This is the City of Miami (folio numbers starting 01), not Miami Beach, Coral Gables or unincorporated Miami-Dade. The City publishes no driveway-specific permit page; the rules below come from its exemption, owner-builder, fee and Public Works pages.
The $7,500 exemption, and why it rarely fits
The City's HB 803 page (read 26 October 2026) explains Florida's exemption, effective 1 July 2026, for work under $7,500. Every condition must hold:
| Condition | What it means for a driveway |
|---|---|
| Single-family dwelling | A duplex or townhouse driveway does not qualify under this exemption |
| Total value under $7,500 | The usual driveway permit in our file is under it, at $6,000 |
| No electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical or gas work | Driveway lighting or a drain tie-in rules it out |
| Not "partially or entirely located in a flood hazard area" | FEMA zones A, AE, AH, AO and similar count; check the City's GIS map |
| Written request with the contract | The City's approval "MUST BE POSTED ON SITE BEFORE WORK COMMENCEMENT" |
The page also warns that an exemption does not cover work that harms protected trees or roots, and that Zoning, Environmental Resources or Public Works may still need to approve the work. Check the map before counting on the exemption; if any part of your lot is in a flood hazard area, you need a permit.
Who can pull it
A licensed contractor, or you as owner-builder. The City's owner-builder page limits that to owner-occupied one- and two-family homes "not intended for sale", with a short exam, an interview at the Homeowner Assistance counter (444 SW 2nd Ave) and a notarized disclosure. If you pay a paver crew a fixed price, it must be licensed; the City warns an unlicensed contractor paid that way faces "a fine of $500 and/or imprisonment for six months." 94.7% of driveway filers in our file matched an active Florida license.
The apron and the swale
The private driveway is a building permit. The strip between your lot line and the street (apron, sidewalk, swale) is public right-of-way. The City's Resilience and Public Works department says it handles "permitting and regulation of construction of public improvements" including "sidewalks, curbs, drainage" in the right-of-way, through the iPW portal, where contractors must register first. Ask Public Works (305-416-1200) what your apron needs before the crew cuts the sidewalk.
What it costs
From the City's fee schedule (Exhibit C, Resolution R-26-0200, adopted 23 April 2026), before state and Miami-Dade surcharges:
| Fee line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Residential up to 3 units | 0.50% of estimated cost |
| Minimum permit fee | $110 |
| Residential work under $2,500 | $45 |
| Application fee (non-refundable) | $40 |
| Up-front fee per $1,000 of estimated value | $2.80 |
| Solid waste residential surcharge | $0.22 per $100, $26 minimum |
| Work without a permit | $110 base, then 2x on a homestead |
0.50% of a $6,000 job is $30, so a typical driveway pays the $110 minimum plus the application, up-front and solid-waste lines.
What 938 Miami driveway permits show
| Measure | City of Miami driveways and pavers |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 938 |
| Firms and owners that filed them | 508 |
| With a permit in the last 12 months | 256 |
| Usual filed value | $6,000 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value (85 firms) | $5,000 to $9,100 |
| Usual days from issue to final | 156 |
| Filers with one permit | 352 (69.3%) |
| Busiest / quietest month | June (129) / October (74) |
The trade is fragmented: 508 filers for 938 permits, the five busiest holding 8.0%, and 69.3% with a single permit. Most paver crews you meet will have little permit history in the City, so ask for the permit number before work starts and look it up on the City's permit search. Prices by job size are on the Miami driveway cost page.
See every Miami driveway and paver company →
Related
Other cities' rules: do I need a permit for a driveway. Doing it yourself: how to get an owner-builder permit. Licenses: Miami contractor license lookup. Past permits on your house: Miami building permit search. Monthly counts: Miami permit statistics.
What this does not tell you
Our driveway group is City of Miami permits on homes classified as driveways and pavers. We do not have a reliable finished share for it, so none is shown. Right-of-way permits from Public Works are not in our file. Filed values are the applicant's estimate. We match firms to Florida DBPR licenses only.
How we know this
The exemption conditions are quoted from the City of Miami's HB 803 page, owner-builder rules from its Become an Owner Builder page, right-of-way duties from its Resilience and Public Works and iPW pages, and 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 driveway and pavers, October 2023 to September 2026; 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
- Do I need a permit to replace my driveway with pavers in Miami?
Usually. City of Miami homes file driveway and paver work as building permits: 938 of them from October 2023 to September 2026. The only way around it is Florida's HB 803 exemption, which needs a single-family home outside any flood hazard area, work under $7,500 and a written approval from the City posted on site before work starts.
- Does the $7,500 exemption cover a driveway in Miami?
Only if every condition holds: single-family home, total work under $7,500, no electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical or gas work, and no part of the lot in a flood hazard area (FEMA zones A, AE, AH, AO and similar). You or your contractor must submit the exemption request with the contract and get the City's approval before starting.
- Can a homeowner pull a driveway permit in Miami?
Yes, as an owner-builder on an owner-occupied one- or two-family home not intended for sale, after the City's short exam and interview. Anyone you pay a fixed price must be licensed.
- How much is a driveway permit in Miami?
The City's April 2026 fee schedule charges residential work 0.50% of the estimated cost with a $110 minimum, plus a $40 application fee and a $2.80 per $1,000 up-front fee, before state and county surcharges. At the usual $6,000 driveway permit in our file, the $110 minimum applies.
- Who handles the part of the driveway in the swale or sidewalk in Miami?
The City's Resilience and Public Works department handles permitting of construction in the public right-of-way, including sidewalks and curbs, through its iPW portal. Call Public Works on 305-416-1200 before touching the apron, sidewalk or swale.
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 driveway permit in Austin? The right-of-way line, the DS permit and the $220 review fee
- Do I need a permit for a driveway? The rule in 12 cities, and where the curb changes it
- Do I need a driveway permit in Greensboro? Yes, for access to a City street, and it closes in about a week
- Do I need a driveway permit in Naperville? The concrete season, width limits, decorative aprons and the $88 fee
For one city
- Building Permit Exemptions for Residential Properties (HB 803) — 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)
- Resilience and Public Works — City of Miami (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Public Works Permitting (iPW) — City of Miami (accessed 2026-10-26)
- View Permit History / Permit Search — City of Miami (2026-10-23)