Contractor Licensing and Permits in the City of Miami

The City of Miami runs its own Building Department, separate from Miami-Dade County's permitting for unincorporated areas. If the job address is inside city limits, the city issues the permit, and the contractor on the application must already be registered with the city. Holding a state license is the starting point, not the finish line. For county-level context, see the Miami-Dade County page.

Step 1: hold the right state license

Florida licenses contractors at the state level through DBPR. A certified license lets you contract anywhere in Florida. Pick the category that matches your scope: general contractor, building contractor, residential contractor, roofing, HVAC, plumbing or electrical. Every CILB construction category requires passing the state Business and Finance exam.

Step 2: register with the City of Miami Building Department

The city states that contractors must be registered "to verify their certification" before they can build or renovate in the City of Miami. The registration list published by the city is:

The city stresses that all documents, including company email and phone, must be up to date to obtain a permit. Questions go to the Building Department at 305-416-1100.

How permits are filed

All City of Miami building permits are applied for electronically through iBuild, with plans reviewed in ProjectDox. Two details matter for contractors:

• Sub-permits. Electrical, mechanical, plumbing and other trade sub-permits can only be added after a master permit is approved. The master permit holder adds the subcontractor in iBuild by qualifier number. If the sub is not already qualified with the city, it must go through contractor registration first.
• Easy Permits. Qualified contractors in good standing can request an Easy Permit for small jobs that need no plan review and receive the permit by email. The permit card goes to the email on the contractor's city record, so stale contact data blocks this route. Contractor information can be updated at the Building Department permit counter, 444 SW 2nd Avenue, 4th Floor.

Work in the city's public right-of-way is a separate registration with the Department of Resilience and Public Works (iPW), and it does not cover FDOT or Miami-Dade County roads.

Business tax receipts: city and county

Miami requires both. The city says every business needs a City of Miami BTR, and every business is also required to obtain a Miami-Dade County Local Business Tax Receipt. The county Tax Collector confirms that businesses located within a municipality must obtain both a city receipt and a county receipt. Most businesses need a Certificate of Use before the city BTR, unless they have no physical location in the city.

High-Velocity Hurricane Zone

Miami-Dade and Broward counties make up the Florida Building Code's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ). Expect HVHZ structural and roofing provisions on Miami jobs, and product approvals (often a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance or an HVHZ-rated state approval) for windows, doors, shutters and roofing.

FAQ

Is registering with the City of Miami the same as registering with Miami-Dade County? No. Miami-Dade's own verification form says its registration is valid only in unincorporated Miami-Dade. The City of Miami keeps its own contractor records.

Can my subcontractor pull a sub-permit before the master permit is issued? No. The city requires an approved master permit first.

Do I need both a city and a county business tax receipt? Yes, according to both the city and the Miami-Dade Tax Collector, if your business is in the City of Miami.

Before you register

You can't register with the city until you hold a state license, and each construction license category requires the Business and Finance exam. Our Florida Business and Finance Exam Prep covers the full exam outline with original practice questions.