The 3-ton exemption, word for word
Section 489.103(14) exempts a person who sells, services or installs heating or air-conditioning units with a capacity of no more than 3 tons or 36,000 Btu, which have no ducts and have a factory-installed electrical cord and plug. The statute doesn't use the words 'mini split', and a hard-wired or ducted unit doesn't fit that wording on its face, so ask DBPR about a particular unit.
Work outside that wording falls under s.489.115(1), which bars contracting without being certified or registered in the proper classification, and the $2,500 exemption for casual or minor work excludes anyone who advertises as a contractor.
Florida mini-split: the estimate and the permit paperwork
Our estimate for this job is $1,900 to $14,100 per installed system, a model and not a quote: national published cost ranges adjusted by the wage ratio to the US (0.88), then widened to take in the 2 company prices we counted.
Two Florida companies publish a price we could count, too few for a range of their own, so our estimate of $1,900 to $14,100 per installed system is widened to take in their lowest and highest. It is an estimate and not a quote.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $1,900 to $14,100 per installed system | Built from 2 national published ranges, adjusted by the Florida HVAC technician wage ratio (0.88) plus a typical permit fee ($125), then widened to take in the lowest and highest of the two Florida company prices for this job ($2,500 to $6,000). Seven Florida HVAC companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: small sample (2), national estimate joined with the company range. |
| Technician wage, Florida mean | $27.55 an hour | May 2025 BLS pay for Florida HVAC technicians, not an installation price. |
| Mini-split permit stand-in: Florida middle equipment fee | $125 | From 10 Florida city and county schedules; a mini-split may be priced differently, so it is indicative. |
| A/C changeout permit, residential, Port St. Lucie | $86 building fee | Schedule effective May 2, 2022, labeled reference only by the city; online, BIC and FBC columns are separate. |
How we estimate costs: the Estimated range row is a model, not a quote. Only two Florida companies publish a price we could count for this job, too few for a range of their own, so the range is our national estimate widened to take in their lowest and highest prices. Our national estimate takes two published national ranges for this job (cost guides from third-party sites that we have not verified and do not cite) and multiplies them by Florida's HVAC technician mean wage ratio to the US (0.88, BLS OEWS May 2025, heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers) and adds a typical permit fee ($125). The wage and permit rows below are what HVAC technicians are paid and what a city charges, and neither is a price. We have not collected quotes. Full method. Prices as of Oct 24, 2026.
Refrigerant on a split system
A split system has a refrigerant circuit between the indoor head and the outdoor unit. EPA's Section 608 page prohibits intentionally venting ozone-depleting refrigerants and substitutes such as HFCs while servicing equipment. Ask the installer how the line set will be handled.
What the permit paperwork asks of a mini-split
Port St. Lucie's mechanical checklist, updated 10-2-25, says a new mini-split needs the AHRI certificate, energy forms, a heating and cooling calculation and a placement sketch, and will require plan review. Replacing a mini-split there needs load calculations and plan review. Lee County's guide lists a mechanical permit for any HVAC equipment and says drawings for new A/C units, other than change-outs and mini-splits, need heater size, energy calculations and a duct layout.
Mini-split faults that can't wait
- Smoke or a burning smell from the indoor head or the outdoor unit: leave the house and call 911.
- A gas smell from any gas appliance: go outside and call 911.
- The unit cools poorly or leaks a little at the head, and nothing is burning.
Before you book a mini-split install
- Ask whether the unit is a cord-and-plug model with no ducts or a hard-wired one.
- Run the installer's license number through DBPR's lookup.
- Ask who applies for the permit and whether plan review is expected.
Does a mini-split need a permit in Florida?
Where a checklist exists, yes. Port St. Lucie requires plan review for a new or replacement mini-split, and Lee County requires a mechanical permit for installing or replacing any HVAC equipment. Statewide, the $7,500 owner exemption excludes mechanical work. The 3-ton exemption is a license rule, and your permit office still decides on the permit.
Florida licenses air-conditioning contractors through DBPR, so before any work starts, get the license number and look it up on DBPR's license search at myfloridalicense.com.
Questions people ask
Does the 3-ton exemption cover a mini-split?
Only a unit with no ducts, no more than 3 tons or 36,000 Btu, and a factory-installed cord and plug fits the wording. A hard-wired or ducted unit doesn't fit that wording on its face. DBPR's Customer Contact Center is at 850.487.1395.
May a homeowner put in their own mini-split?
Section 489.103(7) lets an owner act as their own contractor on a home they occupy, with conditions. The owner supervises on site, signs the permit application in person and can't hand the work to anyone who isn't certified or registered. A city may still require plan review.
Do Florida utilities pay rebates on mini-splits?
FPL and Tampa Electric exclude them. FPL excludes single-zone mini splits, and Tampa Electric says ductless mini splits aren't eligible. Check the rebate finder for other programs.
Why is the mini-split range so wide?
The sample is small and the jobs differ in the number of heads. Two Florida company prices were joined with our national estimate, which widens the range to $1,900 to $14,100. Ask each company how many indoor heads its quote covers.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021), Florida, mean hourly wage Read Oct 24, 2026.
- HVACMatch: how we estimate costs, Florida (editorial policy) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Port St. Lucie: Residential Permit Fee Schedule (PDF) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Florida Statutes s.489.103 Exemptions (14) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Florida Statutes s.489.105 Definitions (8), (10); s.489.115(1) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- DBPR: License Search Read Oct 24, 2026.
- EPA: Stationary Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (Section 608) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- City of Port St. Lucie: Checklist for Mechanical Permits (Updated 10-2-25) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Lee County: Mechanical Application and Permitting Guide Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Florida Statutes s.553.79 Permits; applications; issuance; inspections (1)(g) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- FPL: A/C Rebate; Residential HVAC Program Standards (Sept 1, 2025) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Tampa Electric: Heating & Cooling program Read Oct 24, 2026.
- DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board: FAQs Read Oct 24, 2026.