Engineering and Architecture Plans Required for Construction Permits in South Florida 2026

Every construction permit application in South Florida requires supporting documentation — drawings, calculations, specifications, and certifications — that demonstrate the proposed construction complies with the applicable codes. The scope and complexity of required documentation increases dramatically with the scale and type of project, from a simple permit for a water heater replacement (which may require minimal documentation) to a high-rise tower permit (which requires tens of thousands of pages of drawings, calculations, and specifications). Understanding what engineering and architecture documentation is required for your specific project is essential before beginning the design phase.

The Role of Licensed Architects and Engineers in South Florida Permits

Florida law requires that construction documents for most building permit applications be prepared by or under the responsible supervision of Florida-licensed professionals. Specifically: plans for buildings that are not single-family residences or duplexes must be prepared by a licensed Florida architect. Structural engineering plans for any building must be prepared by a licensed Florida structural engineer. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering plans for commercial buildings must be prepared by licensed Florida mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineers respectively.

The signature and seal of the licensed professional on the construction documents is not merely a formality — it is a legal certification that the professional has reviewed the documents and believes them to comply with the applicable codes. Licensed professionals bear personal professional liability for their sealed documents. Miami-Dade County RER, Broward County Building Division, Palm Beach County Building Division, and all municipal building departments verify professional licensure as part of permit application processing.

What Engineering Plans Must Show — Building/Structural Plans

Structural engineering plans for South Florida construction projects must comply with Florida Building Code Chapter 16 (Structural Design) requirements, which in the HVHZ (Miami-Dade and Broward County) mandate design for 180 mph ultimate design wind speed. Structural plans must show:

Foundation design — including soil bearing pressure, pile design (if applicable), footing dimensions, reinforcing steel, and connections to the structure above. In Miami-Dade County, a Geotechnical Investigation Report prepared by a licensed geotechnical engineer may be required for new construction confirming soil bearing capacity and groundwater conditions.

Framing design — showing all structural members, connections, lateral force-resisting system (shear walls, moment frames, or braced frames), roof framing, and floor framing. In the HVHZ, structural connections must be designed for the combined effects of gravity loads, uplift loads, and horizontal wind loads at 180 mph design wind speed. Simpson Strong-Tie hurricane ties, threaded rod hold-downs, and other prescriptive or engineered connection hardware must be specified by size and model number.

Structural calculations — the mathematical analysis supporting the structural member sizes, connection designs, and foundation designs. Structural calculations are included in the permit submission as a supporting document to the structural drawings. Plan reviewers evaluate calculations for accuracy and compliance with the Florida Building Code.

Architectural Plans Required for South Florida Permits

Architectural plans prepared by a licensed Florida architect must show:

Site plan — the property, structures, setbacks, easements, parking, landscaping, drainage, and utility connections. All dimensions must be verified against a current boundary survey.

Floor plans — room layout, dimensions, door and window locations, wall types, ceiling heights, stairway locations, and all applicable code compliance measurements (egress path distances, means of egress door widths, accessible route dimensions).

Elevations — all four exterior building elevations showing windows, doors, exterior materials, finished floor elevation, roof form, and building height.

Sections — cross-sectional views showing wall construction, roof construction, floor construction, and ceiling heights throughout the building.

Details — enlarged drawings of specific construction conditions: window and door head, sill, and jamb details showing the installation and waterproofing methodology; roof-to-wall connections; balcony details; stairway construction details; and other conditions requiring clarification.

Accessibility compliance documentation — confirming that accessible routes, accessible parking, accessible restrooms, and all other ADA and FACBC requirements are met.

Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Plans

Mechanical plans for commercial buildings must show: HVAC equipment selection and location; duct sizing and layout; fresh air ventilation calculations per ASHRAE 62.1; energy code compliance documentation; equipment schedules; and details for specialized systems (commercial kitchen ventilation, laboratory exhaust, medical gas, etc.).

Electrical plans must show: electrical panel schedule with all circuit breakers sized for the connected loads; single-line diagram for services above 400 amperes; branch circuit wiring plans; lighting plans with fixture types, mounting heights, and switching arrangements; load calculations; and special systems (emergency power, fire alarm, security, telecommunications).

Plumbing plans must show: water supply piping sizing and routing; sanitary drain and vent piping layout; fixture schedule with fixture units; grease interceptor sizing calculations (commercial); hot water heater sizing and placement; and connection points to utility mains.

Energy Code Documentation Requirements

Florida's Energy Efficiency Code for Building Construction requires that commercial buildings comply with ASHRAE 90.1 and that residential buildings comply with the Florida Energy Code residential standards. Compliance documentation submitted with permit applications includes: building envelope compliance (insulation R-values, window U-values and SHGC values, air barrier requirements); mechanical system efficiency compliance (SEER/EER ratings, AFUE ratings, heat pump performance); lighting power density compliance; and for commercial projects, an energy model or prescriptive compliance pathway documentation.

Energy code compliance documentation is reviewed by the building department's energy plan reviewer. Non-compliance with energy code requirements results in plan review comments requiring revised designs before permit issuance.

Plan Submission Requirements — Miami-Dade RER ePlan

Miami-Dade County RER requires that all building permit applications above certain thresholds be submitted electronically through the ePlan digital plan review system. ePlan submissions require that drawings be provided in PDF format at a minimum of 150 DPI, organized by discipline, and bookmarked per RER's submission requirements. Professional engineer and architect digital signatures using a DBPR-approved electronic seal must be applied to all sheets requiring professional seals.

The ePlan system allows plan reviewers across all disciplines to review simultaneously and post comments directly in the digital plan set. Applicants respond to comments through the ePlan system by uploading revised drawings and written responses. This digital process has dramatically improved the efficiency of Miami-Dade County plan review compared to the previous paper-based system.

Common Plan Review Comments and How to Avoid Them

Miami-Dade RER plan reviewers, Broward County building department reviewers, and Palm Beach County building department reviewers frequently cite the following plan deficiencies: missing engineer or architect seal and signature; missing NOA numbers for HVHZ products; structural calculations not matching plan dimensions; accessibility compliance not demonstrated; energy code documentation missing or incomplete; site plan not consistent with current boundary survey; missing or insufficient details for complex conditions.

Endless Life Design's permit coordination process includes pre-submission plan quality reviews to identify and correct these common deficiencies before submission. A plan set that is correct and complete on first submission minimizes review cycles, accelerates permit issuance, and reduces total USD permit coordination costs. Investing in higher-quality plan preparation is always more cost-effective than paying for multiple plan review cycles.