circuit and cable television, paging systems and speakers.

• Applicants will use their existing license to apply. If the license begins with EC, ES, EF, or EG and is not already registered and active in Online Services, the contractor will need to register or renew their license first.

2. Low Voltage Residential Applications must select Express Electrical Application. This includes standalone applications for low voltage electrical systems such as telephones, data transmissions, fire and security systems, closed -circuit and cable television, paging systems and speakers for jobs exceeding $5,000 in costs within any 12-month period.

• Applicants will use their existing license to apply. If the license begins with EC, EF, EG or ES and is not registered and active in Online Services, the contractor will need to register/renew their license through Online Services first. For EF, EG, or ES, the applicant must then appear in person to submit their application as the license will have to be manually added to the application by County staff.

3. All Commercial and Residential Applications will not have a separate permit application for the low voltage work included in the scope of their application.

• For sub-contractors’ licenses beginning with EC, ES, EF or EG, the license must first be registered with Online Services before it can be added to the application. Then they will be added as a sub-contractor under the License Professional List during the application process.

All inspections must be scheduled by calling Inspections at 941-742-4190. The following inspections are available:

• 221 Low Voltage Rough In
• 222 Low Voltage Final

Find the checklist Manatee County Job Site Checklist.

To use VuSpex for virtual inspections, contractors/homeowners need a cell phone with adequate resolution and signal quality. They must also download the VuSpex GO App from either the Google Play Store or the App Store. Additionally, contractors/homeowners should ensure that location settings for photos are enabled for permit address verification. If further assistance is needed, contractors/homeowners can contact inspectvideo@mymanatee.org for additional support.

The Private Provider program only applies to review or inspection for code compliance with the Florida Building Code. It may not be used to review or approve compliance with other codes such as zoning, stormwater, fire, transportation or any local municipal codes. Even for projects that use the program, Manatee County will conduct review for compliance with these codes.

“Milestone inspection” means a structural inspection of a building, including an inspection of load-bearing elements and the primary structural members and primary structural systems as those terms are defined in s. 627.706, by licensed architect or engineer authorized to practice in this state for the purposes of attesting to the life safety and adequacy of the structural components of the building and, to the extent reasonably possible, determining the general structural condition of the building as it affects the safety of such building, including a determination of any necessary maintenance, repair, or replacement of any structural component of the building. The purpose of such inspection is not to determine if the condition of an existing building is in compliance with the Florida Building Code or the firesafety code.

“Substantial structural deterioration” means substantial structural distress or substantial structural weakness that negatively affects a building’s general structural condition and integrity. The term does not include surface imperfections such as cracks, distortion, sagging, deflections, misalignment, signs of leakage, or peeling of finishes unless the licensed engineer or architect performing the phase one or phase two inspection determines that such surface imperfections are a sign of substantial structural deterioration.

A milestone inspection consists of two phases

(a) For phase one of the milestone inspection, a licensed architect or engineer authorized to practice in this state shall perform a visual examination of habitable and nonhabitable areas of a building, including the major structural components of a building, and provide a qualitative assessment of the structural conditions of the building. If the architect or engineer finds no signs of substantial structural deterioration to any building components under visual examination, phase two of the inspection, as provided in paragraph (b), is not required. An architect or engineer who completes a phase one milestone inspection shall prepare and submit an inspection report pursuant to subsection (8).

(b) A phase two of the milestone inspection must be performed if any substantial structural deterioration is identified during phase one. A phase two inspection may involve destructive or nondestructive testing at the inspector’s direction. The inspection may be as extensive or as limited as necessary to fully assess areas of structural distress in order to confirm that the building is structurally sound and safe for its intended use and to recommend a program for fully assessing and repairing distressed and damaged portions of the building.

If a phase two inspection is required, within 180 days after submitting a phase one inspection report the architect or engineer performing the phase two inspection must submit a phase two progress report to the local enforcement agency with a timeline for completion of the phase two inspection. An inspector who completes a phase two milestone inspection shall prepare and submit an inspection report.

Inspection Report Requirements

Upon completion of a phase one or phase two milestone inspection, the architect or engineer who performed the inspection must submit a sealed copy of the inspection report with a separate summary of, at minimum, the material findings and recommendations in the inspection report to the condominium association or cooperative association, to any other owner of any portion of the building which is not subject to the condominium or cooperative form of ownership, and to the building official of the local government which has jurisdiction. The inspection report must, at a minimum, meet all of the following criteria:

• Bear the seal and signature, or the electronic signature, of the licensed engineer or architect who performed the inspection.
• Indicate the manner and type of inspection forming the basis for the inspection report.
• Identify any substantial structural deterioration, within a reasonable professional probability based on the scope of the inspection, describe the extent of such deterioration, and identify any recommended repairs for such deterioration.
• State whether unsafe or dangerous conditions, as those terms are defined in the Florida Building Code, were observed.
• Recommend any remedial or preventive repair for any items that are damaged but are not substantial structural deterioration.
• Identify and describe any items requiring further inspection.

Below you'll find roof inspection information for the following categories:

Roof Inspections - Contractor

Roof Inspections - New Construction

Roof Replacement - Owner Builder

Please see the below manual which serves as a comprehensive guide for current and prospective Private Provider companies conducting business in Unincorporated Manatee County. It is designed to complement Section 553.791 of the Florida Statutes and provides assistance rather than legal interpretation.

Private Provider Customer SOP

Owners of a property may opt to use the program for any new construction, addition, or alteration, including projects for Assembly Occupancies, Threshold Buildings, and - with limitations – projects in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).

As a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), Manatee County has been instructed by the State of Florida Division of Emergency Management to conduct plan reviews and inspections for projects that are in a FEMA SFHA.

Private Provider Program - FEMA Special Flood Hazard Plan Review and Inspection Process