Hurricanes Harvey and Irma ravaged Texas and Florida, causing hundreds of billions of dollars in damage. And while this may come as a shock to anyone who hasn’t lived through a hurricane, many home and business owners are still cleaning up the storm damage and haven’t yet started to rebuild – more than two months later.

But, soon the reconstruction process will be underway. And it’s looking like building owners in Texas will likely have a much easier time getting the process started than those in Florida.

Spoiler alert: most of the reasoning comes down to the permitting process in each state.

Why Texas Has It Easier:

Texas has taken a flexible position with licensing and permitting by entrusting business and building owners to do the right thing. Depending on the severity of the property damage from Harvey, the state waived or streamlined the permit process in order to speed up and aid businesses and homeowners who are looking to rebuild. This will allow the state and businesses looking to enter the Houston market ample time and opportunity to get into the city and get building, bringing about more jobs and helping to raise the economy with no time wasted.

Also, in Texas, the building codes are generally less stringent than those in Florida, so fewer inspections are required. Not to mention that Texas is notably faster to grant  approvals to proceed with construction work.

Florida’s Uphill Building Battle

In Florida, local municipalities and counties are already back to business as usual so every new project will be scrutinized for permitting. And, the permitting process is incredibly complicated in South Florida. That’s one of the key reasons why it’s important to hire a knowledgeable GC in Florida – especially one who is familiar with all the ins and outs of the permitting process.

Florida is accustomed to hurricanes, which shows in the building designs and construction – all done to ensure a building is better prepared in the event of a storm. It may be tougher to get the building going, but there is peace of mind knowing that your building will be ready and relatively storm-safe.

To be honest, we’re with our founder, George Abadie, when he says “I would chose to build in Florida.”

At Seacoast Construction, we know the process of building in hurricane-prone territories like Texas and Florida and can pinpoint realistic timelines to successfully complete a project in both states. We understand the distinct code requirements in Texas and Florida to ensure that your build not only meets code, but in many cases, exceeds it.