City of Miami Building Permits: Using iBuild, ePlan, and the County-Approval Path
- Endless Life Design
- 60 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The City of Miami is the county's largest municipality and runs its own building department, so a project inside city limits is permitted by the City — not Miami-Dade County — even though certain county approvals still apply. Knowing the City's platform and where the county steps in is what keeps a Miami project on track. Endless Life Design manages both layers for clients across the city.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The City of Miami Building Department
iBuild and ePlan
Easy Permits vs. Plan-Review Projects
Notice of Commencement and Recorded Documents
County Approvals Within the City (DERM, WASD, Fire)
Inspections and Certificate of Occupancy
County and Municipality Inspection Comments for Permit Approval
Related Resources
Why Choose Endless Life Design
THE CITY OF MIAMI BUILDING DEPARTMENT
The City of Miami Building Department, at the Miami Riverside Center at 444 SW 2nd Avenue, issues building permits for property within the city limits. Because Miami is an incorporated municipality, its permits are handled by the City rather than the Miami-Dade County RER Building Division, while zoning is governed by the City's Miami 21 code.
IBUILD AND EPLAN
All building permits are applied for and managed through the City's iBuild online platform, with ePlan for electronic plan review. Plans must be signed and sealed by the licensed design professional where required and follow the City's file-naming and format rules for the electronic review.
EASY PERMITS VS. PLAN-REVIEW PROJECTS
Small projects that do not require plan review can be issued instantly through the Easy Permits option. Projects that require plans move through ePlan, where the disciplines review concurrently and any comments are returned for correction before the permit issues.
NOTICE OF COMMENCEMENT AND RECORDED DOCUMENTS
Florida's Construction Lien Law, Section 713.13, F.S., requires recording a Notice of Commencement for improvements over $2,500 — with a higher threshold for air-conditioning change-outs — before the first inspection. In Miami the Notice of Commencement is recorded with the Miami-Dade County Clerk and provided to the building department.
COUNTY APPROVALS WITHIN THE CITY (DERM, WASD, FIRE)
Even though the City issues the building permit, many projects still require Miami-Dade County approvals before issuance — DERM for environmental review under Chapter 24, the Water and Sewer Department for water and sewer service, and Fire Rescue for life-safety review. Coordinating these county clearances in parallel with the City application avoids a stall at issuance.
INSPECTIONS AND CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY
Inspections are requested through the portal as the work progresses. After the final building inspection is approved, the project receives a Certificate of Occupancy or Completion, with a Temporary Certificate available for partial occupancy under conditions set by the Building Official.
COUNTY AND MUNICIPALITY INSPECTION COMMENTS FOR PERMIT APPROVAL
Common comments include:
Application filed with the county when the City has jurisdiction.
Notice of Commencement not recorded before the first inspection.
Required DERM, WASD, or Fire approvals not secured before issuance.
Zoning under Miami 21 not cleared for the proposed use.
Building-envelope products lacking valid High-Velocity Hurricane Zone approval.
RELATED RESOURCES
WHY CHOOSE ENDLESS LIFE DESIGN
Endless Life Design is a licensed Florida general contractor serving Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties across construction, engineering, architecture, interior design, and 3D rendering. We manage permitting, plan review, and inspections with each building department as one accountable process, so your project moves from application to certificate of occupancy without avoidable delay.
Endless Life Design — Licensed Florida General Contractor. Visit endlesslifedesign.com, call (305) 680-3283, or email endlesslifedesign@endlesslifedesign.com.
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