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How long can Miami-Dade take to approve a renovation permit? The Florida deadlines, explained

Florida law, not each county, sets the outer limit: once a local government has a complete and sufficient application, section 553.792 of the Florida Statutes requires it to approve, approve with conditions, or deny within 5 business days (existing single-family work under $15,000), 30 business days (structures under 7,500 square feet) or 60 business days (larger structures, and several other categories), unless the applicant waives the time in writing. The same statute applies in Broward, and a local ordinance may be stricter.

The deadlines in section 553.792

For an applicant using a local government plans reviewer, s. 553.792(1)(a) sets these decision deadlines, counted from receipt of a complete and sufficient application:

• 5 business days: permits for an existing single-family residential dwelling when the value of the work is less than $15,000 (structural, accessory structure, alarm, electrical, gas, irrigation, landscaping, mechanical, plumbing or roofing).
• 30 business days: residential units and the same trade permits when the structure is less than 7,500 square feet.
• 60 business days: the same permits for structures of 7,500 square feet or more; signs and nonresidential buildings under 25,000 square feet; and multifamily residential not exceeding 50 units.

The statute also lists a 12-business-day deadline for site-specific permits under a master building permit. A local government may set more stringent timeframes by ordinance (s. 553.792(1)(b)). Because this is a statewide statute, Miami-Dade and Broward start from the same legal clocks; this page does not state how long either office takes in practice.

When the clock starts, and what a miss costs

The local government must tell you in writing within 5 business days what information, if any, is needed to make the application complete; if it does not, the application is automatically deemed properly completed and accepted (s. 553.792(1)(c)). If it then misses a deadline, it must reduce the building permit fee by 10 percent for each business day of delay, unless you agreed in writing to an extension, you caused the delay, or force majeure applies (s. 553.792(1)(e)).

There is a way around the penalty: if the office sends written notice, by email or mail within the deadline, stating the specific reasons the application fails the Florida Building Code or local law, and giving you 10 business days to submit corrections, no fee reduction is required. After you submit revisions it has 10 business days to approve or deny, with a 20 percent per-business-day reduction if it does not (s. 553.792(1)(f) and (g)). In plain terms, the deadline is mainly a deadline to decide or to say what is wrong.

What the statute does not promise

The clocks cover the application decision. They do not cover the time you take to fix comments, the wait for a contractor, or inspections after the permit issues. In Miami-Dade, an application is first reviewed by intake staff and receives a process number once approved; the county states that plans will not be reviewed until the required upfront fees are paid. For one common case the county also runs a narrower fast-track window and door permit for exact changeouts at single-family homes and townhouses (see our impact windows guide). Plan the project schedule with your contractor, then get a free planning range for the work itself.

This page explains a public program or building code and is not legal advice. It is not a binding quote — a licensed local contractor or your building's engineer gives the firm number for your specific project.

Sources

• Florida Statutes s. 553.792, Building permit application to local government (subsections (1) and (2)) (opens in a new tab)
• Miami-Dade County, How to Apply for Permits (online submittal, intake review, upfront fees before plan review) (opens in a new tab)

Common questions