Building permits and zoning in Miami Beach

Last checked Oct. 9, 2026. Facts on this page come from the City of Miami Beach Building Department and Planning Department.

Two city departments handle most building and land questions in Miami Beach. The Building Department issues permits and sends inspectors under the Florida Building Code. The Planning Department writes and applies the zoning code (the city calls it the Land Development Regulations) and runs the four land use boards, which decide design, historic district, variance and conditional use cases. Both are at City Hall, 1700 Convention Center Drive.

Who to call

• Permits and inspections: Building Department, 305-673-7610. Office hours 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• Zoning, land use boards and historic districts: Planning Department, 305-673-7550, 2nd floor, 1700 Convention Center Drive. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• Apply online: Online Permitting Resource Center
• Report work without a permit: Building violations or the city’s online service request system

Getting a building permit

Most permits are filed online. The Building Department’s permitting process page and its permitting checklists list what each kind of job needs. The steps:

1. Check the No Permit Required list. Small repairs on that list need no permit.
2. Use the Interactive Permit Guide to find the permit type.
3. Upload the application and plans through the Online Permitting Resource Center, which has video tutorials and how-to guides.
4. Wait for plan review. The department says each review cycle typically takes about seven business days. If corrections are needed, the review fails and the plans go back for resubmission.
5. Pay the fees and pick up the permit. Fees are in the Building Department fee guide (PDF).

Some small jobs qualify for walk-through or same-day service; the department lists them on its same-day services page. Contractors must meet the license and insurance rules on the contractors page.

Inspections

Inspection requests are accepted Monday through Thursday by 2 p.m. Inspections are done Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., according to the department. The inspections page has the procedure and inspectors’ routes.

Owners of older buildings can find the recertification process and the annual maintenance logs on the city’s building recertification page.

Zoning and the land use boards

Miami Beach’s zoning code is part of its Resiliency Code, and the Land Development Regulations and 2050 Comprehensive Plan page links to it. The city also publishes an interactive zoning map on Gridics and a historic property viewer that shows whether a building sits in a historic district.

Four boards hear cases, and each board’s duties are set out in the city code, linked from the land use boards page. All four use one shared calendar:

Dates are from the Planning Department’s 2026 schedule of land use board meetings (PDF), last revised July 13 and marked subject to change. The 2027 schedule (PDF) is also posted. Agendas and after-action reports are on the City Clerk’s agenda archive.

Applying to a board

Applications go through the city’s Citizen Self Service portal. The Planning Department’s schedule sets the process:

• Ask for a pre-application meeting at least seven days before that cycle’s pre-application deadline. A late request moves the case to the next cycle.
• Commercial and mixed-use projects over 5,000 square feet, and multifamily projects of more than four units or 15,000 square feet, need a traffic study and a joint meeting with the Transportation Department.
• Staff will not accept a submittal that misses a deadline or a required document.

Each board has a 2026 application guide on the land use boards page. Before opening a business, you will also need a certificate of use from Planning.

What this means for you

• Start with the No Permit Required list; it can save you an application.
• Budget at least one seven-business-day review cycle, and more if your plans need changes.
• Check the historic property viewer before you plan exterior work; historic districts have their own board.
• Neighbors can speak at land use board hearings; the agenda is posted ahead of each meeting.

More: Miami-Dade County property taxes, Miami Beach history and landmarks and who to call at City Hall.

Frequently asked questions

How do I apply for a building permit in Miami Beach?

Apply online through the Building Department’s Online Permitting Resource Center. The department’s office at 1700 Convention Center Drive is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; call 305-673-7610.

How long does a Miami Beach permit review take?

The Building Department says each plan review cycle typically takes about seven business days. If corrections are needed, the plans must be resubmitted for another cycle.

What work does not need a permit in Miami Beach?

The Building Department publishes a No Permit Required list on its website. Anything not on it should be checked with the department before work starts.

Who decides zoning and historic district cases in Miami Beach?

Four land use boards: the Planning Board, the Design Review Board, the Historic Preservation Board and the Board of Adjustment. The Planning Department, 305-673-7550, handles the applications.

How do I find the zoning for my Miami Beach property?

The city’s zoning code and maps are online through the Planning Department’s Gridics map and its Land Development Regulations page. Planning staff answer zoning questions at 305-673-7550.