Direct answer
In Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach, the building permit for a property is issued by the building official who has jurisdiction over that lot, not by a single regional office. If the property is inside a city or town, that municipality usually issues the permit. If the property is in unincorporated county territory, the county building department issues it. You can confirm jurisdiction with the property appraiser record: in Miami-Dade, unincorporated folios begin with 30; in Palm Beach County, unincorporated Parcel Control Numbers begin with 00; in Broward, unincorporated areas are the Broward Municipal Services District. Sending an application to the wrong office is a common reason a file does not move. Confirm jurisdiction before you upload plans or pay a fee.
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.
Why this question matters
Homeowners often search “Broward building permit” or “Miami-Dade permit office” and assume one counter handles the entire county. Contractors who work across city lines already know that each building official has a different portal, checklist, and fee schedule. Buyers and sellers run into the same split when they try to close an old permit and search only the county site.
The wrong portal will not show the permit. The wrong cashier cannot take the fee. The wrong inspector cannot close the file. Getting the jurisdiction right is the first practical step in residential permitting, commercial permitting, and permit closeout.
Miami-Dade County: folio 30 means unincorporated
Miami-Dade County is explicit about this. Its how-to-apply process is solely for properties with folios that start with “30,” which are in unincorporated Miami-Dade County. Each municipality in Miami-Dade County has its own building official who issues building permits for work inside that city’s limits. The County tells applicants to check the Property Appraiser if they are not sure which municipality the property is in.
Unincorporated applications go through Miami-Dade County Regulatory and Economic Resources and its online submission portal. The County’s Permitting and Inspection Center is at 11805 SW 26 Street, Miami, FL 33175, phone 786-315-2000. The County also publishes a Building Permit Selection Menu and a Civic Access portal for searching records.
If the property is in the City of Miami, Hialeah, Miami Gardens, Miami Lakes, Cutler Bay, or another Miami-Dade city, start with that city’s building department. Some municipal applications still need related County reviews, and the County describes a municipal-permit path for those reviews, but the city building official is still the one who issues the city’s building permit.
Useful city pages include City of Miami, Hialeah, Miami Gardens, Miami Lakes, and Cutler Bay. Broader County context is also on Miami-Dade permit help.
Broward County: most permits come from the city
Broward County’s Building Code Division provides permitting, code compliance, and enforcement for the Broward Municipal Services District and Fort Lauderdale International Airport. It also handles certain countywide functions such as elevator permitting and contractor licensing. It does not replace the building official in Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Coral Springs, or the other Broward cities.
If the property is in a city, use that city’s building department. If the property is in the Municipal Services District, use the Broward County Building Code Division, 2307 W. Broward Boulevard, Suite 300, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312, 954-765-4400, building@broward.org. Broward County also states that it regulates construction in unincorporated areas and in cities it contracts with. Always use the department named on the permit or notice, not an assumption about who “should” have issued it.
Even when a city issues the building permit, some related County approvals may still be submitted through ePermits OneStop. That does not change who issues the building permit itself.
City starting points include Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Coral Springs, Davie, Miramar, Plantation, Pompano Beach, Sunrise, and Weston.
Palm Beach County: PCN 00 means unincorporated
Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning & Building tells the public to use the first two numbers of the Parcel Control Number. 00 is unincorporated Palm Beach County. All other prefixes are municipalities, and the County publishes a municipality list to compare against.
Unincorporated applications go to the County Building Division, 2300 N Jog Road, West Palm Beach, FL 33411, 561-233-5000. The County has a south office in Delray Beach, but it notes that all processing is done at the central office. Owner-builder permits, the County says, must be submitted in person by the owner.
If the property is in Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Jupiter, Wellington, Palm Beach Gardens, Lake Worth Beach, or the Town of Palm Beach, use that city’s or town’s building department. See Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Jupiter, Wellington, Palm Beach Gardens, Lake Worth Beach, and the Town of Palm Beach.
A simple way to check before you apply
- Search the address on the county property appraiser’s site.
- Note the city name, folio, or Parcel Control Number prefix.
- If the record shows a municipality, go to that city’s building department website or permit counter.
- If the record shows unincorporated county territory, go to the county building department.
- If you are closing an old permit, search the same agency that issued it, not the agency you assumed was in charge.
Florida law also requires each local enforcement agency to post its permit applications and its procedures for processing applications on its website, and to allow electronic submission of completed applications. If a department’s site is unclear, call the published permitting number and ask, before you upload a full plan set to the wrong portal.
Get help filing in the right office
Permit Busters, LLC helps homeowners, business owners, and contractors identify the issuing department and prepare permit applications in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach. We discuss fees and scope before work starts. Our fees are non-refundable once work begins. Government fees are separate, and we accept all types of payment options.
Call (954) 616-5823, email info@permitbusters.com, or book an appointment. You can also text 305-906-0810. We are in Lauderhill, FL 33351. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM.
FAQ
How do I know which jurisdiction or municipality my property is located in?
Use the county property appraiser record. In Palm Beach County, a Parcel Control Number that begins with 00 is unincorporated; other prefixes are municipalities. In Miami-Dade, unincorporated folios begin with 30. In Broward, unincorporated areas are the Municipal Services District, and most other properties sit in a city with its own building official.
Is this property located within your jurisdiction?
Miami-Dade County says the easiest way to confirm jurisdiction is to search the Property Appraiser record and look at the folio. The County services properties with folios beginning with 30. All other Miami-Dade folios are in a municipality, and that city’s building official issues the building permit.
My project is within an incorporated municipality, but they’re referring me to Miami-Dade County. What do I need to do?
Miami-Dade County says the municipality may be asking you to apply for a County Municipal Approval, such as Water and Sewer, impact fees, DERM, Fire Rescue, or Department of Health review. That path gets a process number beginning with M. It does not replace the city building permit, which you still obtain from the city’s building official.
First of all, is this a county-by-county thing?
It is local, and it is also city-by-city inside each county. Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach each have a county building department for unincorporated areas, and each city or town generally has its own building official. A Broward County search will not close a Fort Lauderdale permit, and a Palm Beach County search will not show a Boca Raton file.
How do I get a building permit?
Apply to the building department that has jurisdiction over the property. In unincorporated Miami-Dade, folio-30 applications go through the County’s permitting portal; in unincorporated Palm Beach County, apply to County PZB. In Broward, apply to the city unless the property is in the Municipal Services District or at Fort Lauderdale International Airport. Use that department’s current application and checklist.
Questions about a property? Call Permit Busters at (954) 616-5823.