Franklin County, Florida: HVAC Facts (Climate, Housing, Permits, Storms)
What HVAC work in Franklin County actually involves
Climate and cooling load
The U.S. Department of Energy's Building America guide to climate regions by county lists Franklin County as hot-humid, in IECC climate zone 2 with moisture regime A.[1] NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals for the Apalachicola Airport weather station give an average annual temperature of 69.1°F, 56.2 days a year with a high of 90°F or more, and 53.08 inches of precipitation a year.[2]
- Cooling season: The Apalachicola Airport normals average 2,738.1 cooling degree days a year (base 65°F).
- Heating load: The same normals average 1,223.8 heating degree days a year (base 65°F) and 9.3 days a year with a low at or below 32°F.
Sources
Housing stock, and why it changes the job
Of Franklin County's 8,562 housing units, 1,750 were built from 2000 to 2009, 1,746 from 1980 to 1989 and 1,335 from 1990 to 1999, while 567 date from 1939 or earlier (Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates). One-unit detached houses account for 5,925 of those units and mobile homes for 1,278.[1] Of 3,613 vacant units, 2,032 are held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use.[2] Electricity is the house heating fuel in 4,491 of the county's 4,949 occupied housing units.[3] Median year built: 1988 (2024 ACS 5-year).
Construction era matters more than most homeowners expect. It governs duct location and condition, available electrical capacity, return-air sizing, and whether a modern high-efficiency system can be installed without reworking the distribution the house already has.
Sources
- [1] U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year summary file (table-based), table B25024 Units in Structure
- [2] U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year summary file (table-based), table B25004 Vacancy Status
- [3] U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year summary file (table-based), table B25040 House Heating Fuel
Commercial and institutional buildings here
Apalachicola Bay oysters once dominated Florida's commercial oyster fishery; at its peak, Apalachicola accounted for approximately 90% of Florida's commercial oyster landings.[1] Oyster harvest in the bay was closed in 2020 after the fishery's collapse, followed by a five-year closure beginning in 2021.[1]
- Apalachicola Bay commercial and recreational oyster harvesting
Local conditions that affect equipment
Equipment does not fail the same way everywhere. These are the conditions specific to Franklin County that change how a system is sized, sited, and serviced — each one verified against a public source rather than assumed from the region.
Most of the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, which takes in most of Apalachicola Bay and barrier islands, lies in Franklin County.
Franklin County's design wind speeds differ by location: 140 mph on St. George Island and 130 mph in the rest of unincorporated Franklin County.
St. George Island requires impact windows, while DP 50 windows are required for all of unincorporated Franklin County.
Franklin County's building department says a property's flood zone, base flood elevation (BFE) and grade determine the minimum height for new structures, and that the State of Florida requires new structures to be built to BFE plus 1 ft or more.
Some FEMA flood map panels in Franklin County were updated effective October 10, 2024, and the county's Forerunner tool lets owners compare a property's new effective map with the 2014 map.
The NHC's Hurricane Michael report records a water level of 7.3 ft above ground surveyed in Carrabelle, a peak of 7.7 ft above MHHW at the Apalachicola NOS gauge, and 80 structures destroyed in Franklin County.
During Hurricane Michael in 2018, NWS Tallahassee issued its first-ever Extreme Wind Warning; it covered all of Gulf County, southern Bay County and southwestern Franklin County.
The Florida Public Service Commission's 2024 statistics list Duke Energy Florida and Talquin Electric Cooperative among the electric utilities serving Franklin County.
FEMA major disaster declarations covering Franklin County since 2016 include Hurricane Hermine (DR-4280), Hurricane Michael (DR-4399), Hurricane Sally (DR-4564), Hurricane Idalia (DR-4734) and Hurricane Helene (DR-4828).
Permits
Mechanical permits in Franklin County are issued through Franklin County Building Department for unincorporated areas; the City of Apalachicola processes permitting through its own building department. The county Building Department is at 248 Hwy 98, Eastpoint, FL 32328.[1] The county requires permits for projects above its cost threshold or over 100 sq ft, and for all projects in a special flood hazard area.[2] Applications may be submitted via the CitizenServe online portal, in person, or by mail.[3] The county Building Department provides permitting and inspection services for the unincorporated areas of the county, including St. George Island, Eastpoint and Alligator Point, and also oversees contractor licensing.[1] Online applications are processed within 3–7 business days and paper applications within 7–10 business days, and any required corrections delay processing.[3] In the City of Apalachicola, a separate permit must be secured for air conditioners, furnaces, boilers and heaters, among other work.[4] Contractors must keep an active status in the department's system to apply for permits, including a current copy of their state license and a certificate of insurance (liability and workers' compensation) on file.[3] The city says a permitting request generally takes 3 to 5 business days, and it schedules inspections and reviews on Monday, Wednesday or Friday mornings.[4]
Contact Blume Mechanical Service
Questions about this page? Use the contact page or call (727) 330-9131.