Permits

Permit Requirements For Residential Projects owner-Builder

  1. Proof of ownership (warranty deed, closing statement, or Metro Dade County tax Bill).
  2. An owner may apply for a permit, supervise and do the work in connection with the construction, maintenance, repair, alteration, and addition to a single-family or duplex residence for his own use and occupancy and not intended for sale.
  3. No more than one (1) permit shall be issued to an owner for the construction of a new single-family or duplex residence in any twenty-four (24) month period. Permits for alterations and additions, or plumbing, electrical, mechanical, or gas installations shall be issued only in connection with one single-family or duplex residence in any twenty-four (24) month period, although more than one permit may be issued for such work on the same single-family or duplex residence during that period.
  4. The owner must come in person between the hours 8:00 AM and 11:30 AM.
  5. The permit application and affidavit must be signed and notarized.
  6. The owner must prove to the Building Official that he has the knowledge and ability to do the work.
  7. If there is a violation on the property:

    *No building permit will be issued to a homeowner to cover illegal work.

    *The work must be performed by a general contractor or a specific contractor licensed to do the work.

  8. An architect’s or engineer’s report must be submitted certifying that the work was done in accordance with the Florida Building and Code and general construction practices.

Permit Requirements For Residential Projects Contractor

  1. State registration or certification.
  2. Municipal contractor’s occupational license or certificate of registration.
  3. Certificate of Competency.
  4. Certificate of insurance:

    Liability with no less than $100,000 per accident or occurrence for bodily injury and $25,000 per accident for property damage.

    Must show name of insurer, type of policy issued, policy number, date of inception and expiration, type of insurance, and that no changes or cancellation of the insurance shall be effective without thirty (30) days written notice by registered or certified mail.

The Florida Prototype Building Program (FPBP), authorized by Section 553.77, Florida Statutes, is a long anticipated plan review and approval system that allows residential and construction businesses to simplify the permitting process. Buildings and structures to be constructed many times in many different locations can undergo plan review once, saving time, money and effort. For information contact www.floridabuilding.org.

Permits will be issued to contractors with an affidavit of authorization from the owner on all buildings (Form available at the Permit Counter).


To Close A Permit

To close a permit all required inspections for both the master permit and any linked permits must be completed and approved.

If your permit is about to expire, and you know you will not be able to request and pass a required inspection prior to the expiration date, you can request a one-time extension. This extension can only be requested when the permit is still active and not expired. You will need to submit a letter requesting the extension and you will be charged a fee of $58. Once a permit has expired it can only be extended with a completion permit.

If your permit has expired and you have not completed all required inspections, you must first obtain a completion permit to re-open the permit and then you can continue requesting all remaining inspections.

To obtain a completion permit you will need a permit application signed and notarized by the original contractor only. If the permit was done by owner then only the owner’s notarized signature is required. The fee for the completion permit is based on the value of the work remaining to be completed. You will be charged $32 for the first $1000 of value and $16 for every $1000 of value thereafter.

If you cannot find the original contractor and you wish to change the contractor, both the owner and the new contractor must sign and notarize the application. At the bottom please mark the boxes for both completion permit and change of contractor. You will be charged for both on the same application. The fee for change of contractor is $104.

If your permit is expired but no work was performed and no inspections were requested, you have the option of requesting a revocation of the permit. There will be no refund of the permit costs if this option is chosen. You will need to submit a “Revocation of Permit” form which can be found online under the “Building Forms” drop down list.