If you pull permits in Florida for windows, doors, roofing, shutters, or other building envelope products, you’ve probably filled out a product approval specification sheet more times than you can count. It isn’t hard work, but it’s tedious. You look up each FL#, copy the details correctly, and make sure you’re using the current approval, not one from three years ago.
This guide covers how contractors usually fill these sheets, what “latest revision” means, and where ProdApproval can save you some typing.
Step-by-step: filling a product approval spec sheet
Every jurisdiction’s form looks a little different, so check your local building department’s version. The basic process is usually the same, though.
1. Get the right form from your jurisdiction.
Many building departments publish their own product approval specification sheet or require a specific layout in the permit package. Start with the form they expect. If you can’t tell which one they want, call or email the permitting office. That’s quicker than getting a resubmittal.
2. List every product that needs approval.
Go through the plans and the product schedule. Typical categories include exterior doors, windows, skylights, roofing products, shutters, panel walls, and structural components. If you’re not sure whether a product needs a Florida approval for your job, ask the building official. Don’t guess.
3. Find the FL# for each product.
The manufacturer’s literature or your supplier can usually give you the Florida Product Approval number (FL#). Confirm it on the official state system at floridabuilding.org, which remains the official source of record.
4. Confirm you have the current revision.
FL#s can be revised over time. Make sure the details you write down come from the most recent approved revision (more on this below).
5. Fill in the product details.
Most sheets ask for some combination of the following:
- Product category and subcategory
- Manufacturer
- Product description or model/series
- FL# (and sometimes the revision)
- Whether it’s a state or local approval
Some forms also ask for design pressures, impact rating, or limits of use. Copy those exactly as they appear on the approval documents, and check them against the wind loads on your plans.
6. Note any installation requirements.
Approvals often reference installation instructions or anchoring details. Plans examiners may expect those documents in the package. Requirements vary by jurisdiction, so check what yours wants attached.
7. Review, sign, and attach to the permit package.
Double-check every FL# and product line before you submit. One mistyped digit can send your package back.
A note on regulatory details: this guide describes the general process. Requirements differ by county and city, and High-Velocity Hurricane Zone jurisdictions (such as Miami-Dade and Broward) may have additional rules. When in doubt, your local building department has the final word.
Where ProdApproval helps
ProdApproval is built to take the busywork out of steps 3 through 5.
- Search Florida product approvals (FL#s). Find the approval you need without digging through PDFs.
- Live data that matches floridabuilding.org. ProdApproval keeps the latest revision for each FL#, so the details you use reflect the current approval on the state site.
- Get the details onto the form without retyping. Pull current approval details onto the specification sheet instead of copying field-by-field from floridabuilding.org.
- The Walton County sheet, ready to print. For Walton County permits, your filled sheet saves as a PDF that follows Walton County’s official product approval specification sheet.
We aren’t a replacement for the official state database. Floridabuilding.org is still the system of record. ProdApproval just makes the everyday job of filling a spec sheet faster.
What “latest revision per FL#” means
A Florida product approval can change after it’s first issued. A manufacturer might update test reports, add sizes, or change installation details, and that creates a new revision of the same FL#.
“Latest revision per FL#” means that for each approval number, ProdApproval shows you the most recent revision on floridabuilding.org. You get the current version, not an older one that may have been superseded. Plans examiners can likewise expect the sheet to reflect what’s currently on the state system.
Free to search and fill, sign in to print or save
- Searching is free.
- Filling out the spec sheet is free.
- Printing or saving requires a free sign-in. When you print or save, you get a PDF that follows Walton County’s official product approval specification sheet, with your products filled in. The Free plan includes 3 prints/exports per calendar month (Central Time).
Need more? If you do a lot of permits, paid plans add more capacity: Solo is $19/month or $190/year, and Firm (up to 5 seats) is $49/month or $490/year. Most people can start on Free.
For building officials and plans examiners
If a sheet in front of you was prepared with ProdApproval, its product details came from the latest revision of each FL# as shown on floridabuilding.org. You can still verify any approval directly on the state site, and we encourage that.
Try it on your next permit
Have a permit package coming up? Look up your products and fill your spec sheet for free:
Fill out your Walton County product approval spec sheet →
Filing in Walton County? See the Walton County Product Approval Specification Sheet guide: what the county asks for, sections A–H and FAQ.
You can also start at prodapproval.com. Questions or feedback? Email us at info@prodapproval.com.