Tenant Improvement Permits for Commercial Spaces in South Florida 2026: Landlord and Tenant Guide

INDEX

1. What Counts as a Tenant Improvement? 2. Permit Responsibilities: Landlord vs Tenant 3. Typical TI Permit Process in Miami-Dade, Broward & Palm Beach 4. Common TI Schedule and Cost Pitfalls

What Counts as a Tenant Improvement?

Tenant improvements include any interior modifications to a leased commercial space: new partitions, dropped ceilings, custom millwork, demising walls, plumbing or electrical additions, flooring, paint, signage, branded build-out elements, and ADA upgrades. Major exterior modifications and structural changes typically fall under landlord scope rather than TI.

Permit Responsibilities: Landlord vs Tenant

Florida law allows either the property owner or the tenant (with owner consent) to be named as the permit applicant. Most commercial leases require landlord consent in writing before any permit application is filed. The licensed general contractor pulling the permit is responsible for execution, but the property owner remains accountable for ultimate code compliance through the certificate of occupancy.

Typical TI Permit Process in Miami-Dade, Broward & Palm Beach

TI permits go through the same plan review sequence as new commercial construction — architectural, structural where applicable, MEP, fire, and ADA reviews. Most TIs process in 4 to 10 weeks of plan review depending on complexity. Use-change TIs (converting retail to restaurant, for example) trigger additional health department, fire suppression, and ventilation review.

Common TI Schedule and Cost Pitfalls

Three issues delay or balloon TI budgets: (1) discovering existing conditions out of code that must be remediated to current standards before the new permit can issue, (2) ADA compliance upgrades triggered by the TI scope that extend beyond the immediate work area, (3) certificate-of-occupancy holdups waiting on landlord-side items like fire-suppression certifications.

Royal Custom Construction coordinates TI permits, design, and execution for South Florida landlords and tenants. Call (305) 680-3283 to scope your project.