Pursuant to section 553.791, Florida Statutes, Orchid property owners and their building contractors may choose to contract with a so-called private provider, who is appropriately licensed and has registered with the Town, to provide plan review and/or building code inspection services in lieu of using those services as offered by the Town of Orchid's own Building Department, under the direction of its Building Official. Such services must be the subject of a written contract, upon written authorization of the property owner.
Private providers must be registered with the Town prior to contracting for services within the community. Below are forms for registration and for notification to the Building Official. buildingclerk [at] townoforchid.com (Contact the Building Clerk) to verify whether a private provider is already registered and is current with the Town of Orchid. Please note that registration with the Town does not equal endorsement by the Town.
Importantly, the building contractor (or owner) must still obtain a permit from Orchid's Building Department, and must provide notice of the use of a private provider upon making application for a building permit (if used for plan review) or prior to the first inspection (if used for inspections). Pursuant to Resolution No. 2025-03, the Town's regular permit fee shall be reduced by 30% for plan review when it is conducted by a private provider, or 30% if all inspections are conducted by a private provider, or 60% if both services are provided by the private provider.
When a private provider is utilized, the Town's Building Official and Building Department are indemnified, defended, and held harmless from any and all claims arising from the use of the licensed or certified personnel to perform building code inspection services.