/ Field knowledge · Existing buildings
A change of occupancy is an MEP problem first.
A former office that is about to become a restaurant, clinic, or assembly room is not a furniture problem. Occupancy change rewrites outdoor air, exhaust, plumbing load, grease, fire, and often the electrical service.
Educational. Whether your job is a change of occupancy under the existing-building path is a determination against the adopted Florida code and the AHJ — not this page.
What usually has to be re-proven
- Ventilation method. Table 403 occupancy, kitchen 506–508, garage 404, healthcare 170 / 407 are different methods. Copying the last RTU does not change the occupancy.
- Plumbing load. Fixture units, grease if food service, and whether the street even has sewer. See plumbing VE and OSTDS.
- Existing systems. Capacity, routes, combustion closets, panels. Photos beat a 1998 drawing. Existing-building hub.
- Envelope / loads. The HVAC has to follow how the building is actually built. Construction type.
Assuming the shell “already has HVAC”
The shell was permitted for a different use. Reviewers will ask for the method that matches the new occupancy. That is a first-week question, not a week-of-upload surprise.
What to send
Proposed use, existing use if known, architectural layout, photos of mechanical rooms / roof / panels, and whether review has started. A share link is enough.
If the use is changing and the HVAC is staying
Send the proposed occupancy and the existing conditions. Masterbuild will say whether this is a feasibility screen or a permit set.
Send Project Background+1 (786) 398-6940 · osmany.portal@masterbuildconsulting.com
Masterbuild provides engineering services under a written scope. Nothing on this page is project-specific engineering advice, a code interpretation for your project, or a representation about permit approval.