This page is about the City of Miami (folio numbers starting 01). Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Hialeah and unincorporated Miami-Dade run their own building departments and their own rules.
What Miami exempts, and what needs a permit
The City's Work that Does Not Require a Permit page (read 23 October 2026) is unusually specific about plumbing:
| No permit in the City of Miami | Permit needed |
|---|---|
| Stopping leaks in accessible pipe, if the pipe does not need replacing | Re-piping, or replacing a run of pipe |
| Unclogging drains | Sanitary sewer repairs, sewer capping |
| Toilet or faucet repairs that do not reroute plumbing | Changing out a toilet, tub, shower pan or kitchen sink (an Easy Permit) |
| Like-for-like sink, lavatory and dishwasher replacement | Water heater change-out (an Easy Permit) |
| Plumbing repairs under $2,500 by a licensed contractor | Repairs of $2,500 or more |
| Gas appliance repair (not water heaters) by a licensed plumber | Replacing a gas dryer, range or water heater (an Easy Permit) |
| Shut-off valve repair, including the main | Water service repair or replacement |
The $2,500 line is the one to know: a licensed plumber can fix a leak or a broken valve without a permit, but a repipe or anything at or above $2,500 is permit work. Florida's newer $7,500 owner exemption (HB 803) does not help here: the City's page says it "does not include electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work".
Who can pull it: a licensed plumber, not the owner
The City's owner-builder page is blunt: "roofing, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and gas permits may only be issued to appropriately-licensed contractors" (read 23 October 2026). An owner who qualifies as an owner-builder (owner-occupied one- or two-family home, exam and interview at the Homeowner Assistance counter) can hold the master permit for a remodel, but the plumbing sub-permit still goes to a licensed plumbing contractor.
Florida licenses plumbing contractors through DBPR. Search the number on the quote at Verify a Licensee; in our file 92.5% of Miami plumbing firms matched an active DBPR license. The county side is in the Miami contractor license lookup.
How a Miami plumbing permit is filed
- Easy Permit for change-outs. The City's Easy Permit list covers fixture change-outs (toilet, tub, bidet, kitchen sink, shower pan, disposal, dishwasher), water heater change-outs, re-piping or repairs, sanitary sewer repairs and water service replacement, plus gas replacements of a dryer, oven, range or water heater. It is "for qualified contractors in good standing": the plumber files it in iBuild, pays online and gets the permit card by email.
- Sub-permit for remodel plumbing. Plumbing inside a kitchen or bath remodel is added to the master building permit; the City says "You cannot acquire a sub-permit until you have been approved for a master permit."
- Keep the card on site and book inspections through iBuild. The permit's General Info and Inspections tabs list what is required and what has passed (permit search).
Questions go to the Building Department on 305-416-1100.
What it costs
From the City's fee schedule (Exhibit C, Sec. 10-18, adopted by resolution in April 2026):
| Fee line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Building, plumbing, mechanical and electrical, residential up to 3 units | 0.50% of estimated construction cost |
| Minimum permit fee | $110.00 |
| Re-inspection | $57.00 |
At 0.50%, any plumbing job under $22,000 pays the $110 minimum. Our usual filed value for a City of Miami plumbing permit is $4,900, so most homeowners see the minimum plus any surcharges on the iBuild invoice, which is the final word.
What 7,927 Miami plumbing permits show
| Measure | City of Miami plumbing and gas |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 7,927 |
| Firms that pulled them | 1,002 |
| Firms with a permit in the last 12 months of the window | 654 |
| Reached Final (permits a year or more old) | 90.8% |
| Usual days from issue to Final | 127 |
| Usual filed value | $4,900 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value | $3,000 to $9,000 |
| 10th-percentile firm's finished share (10+ permits) | 79.5% |
| Busiest / quietest month | March (index 111) / December (84) |
Plumbing permits close more slowly than Miami's roofing permits (38 days), because plumbing inside a remodel waits for the rest of the job. A stand-alone water heater permit still open months later is worth a call to your plumber. Prices by firm are on Miami plumbing cost; national labour rates are in plumbing labor cost; the year-by-year counts are on Miami permit statistics.
See every City of Miami plumber by share at Final →
Before you hire
Get the DBPR license number, check it, and ask whether the job is an Easy Permit or a sub-permit on a remodel. Then look the firm up on the Miami plumber list. The national checklist is hiring a plumber; other cities' rules are in do I need a permit for plumbing repairs and do I need a permit for a water heater. Older permits on your address: Miami building permit search.
What this does not tell you
Our numbers are permits the City issued; exempt repairs under $2,500 and unpermitted work never appear. A Final means the inspector passed the work, not what it cost. The filed value is the contractor's estimate on the application. Fees can change with the City budget; the fee schedule page and the iBuild invoice are current.
How we know this
Exemptions, Easy Permit items and owner-builder rules are quoted from City of Miami pages read 23 October 2026; fees from the City's Exhibit C fee schedule (Sec. 10-18) adopted April 2026. Permit counts are City of Miami building permits classified as plumbing and gas, October 2023 to September 2026; finished share uses permits a year or more old, and days to Final is the median 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 a water heater in Miami?
Yes. The City of Miami lists a water heater change-out as an Easy Permit, which a licensed plumbing contractor files online in iBuild without plan review. The usual City of Miami plumbing permit reached Final 127 days after issue.
- Can a homeowner pull a plumbing permit in Miami?
No. The City's owner-builder page says roofing, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and gas permits 'may only be issued to appropriately-licensed contractors'. An owner-builder can run the master building permit, but the plumbing sub-permit goes to a licensed plumber.
- How much is a plumbing permit in Miami?
The City's fee schedule (Sec. 10-18, adopted April 2026) charges building, plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits on homes of up to three units 0.50% of the estimated construction cost, with a $110 minimum permit fee and $57 per re-inspection. At 0.50%, any job under $22,000 pays the minimum; the usual City of Miami plumbing permit in our data was filed at $4,900.
- What plumbing work does not need a permit in Miami?
Stopping a leak without replacing pipe, unclogging drains, toilet and faucet repairs that don't reroute plumbing, like-for-like sink and dishwasher replacement, shut-off valve repair, and plumbing repairs under $2,500 done by a licensed contractor (City of Miami exempt list).
- How long does a plumbing permit take in Miami?
Easy Permits are issued online and the permit card is emailed. Closing it is slower: the usual City of Miami plumbing permit in our file reached Final in 127 days, and 90.8% of those a year or more old had.
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 plumbing permit in Arlington, VA? The like-for-like rule, gas, and timing
- Austin building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Austin? What is exempt, who can pull it, and the fees
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Bellevue, WA? Fixtures, showers, water heaters and the homeowner rule
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Sacramento County? Sewer lines, water services, gas lines and repipes: rules and inspections
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Saint Paul? Who can pull it, fees and inspections
For one city
- Work that Does Not Require a Permit — City of Miami Building (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Get an Easy Permit — City of Miami (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Become an Owner Builder — City of Miami (accessed 2026-10-23)
- City of Miami Building Permit Fee Schedule (Exhibit C, Sec. 10-18), adopted April 2026 (accessed 2026-10-23)
- View Permit History / Permit Search — City of Miami (2026-10-23)
- Verify a Licensee — Florida DBPR Online Services (2026-10-22)