A Miami-Dade demolition permit is pulled by your general contractor or by you as the property owner, through the building department that covers your address. Most people asking are in the middle of a kitchen gut, a bathroom remodel or a shed teardown and want to know who handles the paperwork and what it involves.
This guide walks through how to find your building department, who is allowed to apply, what the county lists for a demolition application, and where Rapid Haul fits once the permit question is settled. Rapid Haul does the tear-out and haul-away. We do not pull permits.
01Who pulls a Miami-Dade demolition permit?
A Miami-Dade demolition permit is pulled by the general contractor running the project or by the property owner acting as an owner-builder. On unincorporated properties, the county says on its permit instructions that building permits are issued in the name of the person performing the work, which means a contractor or an owner-builder.
On a remodel with a GC, the GC pulls one permit for the whole project, tear-out included, and books the inspections. Rapid Haul comes in on the GC's schedule to tear out, load and haul. We are never the permit holder, and we will not tell you a job is exempt. That call belongs to the building department.
02Is my address under the county or a city building department?
Your address is under Miami-Dade County's building department only if it is in unincorporated Miami-Dade; otherwise your city issues the permit. The county's municipal approval page says Miami-Dade has 35 municipalities, each with its own building official, and that the county handles buildings in unincorporated areas with folios beginning with "30".
Your folio number is on your property tax bill and in the county property search. The City of Miami uses the same trick: its demolition permit page says a folio beginning with 01 means the property is in the City of Miami. Some city projects still need county review for items such as water and sewer or environmental resources (DERM), so expect more than one office on a bigger job.
Getting this right first saves a wasted trip. An application filed with the wrong office goes nowhere, and a tear-out started under the wrong assumption can stall the whole remodel while the paperwork catches up.
03Can a homeowner pull a demolition permit in Miami-Dade?
A homeowner can pull some permits in Miami-Dade as an owner-builder, but not every city allows it for demolition. The City of Miami's demolition page states that only a qualified contractor may apply and that a home owner cannot apply directly. Unincorporated Miami-Dade accepts owner-builder applications and notes an additional form is required for them.
The state rule behind this is the owner-builder exemption in section 489.103, Florida Statutes. It covers owners improving a one- or two-family home for their own use. The owner must personally appear and sign the permit application, sign a disclosure statement, and directly supervise the work. Selling or leasing within one year of completion creates a presumption that the work was done for sale. Read the disclosure before you sign it, because it makes you the responsible party on the permit.
04What does a Miami-Dade demolition permit application need?
A Miami-Dade demolition permit application starts with the building permit application, and the rest depends on whether the structure is detached, attached or commercial. The county's permit requirements list these items for demolition in unincorporated Miami-Dade:
- A completed building permit application, with the total square footage to be demolished
- For a structure attached to the house, a contact sheet and detail drawings showing the area, plus the electrical and plumbing connections to be removed
- For commercial buildings, an asbestos survey for all demolition projects and a Notice of Demolition or Asbestos Renovation at least 10 working days before work starts
- Possible subsidiary electrical and plumbing permits once the demolition permit is issued
- The extra owner-builder form, if you are applying as the owner
05Asbestos, debris, the condo board and what to ask
Older buildings raise the asbestos question. Florida DEP's asbestos program says the building owner and/or operator must notify the compliance office at least 10 working days before a project that removes asbestos above federal thresholds, and it lists Miami-Dade as a local program. Ask the building department what applies to your building's age and use before the crew is booked.
Debris is the other surprise. The county's trash centers limit construction and demolition debris to three (3) cubic yards per customer per day, so a full kitchen or bathroom gut needs a hauler. In a condo, association approval is a separate step from the permit. Boards often set work hours, require the service elevator to be booked and ask for proof of insurance. Rapid Haul carries $1M general liability with NEXT Insurance.
When you call the building department, these are the questions worth asking, because every office answers them a little differently:
- Does this specific job (a kitchen, a bathroom, a shed, a deck) need its own demolition permit, or is it covered by the remodel permit?
- Can I apply as an owner-builder here, or does the city require a contractor?
- Which utility disconnects, surveys or asbestos paperwork do you need before work starts?
- Which inspections follow the tear-out, and how should the space be left for them?
06Where to start, and where Rapid Haul fits in
Start with your folio number, then call or check the website of the building department it points to. Settle who holds the permit before anyone books a crew, using the questions above.
Once that is done, Rapid Haul handles the non-structural tear-out and the haul: kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, non-structural walls, condo interiors, decks, sheds and pool decks. We do not touch walls or framing that hold up the building. Room demo starts at $750, deck demo at $550 and shed removal at $350, each one flat, all-in price that covers tear-out, loading, hauling and disposal. Jobs of $1,000 and over take a 50% deposit. Text Dany photos and the permit status at (754) 249-1015, or see how interior demolition works and the cities we cover in Miami-Dade County. Ready to book? Start with our demolition service.
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