This is the City of Miami (folio numbers starting 01), not Miami Beach, Coral Gables or unincorporated Miami-Dade.
Why no exemption fits
Florida's 2026 HB 803 exemption, as the City explains it on its HB 803 page (read 26 October 2026), covers work under $7,500 on a single-family home only when it "does not include electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work" and the property is "not partially or entirely located in a flood hazard area". It adds: "A construction project MAY NOT be divided into multiple smaller projects for the purpose of staying below the $7,500 threshold." New floor area is structural, so an addition always takes a permit.
Who can pull it
| Applicant | What the City allows |
|---|---|
| Licensed general, building or residential contractor | The master permit; trades go to licensed subs |
| You, as owner-builder | "construction, maintenance, repair, alteration, and addition to a single-family or duplex residence for his own use and occupancy, and not intended for sale" |
From the City's owner-builder page (read 26 October 2026), the conditions that matter for an addition:
- One master permit per 24 months. "No more than one (1) master permit shall be issued to an owner for the new construction, addition or alteration of a single-family or duplex residence in any twenty-four (24) month period."
- Trades stay licensed. "roofing, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and gas permits may only be issued to appropriately-licensed contractors", and an addition usually has all of them.
- Proof and testing. A deed or tax receipt in your own name (not a company), proof you live there, a short multiple-choice exam and an interview at the Homeowner Assistance counter, 444 SW 2nd Ave, 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and a notarized disclosure.
- Labor. Hire licensed contractors or pay workers by the hour or day; an unlicensed person on a fixed fee faces "a fine of $500 and/or imprisonment for six months."
- Timing. "A permit is valid for 180 days from the date of issuance, or from the last approved inspection."
Check a contractor's state license on DBPR's Verify a Licensee; 96.4% of addition filers in our file matched an active Florida license.
How to apply
- Master permit in iBuild, with signed and sealed drawings and a survey uploaded to ProjectDox under the City's naming convention.
- Plan review. "For a Building permit application, it can take up to 14 business days for the first cycle of review to be completed", and corrections restart the cycle (City's demolition permit page, describing the shared process).
- Sub-permits. Each licensed trade adds its permit to your process number once the master is approved; "You cannot acquire a sub-permit until you have been approved for a master permit" (Get a Sub-Permit).
- Inspections run on each permit through to final; keep the permit cards on site.
What it costs
From the City's fee schedule (Exhibit C, Resolution R-26-0200, adopted 23 April 2026). The schedule excludes state and Miami-Dade surcharges. The last column is our arithmetic for a $60,000, 400 sq ft addition:
| Fee line | Amount | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Residential up to 3 units ("additions new or remodeling construction costs") | 0.50% | $300 |
| Application fee (non-refundable) | $40 | $40 |
| Up-front fee per $1,000 of estimated value | $2.80 | $168 |
| Solid waste residential surcharge | $0.22 per $100, $26 min, $600 max | $132 |
| Energy conservation surcharge, new construction or addition | $0.11 per sq ft | $44 |
| Revisions after the 2nd review, per discipline | $56 | — |
| Re-inspection | $57 | — |
Trade sub-permits are priced separately on their own values.
What 936 Miami addition permits show
| Measure | City of Miami additions and major remodels |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 936 |
| Firms and owners that filed them | 503 |
| With a permit in the last 12 months | 235 |
| Usual filed value | $38,564 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value (83 firms) | $10,000 to $55,000 |
| Reached final (permits a year or more old) | 73.4% |
| Usual days from issue to final | 313 |
| Filers with one permit | 57.1% |
| Busiest / quietest month | July (122) / December (60) |
The wide middle half, $10,000 to $55,000, reflects a group that runs from small structural remodels to full room additions; compare a quote against firms that do jobs your size. No firm dominates: the five busiest hold 7.6% and only 5 filed ten or more. Plan for most of a year from issue to final. Prices by job size are on the Miami addition cost page.
See every Miami addition contractor by permits reaching final →
Related
Other cities' rules: do I need a permit for a home addition. National prices: home addition cost; the alternative: ADU vs addition. Doing it yourself: how to get an owner-builder permit and owner-builder vs contractor. 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 group for this trade is "Addition & Remodel", so it mixes true additions with larger structural remodels; other remodel permits sit in our separate remodel group. Filed values are the applicant's estimate. Zoning setbacks, lot coverage and flood elevation under Miami 21 and the City's flood rules can change what you may build; ask Zoning before design. We match firms to Florida DBPR licenses only.
How we know this
Owner-builder rules are quoted from the City of Miami's Become an Owner Builder page, the exemption limits from its HB 803 page 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 addition and remodel, 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 permit for an addition in Miami?
Yes, as an owner-builder. The City says an owner may pull a permit for construction, alteration and addition to a single-family or duplex residence for his own use and occupancy, not intended for sale, after a short exam and interview. Only one master permit is issued to an owner-builder in any 24-month period, and the electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas and roofing permits must go to licensed contractors.
- How much is an addition permit in Miami?
Under the City's April 2026 fee schedule: 0.50% of the estimated construction cost for residential up to three units ($110 minimum), a $40 application fee, a $2.80 per $1,000 up-front fee, a solid waste surcharge of $0.22 per $100 (max $600) and an energy conservation surcharge of $0.11 per square foot of addition. A $60,000, 400 sq ft addition comes to about $300 + $40 + $168 + $132 + $44 before state and county surcharges.
- Does the $7,500 HB 803 exemption cover an addition in Miami?
No in practice. The exemption excludes structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas work and any property in a flood hazard area, and the City says a project may not be split to stay under $7,500. An addition is structural.
- How long does an addition permit take in Miami?
The City says the first review cycle of a building permit application can take up to 14 business days, and corrections can repeat it. Once issued, the usual addition or major remodel permit in our file reached final 313 days later.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- How to legalize unpermitted work: the steps, what it costs, and how long a retroactive permit takes
- Miami's FEMA 50% rule: when a remodel in a flood zone means raising the house
- Building a casita in Albuquerque: the 750 sq ft limit, rear-yard rule, parking, free plans, and who builds them
- Arlington's 2,500-square-foot rule: when an addition or new house needs a Land Disturbing Activity and stormwater permit
For one city
- 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)
- Building Permit Exemptions for Residential Properties (HB 803) — City of Miami (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Get a Sub-Permit — City of Miami (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Get a Demolition Permit (review time for building permit applications) — City of Miami (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Verify a Licensee — Florida DBPR Online Services (2026-10-22)