This is the City of Miami (folio numbers starting 01), not Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Hialeah or unincorporated Miami-Dade.
What the City asks for
From the City's Get a Demolition Permit (Total or Partial) page (read 26 October 2026):
| Item | The City's requirement |
|---|---|
| Who applies | A qualified licensed contractor only; not the homeowner |
| Site survey | By a certified surveyor, "can not be more than six months old", drawn to scale |
| DERM | DERM approval (Miami-Dade's environmental review) |
| Trees | Tree and boundary survey of every tree on site and in the right of way, no more than one year old, with tree protection drawn on the demolition plan; tree protection "about 8"-12" radius per inch of DBH" |
| Other reviews | "Additional documents from Public Works, Environmental Resources and/or Zoning may be requested" |
| Sewer | A sewer cap sub-permit pulled from the master demolition permit after issue; no review, just payment |
For a house, the tree survey can be prepared by the owner or the owner's representative; commercial properties need a Florida licensed surveyor. Questions on trees go to Environmental Resources, 305-416-1416.
The City's owner-builder page adds two jobs that stay with the owner before demolition starts: disconnecting all utilities (water, sewer, septic, electric, gas, phone, cable), and getting a State of Florida Department of Health permit to abandon any septic tank on the lot.
How to apply
- Check the property is in the City. A Miami-Dade folio starting 01 is City of Miami.
- Your contractor applies in iBuild: "start application", then "total/partial demolition permit", and pays the up-front fee shown on the invoice.
- Print and notarize the application package, then upload it with the survey and documents to ProjectDox, using the City's file naming convention (the City lists wrong file names as a common mistake).
- Review. "For a Building permit application, it can take up to 14 business days for the first cycle of review to be completed." Corrections can take several rounds.
- Pull the permit and print the permit card, which stays on site.
- Pull the sewer cap sub-permit in iBuild.
- Violation cases only: contact Unsafe Structures (unsafestructures@miamigov.com) to pay violation fees and finalize.
What it costs
The demolition page says the up-front fee "is based on the total size of the project, per the City's ordinance" and that "If you are demolishing because you received a violation, the permit fee will be doubled + $110." The City's fee schedule (Exhibit C, Resolution R-26-0200, adopted 23 April 2026) sets the general lines; it excludes state and Miami-Dade surcharges:
| Fee line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Residential up to 3 units | 0.50% of estimated construction cost |
| Minimum permit fee | $110 |
| Application fee, all permits (non-refundable) | $40 |
| Dry run / up-front, per $1,000 of estimated value | $2.80 |
| Solid waste residential surcharge | $0.22 per $100 of cost, $26 minimum, $600 maximum |
| Re-inspection | $57 |
| Work without a permit | $110 base, plus 2x for a homestead property |
At the usual filed value of $11,500, 0.50% is below the $110 minimum, so most house demolitions start from the minimum. The City calculates the exact amount in iBuild.
What 1,018 Miami demolition permits show
| Measure | City of Miami demolition |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 1,018 |
| Contractors that filed them | 470 |
| With a permit in the last 12 months | 207 |
| Usual filed value | $11,500 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value (83 firms) | $9,000 to $16,000 |
| Reached final (permits a year or more old) | 88.7% |
| Usual days from issue to final | 133 |
| Firms matched to an active Florida license | 97.0% |
| Filers with one permit | 329 (70.0%) |
| Busiest / quietest month | April (index 115) / November (68) |
Demolition in Miami is spread thin: the five busiest firms hold 12.5% of permits and only 15 filed ten or more. The busiest in the last 12 months was K.L.R Construction LLC with 17. Because the contractor, not you, is the applicant, it is the contractor's record that matters: open it on the compare list and look at how many of its permits reached final. Prices by job size are on the Miami demolition cost page.
See every Miami demolition contractor by permits reaching final →
Related
Other cities' rules: do I need a permit for demolition. National prices: house demolition cost. Choosing the firm: hiring a demolition contractor. Licenses: Miami contractor license lookup and DBPR's Verify a Licensee. Past permits on the lot: Miami building permit search. Monthly counts: Miami permit statistics.
What this does not tell you
Our demolition group is City of Miami permits on homes whose work is demolition, total or partial; an interior tear-out filed under a remodel is counted there instead. Filed values are the applicant's estimate. We match firms to Florida DBPR licenses only, not Miami-Dade certificates of competency. Fees here exclude state and county surcharges and DERM's own fees.
How we know this
Requirements, the contractor-only rule, review time and the violation surcharge are quoted from the City of Miami's Get a Demolition Permit page; the utility and septic duties from its owner-builder page; fees from the Building Permit Fee Schedule (Exhibit C, Resolution R-26-0200); all read 26 October 2026. Counts are City of Miami permits on homes classified as demolition, October 2023 to September 2026. "Reached final" uses permits a year or more old; days run from issue to final.
Numbers come from City of Miami building permits (since 2014), data through October 17, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Can a homeowner pull a demolition permit in Miami?
No. The City of Miami's demolition page says 'Only a Qualified Licensed Contractor may apply for this permit. A home owner cannot apply for this permit directly.' That holds for total and partial demolitions.
- What do I need for a demolition permit in Miami?
A site survey by a certified surveyor no more than six months old and drawn to scale, DERM approval, and tree documents: a tree and boundary survey no more than a year old with tree protection drawn on the demolition plan. Public Works, Environmental Resources or Zoning may ask for more.
- How much is a demolition permit in Miami?
The City says the up-front fee is based on the total size of the project, and doubles plus $110 when you demolish because of a violation. Under the April 2026 fee schedule, residential work of up to three units is 0.50% of the estimated cost with a $110 minimum and a $40 application fee; the usual Miami demolition permit in our file was filed at $11,500.
- How long does a demolition permit take in Miami?
The City says the first review cycle of a building permit application can take up to 14 business days. After issue, the usual City of Miami demolition permit in our file reached final 133 days later, and 88.7% of those a year or more old reached final.
- Do I need a separate permit to cap the sewer when demolishing in Miami?
Yes. After the demolition permit is pulled, the City says you must apply for a sewer cap sub-permit in iBuild from the master demolition permit. It has no review, just payment.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Do I need a demolition permit in Austin? The 45-year historic review, the pre-demolition inspection and neighbor notice
- Boulder's demolition review for houses over 50 years old: what counts as demolition, the fees, and the 180-day stay
- Cambridge demolition delay and historic district review: the 50-year rule, the 12-month delay, and which certificate you need
- Do I need a demolition permit in Cleveland? Yes: the project review, the $50 minimum fee, drawings, and what demolition firms charge
- Do I need a demolition permit in NYC? Yes: a PE or RA files it, and the contractor needs a demolition endorsement
For one city
- Get a Demolition Permit (Total or Partial) — City of Miami (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Become an Owner Builder — City of Miami (accessed 2026-10-26)
- City of Miami Building Permit Fee Schedule (Exhibit C, Sec. 10-18), Resolution R-26-0200, April 2026 (accessed 2026-10-26)
- View Permit History / Permit Search — City of Miami (2026-10-23)
- Verify a Licensee — Florida DBPR Online Services (2026-10-22)