Miami-Dade County: permits, licenses and hurricane season
Before you hire a pro in Miami-Dade, it helps to know who issues the permit, how to check a license and who to call if something goes wrong. Here’s the short version, with the official links.
Permits: your city or the county?
Miami-Dade has many cities, like Miami, Hialeah and Coral Gables. If you live inside a city, your city’s building department handles your permits. The county’s Building Department handles permits only in unincorporated Miami-Dade, the areas that aren’t part of any city.
You need a permit to build, change, repair or tear down a structure. Most work must be done by a licensed contractor, and only licensed contractors or owner-builders can get a permit. In the county’s area, apply online through the Permit Submission Portal. To see a home’s permits, search by address in the Building Permit Selection Menu. Its Open Permits by Folio search shows any open permits.
Common jobs in unincorporated Miami-Dade (cities can have their own rules):
| Job | Permit? |
|---|---|
| A/C change-out, same type of unit | Yes, a mechanical permit |
| Electric water heater up to 50 gallons, by a licensed plumber | No, unless the new one uses more watts |
| Roof covering repair or replacement by a licensed roofer | No, if it’s $2,000 or less and two roofing squares or less |
| Whole window replacement | Yes |
| Doors, fences, pools, spas, sheds, pergolas | Yes. A chain-link fence needs no building permit unless it’s a pool barrier, but may need a zoning approval |
The new $7,500 rule
Since July 1, 2026, a state law (House Bill 803) lets some jobs under $7,500 skip the building permit. The county explains the rules:
- Only for single-family homes, duplexes and townhouses, and not in a flood hazard area.
- Never for electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas or structural work. Structural includes windows, doors, wind-resistant fences and sheds.
- It isn’t automatic. The owner or contractor must send a written request through the county’s portal, with the contract or other proof of the job and its value.
If you live in a city, ask your city’s building department.
Licenses: state and county
Florida licenses contractors through its Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Miami-Dade also licenses contractors and tradespeople itself, through its Contractor Licensing Section, in six categories: building, building specialties, electrical, maintenance, mechanical and plumbing. County certificate holders must also be registered with the DBPR. Check before you hire:
- County: the Contractor Inquiry and Complaint Search, by company name or license number. It also shows complaints. Contractor Licensing: 786-315-2880.
- State: the DBPR’s Verify a License, by name or license number.
Pulling the permit yourself? Owner-builders must appear in person or online to confirm they understand their legal duties. If you then hire a contractor, it’s up to you to make sure they pull their own permit and are licensed and insured.
More on license letters and which jobs need one: how to check a contractor’s license.
Hurricane season
Miami-Dade is in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ), which has the strictest requirements in the Florida Building Code.
- Approved products. Windows, doors, shutters and roofing need an approval before they can be used. Look for the “Miami-Dade County Product Approved” mark.
- Windows and doors. The permit must include each product’s current Notice of Acceptance (NOA). Look one up in the Product Control Search. On the county’s fast-track form, every glass opening you replace must meet impact rules: impact glass, or protection over the opening.
Before a storm:
- Know your zone. Storm surge planning zones go from A to E. Zone A is at the greatest risk, starting with Category 1 storms. Who must leave depends on the storm’s track and expected surge, not only its category. Type your address in the Storm Surge Planning Zone Finder.
- Free alerts. Turn on Miami-Dade Alerts, by text or email, in your Miami-Dade account.
- Need help to evacuate? If medical or transportation needs keep you from leaving on your own, sign up for the Emergency and Evacuation Assistance Program (EEAP) online or by calling 311. People who register get priority. Don’t wait for an evacuation order.
For a full checklist, see our hurricane guide.
Where to report a problem
| Problem | Who to call |
|---|---|
| A complaint about a contractor | Miami-Dade Contractor Enforcement: 786-315-2424, or online |
| Someone working without a license | Contractor Enforcement (786-315-2424) or the state hotline: 1-866-532-1440 |
| A dispute with any business | Miami-Dade Consumer Protection, Mediation Hotline: 786-469-2333 |
| Anything else from the county | 311 or 305-468-5900 |
311 answers weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., in English, Spanish or Haitian Creole.
Good to know
- Watering: two days a week, before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. Odd-numbered addresses on Wednesday and Saturday, even-numbered ones on Thursday and Sunday. This includes wells, lakes and canals.
- Fertilizer: none with nitrogen or phosphorus from May 15 to October 31, and never within 20 feet of a canal, lake or other body of water.
- Notice of Commencement: needed for improvements over $5,000, except to repair or replace an existing A/C or heating system under $15,000. It’s recorded with the Clerk of the Court and Comptroller (305-275-1155, option 6). Make sure it’s recorded before the inspections, so you don’t pay twice. Search it in the Clerk’s official records.
- Deposits: under state law, a contractor who takes more than 10% up front must apply for the permits within 30 days and start work within 90 days after they’re issued.
- Flood zone: check yours on the county’s flood zone map, or call 305-372-6466 for official confirmation.
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Sources
- Miami-Dade County: permit information for homeowners
- Miami-Dade County: how to apply for a permit
- Miami-Dade County: permit exemptions and House Bill 803
- Florida Statutes §553.79: the $7,500 permit exemption
- Miami-Dade County: search permits and inspections
- Miami-Dade County: owner-builder permits
- Miami-Dade County: Contractor Licensing
- Miami-Dade County: contractor search
- Florida DBPR: verify a license
- Miami-Dade County: product approval in the HVHZ (news release, April 2025)
- Miami-Dade County: windows, shutters and doors
- Miami-Dade County: window and door disclosure form (PDF)
- Miami-Dade County: storm surge planning zones
- Miami-Dade County: Miami-Dade Alerts
- Miami-Dade County: Emergency and Evacuation Assistance Program
- Miami-Dade County: Contractor Enforcement
- Miami-Dade County: complaints about contractors
- Miami-Dade County: consumer complaints
- Florida DBPR: unlicensed activity hotline
- Miami-Dade County: 311 Contact Center
- Miami-Dade County: outdoor watering rules
- Miami-Dade County: fertilizer rules
- Miami-Dade County: Notice of Commencement
- Florida Statutes §489.126: deposits and permits
- Miami-Dade County: flood zone maps
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules change and differ from city to city, so check the official links and ask your city or county.
