Gulfport
AC repair in Gulfport, Florida
Gulfport borders St. Petersburg, Florida, yet keeps its own building department. Call to reach an independent HVAC contractor who works there.
(727) 292-1764Permits come from Gulfport, not St. Pete
Gulfport's Community Development Department, at 5330 23rd Ave S, issues permits and runs inspections inside the city. It invites owners to talk a project through before starting. Since August 20, 2026 owners can book inspections through the city's online portal; owner-builder permit applications still have to be made in person.
Sources: City of Gulfport, Community Development; Pinellas County list of building departments.
After flood damage, the outdoor unit moves up
Gulfport's substantial damage packet, dated December 2024, applies the FEMA 50% rule to repairs. It also says damaged exterior HVAC and electrical components must be raised to at least one foot above the base flood elevation, and it counts HVAC equipment in the repair total.
If your outdoor unit was flooded, ask the contractor to check the height requirement for your lot on the FEMA flood map before quoting a like-for-like swap.
Source: City of Gulfport substantial damage packet, Dec. 2024 (PDF).
Mail may say St. Petersburg
Parts of Gulfport share a postal area with St. Petersburg and South Pasadena. Tell the contractor which city the house is actually in, since that decides which building department issues the permit.
Talk it through with an independent contractor
Ring from St. Petersburg, Florida or a neighboring town and mention which rooms stay warm, what the thermostat reads and roughly how old the equipment is. Scope and price stay between you and that independent company.