Miami-Dade County has Florida’s most active building department. With over 2.7 million residents and a construction market that never really slows down, the Miami-Dade Building Department processes tens of thousands of permit applications per year.
It also has some of Florida’s most specific Miami-Dade site plan requirements which is why plans that work in other counties sometimes get rejected in Miami-Dade.
Here’s exactly what Miami-Dade requires.
Miami-Dade Building Department Basics
Portal: MDC eBuild at eplan.miamidade.gov Phone: 786-315-2000 Jurisdiction: Unincorporated Miami-Dade County
For incorporated cities in Miami-Dade (City of Miami, Coral Gables, Homestead, etc.) contact that city’s building department they have separate processes.
Miami-Dade Site Plan Format Requirements
Scale: 1″=20′ for most residential lots. Larger lots may use 1″=30′ or 1″=40′. The scale must be clearly labeled.
File format: PDF for digital submission through ePlan
Paper size equivalent: 24″×36″ standard engineering sheet
Title block required: Owner name, property address, folio number (parcel ID), preparer name and contact, date of preparation, and scale
Miami-Dade Required Site Plan Elements
For all residential permits:
- Lot boundaries with dimensions
- Legal description and folio number
- All existing structures shown with dimensions
- Proposed structure with dimensions
- All setbacks labeled (front, rear, both sides)
- North arrow
- Street name and address
For pool permits specifically:
- Pool dimensions (length × width)
- Pool setback from all property lines
- Equipment pad location and dimensions
- Barrier fence shown with gate locations and latch hardware notation
- Impervious surface calculation (Miami-Dade caps residential at 50% in most R-1 zones)
- FEMA flood zone designation — critical, as large portions of Miami-Dade are Zone AE
- If in Zone AE: Base Flood Elevation (BFE) from the current FIRM
Miami-Dade Setback Requirements
R-1 single-family residential (most common zone):
- Front setback: 25 feet
- Rear setback: 25 feet
- Side setbacks: 7.5 feet (interior lots)
- Corner lots: 15 feet from the street-facing side
Pool setbacks (R-1 zone):
- Pool water’s edge to side/rear property line: 5 feet minimum
- Pool water’s edge to front property line: 15 feet minimum
- Pool to structure/foundation: check current Miami-Dade zoning code
Miami-Dade HVHZ Requirements
MiamiMiami-Dade and Broward are the only Florida counties designated as High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) under the Florida Building Code. While this primarily affects structural and product approval requirements (not site plans directly), it means Miami-Dade projects must follow strict Miami-Dade site plan requirements and HVHZ compliance standards:
Any structure on a Miami-Dade permit must use HVHZ-compliant materials
Products must have Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA)
Your pool contractor, fence contractor, and shed supplier all need to provide NOA documentation for their products
This doesn’t change what goes on the site plan, but it affects the overall permit package your contractor submits alongside the plan.
Common Miami-Dade Site Plan Rejection Reasons
Based on my experience with Miami-Dade specifically:
Missing flood zone designation: Miami-Dade is highly flood-prone. They check this every time.
Impervious surface not calculated: Required, and Miami-Dade reviewers check it carefully
Wrong scale: Using 1″=30′ when the property requires 1″=20′ at their standard
Folio number missing or wrong: Always verify at miamidade.gov/propertysearch
Missing NOA reference: For some project types, the site plan notes need to reference applicable product approvals
Get Your Miami-Dade Site Plan
We prepare Miami-Dade County site plans regularly. We know the ePlan portal, the format requirements and the specific items Miami-Dade reviewers look for.
Standard residential site plan: $79 includes all Miami-Dade requirements, county-specific formatting and GIS-verified property data.
Order your Miami-Dade site plan here
For PE-stamped plans (required for commercial projects in Miami-Dade): $499
Use our Site Plan Cost Calculator for an estimate.
