Direct answer
In most cases, yes. Miami-Dade County says a building permit is required to install a shed or utility storage structure, and Palm Beach County lists sheds among the residential permits its Building Division issues. Both ask for proof the shed can handle Florida wind loads: a product approval for a prefabricated shed, or signed and sealed drawings for a site-built one. Miami-Dade also says Florida’s new under-$7,500 exemption does not cover sheds, because they are structural work.
Disclaimer
This article is general information about permitting and code-enforcement processes. It is not legal advice, not a substitute for advice from a Florida-licensed attorney, and not a guarantee of any result, timeline, or fee. Permit Busters, LLC is not a law firm and does not appear as your legal representative. Building and code rules vary by county and municipality and can change. Confirm current requirements, forms, and fees with the building or code office that has jurisdiction over the property, and consult a Florida attorney and, where construction work is required, a Florida-licensed contractor.
Este artículo es información general sobre procesos de permisos y cumplimiento del código. No es asesoramiento legal, no sustituye el consejo de un abogado con licencia en Florida y no garantiza un resultado, un plazo ni un costo. Permit Busters, LLC no es un bufete de abogados y no comparece como su representante legal. Las normas de construcción y de código varían según el condado y el municipio y pueden cambiar. Confirme los requisitos, formularios y tarifas vigentes con la oficina de construcción o de código que tenga jurisdicción sobre la propiedad, y consulte a un abogado de Florida y, cuando se requiera obra, a un contratista con licencia en Florida.
Start with the right office
Sheds are permitted by the building department for the property. In Miami-Dade, the County handles unincorporated properties with folios beginning with 30, and each city has its own building official. In Palm Beach County, Parcel Control Numbers beginning with 00 are unincorporated. In Broward, most permits come from the city. See Which Department Issues Your South Florida Permit.
Unincorporated Miami-Dade
Miami-Dade County’s shed page says a building permit is required to install a shed or utility storage structure. For residential properties, the County describes the shed as:
- a single-story, non-habitable, detached building accessory to a single-family home, townhouse, or duplex;
- used for storage only, not as living quarters; and
- limited to one shed on the property, no larger than 400 square feet.
The County asks for a building permit application with the shed’s square footage, and drawings of the shed. For a pre-manufactured shed, that means the current Notice of Acceptance; the County says Florida Building Commission product approvals are acceptable. For a site-built shed, the drawings must be signed and sealed by an architect or engineer. The County also asks for a current survey or site plan showing the shed’s location, size, setbacks from each property line, distance to the house and other structures, water and sewer or septic lines, and the electric service location.
If the shed will have electricity or plumbing, the drawings must show where those devices go. If it will not, the County asks you to note “No Electrical or Plumbing work at this moment” on the drawings. In a Special Flood Hazard Area, the County requires either floor elevations at or above Base Flood Elevation with an Elevation Certificate, or, for pre-manufactured or wood-frame sheds, its Flood Opening Form and a floodplain compliance inspection. Residential applicants also sign the County’s Attestation for Utility Shed and Storage Structure. The County offers an affidavit to allow reduced setbacks for small sheds, which needs notarized signatures from the abutting neighbors.
Unincorporated Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County PZB’s permit-type list, dated April 27, 2011, and still posted by PZB, places sheds among its Type 2(A) residential permits. Its Type 2(A) application sufficiency checklist, an older form dated 2005 that still cites the 2004 Florida Building Code, asks for wind design information, engineered construction drawings, and, for a prefabricated shed, a State Product Approval with the specific product and details identified. It also lists two identical sets of surveys showing the proposed improvement, and a letter from the HOA when work is in a common area. The checklist calls itself a guideline to minimum submittal requirements, so confirm the current requirements with PZB before you apply.
Broward cities
Broward cities set their own checklists. The City of Margate, for example, lists sheds among the examples of construction that require permits, and says product approvals for utility sheds must be reviewed and approved by the designer of record. Ask your city for its shed checklist.
Does the under-$7,500 exemption cover a shed?
Florida Statutes section 553.79(1)(g) requires local governments to exempt certain work under $7,500 on single-family homes, but it excludes structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and gas work and properties in a flood hazard area, and it requires a written request with a copy of the contract or other documentation showing the nature and value of the work. Miami-Dade’s permit exemption page lists sheds as structural work that always requires a permit, even under $7,500. Other departments may word this differently, so ask before you buy.
If signed and sealed plans are required, they must be prepared by a Florida-licensed engineer or architect. Permit Busters, LLC can help coordinate that step.
HOA approval is separate
Association approval is not a building permit, and a permit is not association approval. If the property has an HOA, getting its approval is the owner’s responsibility.
Get help with a shed permit
Permit Busters, LLC can help you find out what your city or county requires, gather the product approval or drawings and the survey, and track the permit through review. See the Miami-Dade permit help page and Palm Beach County permit help. Approval always rests with the city or county. Call (954) 616-5823, email info@permitbusters.com, or book an appointment. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. Permit Busters, LLC is based in Lauderhill, FL 33351.
FAQ
Do I need a permit for a shed in Miami-Dade?
Yes. Miami-Dade County says a building permit is required to install a shed or utility storage structure. For residential properties, the County allows one storage-only, single-story shed, no larger than 400 square feet.
Do prefabricated sheds need a permit in South Florida?
Generally, yes. Miami-Dade asks for the shed’s current Notice of Acceptance or a Florida Building Commission product approval. Palm Beach County asks for a State Product Approval with the specific product identified. Broward cities set their own requirements.
Is a small shed exempt under Florida’s $7,500 rule?
Not in Miami-Dade. The County’s permit exemption page lists sheds as structural work that always requires a permit, even under $7,500. Florida Statutes section 553.79(1)(g) excludes structural work from the exemption. Ask your department how it applies the rule.
Can my shed have electricity?
Yes, with the right permit details. Miami-Dade asks that the drawings show where electrical and plumbing devices go, and that the site plan show conduit, wiring, circuits, and a riser diagram when electricity is connected.
How close to the property line can I put a shed?
It depends on the zoning rules for the property. Miami-Dade asks the survey to show the setbacks from each property line and offers an affidavit to allow reduced setbacks for small sheds, signed by the abutting neighbors. Ask your department for the rule that applies.