State facts
Florida: homes, climate zones and who licenses the work
Florida has 10.3 million housing units. 34% were built before 1980, and the median year built is 1988. 67.6% of occupied homes are lived in by their owners.
How old the homes are
Florida housing units, by year built
Layers drawn to scale
Age changes what applies to a house. In general, anyone paid to do work that disturbs painted surfaces in a home built before 1978 must be certified in lead-safe work practices under the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, which the EPA administers directly in Florida.
How homes are heated
How homes in Florida are heated
Main heating fuel, share of 8.8 million occupied homes
- Electricity 90.4%
- Utility gas 5.4%
- No fuel used 2.4%
- Propane or other tank gas 0.9%
- Solar energy 0.5%
- Fuel oil or kerosene 0.1%
- Wood 0.1%
- Other fuel 0.1%
- Coal or coke <0.1%
Climate and building zones
The 2021 International Energy Conservation Code assigns every county a climate zone from 1 to 8 and a moisture regime: A for moist, B for dry, C for marine. Zones 7 and 8 have no letter. Here is how Florida's residents divide among them, by the county they live in.
| IECC 2021 zone | Share of residents | Counties |
|---|---|---|
| 2A | 71.6% | 63 |
| 1A | 28.4% | 4 |
ENERGY STAR rates windows, doors and skylights for four climate zones of its own. All of Florida falls in the Southern zone.
By NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals, counties here average 4 days a year with a low of 32°F or colder, weighted by where people live. The range runs from 0 days in the mildest county to 36 in the coldest.
Flood risk and flood insurance
13.7% of residential structures in Florida carry a National Flood Insurance Program policy: 1,040,464 policies, in FEMA's count as of August 3, 2026.
In FEMA's National Risk Index, 15 of 67 counties rate high or very high for riverine flooding; 16 of 67 counties rate high or very high for coastal flooding; 44 of 67 counties rate high or very high for hurricanes.
Fire ants and termites
All 67 of Florida's counties are inside the federal imported fire ant quarantine. The federal quarantine requires a certificate to move soil, sod, nursery plants with soil attached, used soil-moving equipment, and hay or straw stored on the ground out of the quarantined area.
Who licenses the work in Florida
Before anyone starts work, check the license with the agency below. Where the state does not license a trade, cities and counties may; ask the one where the house is.
- Pest control Each structural pest control business location must be licensed by FDACS and employ full time a certified operator in charge, certified in the categories the business works in, such as General Household Pest and Rodent Control or Termite and Other Wood-Destroying Organisms Control. Agency: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Look up a license. Who to call about pest control.
- Heating and cooling Air-conditioning and mechanical contractors must be state-certified (Class A, B or C air-conditioning) or state-registered on the basis of a local license. Agency: Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Construction Industry Licensing Board. Look up a license. Who to call about heating and cooling.
- Window replacement and other home improvement Installing or replacing windows requires a general, building or residential contractor license or a local license that covers window work; a certified glass and glazing specialty contractor may also do it. Agency: Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Construction Industry Licensing Board. Look up a license. Who to call about window replacement.
- Mold remediation Mold assessors and mold remediators must be licensed by the state under Part XVI of Chapter 468, Florida Statutes, before performing or offering mold assessment or remediation. Agency: Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Look up a license. Who to call about water damage and mold.
Checked 2026-09-29. Licensing rules change; the agency's own page is the authority.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, tables B25034, B25035, B25040 and B25003 data.census.gov
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Guide to Determining Climate Zone by County: Building America and IECC 2021 Updates basc.pnnl.gov
- U.S. Department of Energy Prototype Building Models (climate zones 1–8 and moisture regimes A, B, C) energycodes.gov
- ENERGY STAR Climate zones by county for windows, doors and skylights energystar.gov
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual and seasonal ncei.noaa.gov
- Federal Emergency Management Agency OpenFEMA NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (as of 2026-08-03) fema.gov
- Federal Emergency Management Agency National Risk Index, county ratings fema.gov
- USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Imported fire ant quarantine map aphis.usda.gov
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations 7 CFR part 301, subpart P, Imported Fire Ant ecfr.gov
- Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services fdacs.gov fdacs.gov
- Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services fdacs.gov fdacs.gov
- Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Construction Industry Licensing Board www2.myfloridalicense.com www2.myfloridalicense.com
- Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation www2.myfloridalicense.com www2.myfloridalicense.com
- Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation leg.state.fl.us leg.state.fl.us
- epa.gov epa.gov epa.gov