Does siding need Florida product approval?

Yes. Siding and soffit fall under the panel walls category of Florida’s product approval system and must be approved for use, statewide (an FL number) or locally.

How do I look up a Florida product approval number?

Search the FL number on the Florida Building Commission’s website, floridabuilding.org. The listing includes the product, the manufacturer, test and evaluation reports and installation instructions.

What is a Miami-Dade NOA?

A Notice of Acceptance from Miami-Dade County’s product control section, typically required for products used in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (Miami-Dade and Broward). Approved products carry a permanent label.

Why do fastener spacing and type matter so much?

A product approval is based on tests with a specific installation. Fewer, shorter or different fasteners can reduce the wind pressure the siding or soffit resists, which is why inspectors compare the installation with the approval.

Can I replace a few hurricane-damaged panels with a different product?

Replacement siding and soffit in Florida still need approved products and, in most cases, a permit. Using an unapproved product can cause problems with inspections, insurance and resale. Ask your contractor to match an approved product.

Is Tampa or Orlando in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone?

No. The HVHZ covers Miami-Dade and Broward County. Tampa Bay, Orlando and Jacksonville still have high design wind speeds and require approved products.

Florida Product Approval for Siding: What to Check

Why Florida is different

The Florida Building Code sets design wind speeds for every part of the state, and exterior products have to resist the resulting wind pressures. To make that enforceable, Florida runs a product approval system: products in certain categories must be approved for use, either statewide or locally, before they can be installed. Siding and soffit fall under the “panel walls” category, together with products such as storefronts, curtain walls and exterior insulation systems.

The stakes are real. During Hurricane Milton in 2024, gusts of about 100 mph were measured at St. Petersburg’s airport and of 86 to 92 mph around Orlando and the Space Coast; loose soffit and siding were among the most common damage.

Statewide approval: the FL number

Most siding and soffit products used in Florida carry a statewide product approval from the Florida Building Commission. Each approval has a number starting with FL (for example FL-12345) and is listed on the commission’s website, floridabuilding.org, with supporting documents such as test reports and an evaluation report. The approval documents show:

The exact product and manufacturer
The design pressures the product was tested for, often in pounds per square foot
The required installation method: substrate, fastener type, length and spacing, starter strips and accessories
Any limits, for example whether the product may be used in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone

Miami-Dade and Broward: the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone

Miami-Dade and Broward County are designated the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ), with stricter testing. Products used there typically need a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) or a statewide approval that specifically covers the HVHZ. Miami-Dade NOAs require approved products to carry a permanent label with the manufacturer’s name or logo, the plant’s city and state, the model or series and the statement “Miami-Dade County Product Control Approved.” Tampa Bay, Orlando, Jacksonville and most of Florida are outside the HVHZ but still have high design wind speeds.

How to check a product yourself

Ask your contractor for the FL number (or Miami-Dade NOA number) of the siding and of the soffit they propose.
Look it up on floridabuilding.org under product approval. Check that the product name matches and that the approval is current.
Open the installation instructions or evaluation report and compare the design pressure with what your home requires – your contractor or the permit reviewer can tell you the required pressure for your wall height and location.
Keep a copy with your contract and permit documents.

What design pressure means

Wind pushes on the windward wall and pulls (suction) on the leeward walls and at corners and roof edges, where the forces are highest. Engineers express these loads as design pressures, usually in pounds per square foot, positive for pushing and negative for suction. The required design pressure for your wall depends on the design wind speed at your address, the height of the wall, the exposure (open coastline versus sheltered neighborhoods) and the zone of the wall – corners need more. A product approval lists the pressures the product was tested to resist when installed exactly as specified. That is why fastener type and spacing in the approval matter: the same panel nailed farther apart may not reach the rated pressure.

Statewide versus local approval

Besides statewide approval, Florida law allows local product approval by a building jurisdiction based on test reports or engineering evaluation. In practice, most siding and soffit sold in Florida carry a statewide FL number because it is accepted everywhere outside the HVHZ. If a contractor proposes a product without an FL number, ask how it will be approved for your permit.

Permits and inspection

Building departments in Florida generally require product approval numbers to be listed when a permit is applied for, often on a product approval specification sheet. The City of Tampa lists a residential siding permit in its fee schedule, and unincorporated Pinellas County offers siding, soffit and fascia express permits to licensed contractors. The inspector may check that the installed product and fastening match the approval. A job done without a permit, or with unapproved products, can cause problems with insurance claims and when you sell.

Soffit deserves as much attention as siding

In hurricanes, soffit is often the first part of the envelope to fail. When soffit panels pull out, wind-driven rain enters the attic and soaks insulation and ceilings. Approved soffit, fastened exactly as its approval requires, with properly secured fascia and support channels, is one of the most important details of a Florida re-siding job.

Questions to ask your contractor

What are the FL approval numbers for the siding and the soffit?
What design pressure does my wall require, and does the product meet it?
Which fasteners and spacing will you use, and do they match the approval?
Near the coast: are the fasteners corrosion-resistant?
Who pulls the permit, and will the product approval sheet be part of it?
Is your license current on myfloridalicense.com?

Common problems inspectors find

Fasteners too far apart, too short or the wrong type for the approval
Starter strips or accessories from a different, unapproved product line
Soffit not fastened to the specified support channels at the specified spacing
Missing or torn weather-resistive barrier and missing flashing at openings
Products that do not match the approval numbers listed on the permit

Each of these can mean a failed inspection – or a failure in the next storm.

After a storm

After a hurricane, demand spikes and unlicensed crews arrive. Replacement siding and soffit still need approved products and, in most cases, a permit. Photograph damage first, cover openings, call your insurer and hire a licensed contractor whose license you have checked. Replacing a few damaged panels with a different, unapproved product can create problems later.

Florida product approval for siding and soffit: what homeowners should check