Bolthole Index

Miami-Dade County, Florida

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Village of Key Biscayne, Florida

The Village of Key Biscayne, Florida has its own zoning code, Chapter 30 of the village code, administered by the Building, Zoning, and Planning Director1. Building permits inside the village are handled by the village's permit clerks, not the Miami-Dade County counter that serves unincorporated land2. Manufactured homes are prohibited3. Septic permits for Miami-Dade County come from the county health department4.

At a glance

Zoning
Village zoning code (Chapter 30), run by the Building, Zoning, and Planning Director1
Building permits
Village permit clerks handle permitting questions2
Septic
County health department permits and inspects; county DERM reviews new systems4
RV living
Limited: stored in a garage or carport, no more than 180 days a calendar year5
Manufactured homes
Prohibited in the village3
Minimum lot size (VE and IR)
10,000 sq ft or as platted; 15,000 sq ft in low-density areas6
Lot coverage (new one-story)
Up to 45% with bonuses7

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Key Biscayne Building, Zoning and Planning

Building permit questions inside the village, zoning and planning

305-365-5512

88 West McIntyre Street, Key Biscayne, FL 33149

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 17, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Village of Key Biscayne means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Key Biscayne have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and lot size?

Yes. The Village of Key Biscayne, in Miami-Dade County, zones its own land under Chapter 30 of the village code, administered by the Building, Zoning, and Planning Director1. The residential districts are VR, VE, IR and PS8. Miami-Dade County's zoning code governs only unincorporated land, so it does not apply here9.

Lot sizes depend on the district. In the VE and IR districts the minimum is 10,000 sq. ft. or as platted, rising to 15,000 sq. ft. where the Single Family Low Density Residential land use designation applies6. New one-story homes can reach 45% lot coverage with bonuses7.

RVs may be kept on a property for no more than 180 days in a calendar year, whether or not the days are consecutive, and must be stored in a garage or carport5. Manufactured homes are prohibited3. Setbacks and height limits for single-family districts are not something we could confirm; ask the village Building, Zoning, and Planning office.

Do you need a building permit in Key Biscayne, and who issues it?

Building permits inside the Village of Key Biscayne are not issued by Miami-Dade County's unincorporated-area counter, because incorporated municipalities administer permits within their city limits10. For permitting questions the village directs people to its permit clerks at 305-365-55122.

The Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), is the statewide base code11. We could not confirm the village's own inspection steps, permit fees or owner-builder rules, so ask the permit clerks before assuming the county's owner-builder process applies.

A certificate of occupancy is withheld on single-family and two-family projects unless the finished work includes each bonus listed on the approved site plan12.

How do septic permits work in Key Biscayne?

Septic permitting in Miami-Dade County is handled by the county health department offices, with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection responsible for the statewide rules4. Miami-Dade DERM must also review and approve new and total replacement systems, and conventional Type 1 systems are not allowed for them13. The county rule is countywide, but we could not confirm how it applies to specific lots inside the village, and whether a sewer connection is required. Ask the health department14 and the village permit clerks2 before relying on a septic plan.

Building a home in Key Biscayne: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district, minimum lot size and coverage limits with the village Building, Zoning, and Planning office1.
  2. Ask the village permit clerks about building permit requirements and fees2.
  3. Ask the county health department whether a septic system or sewer connection applies to your lot14.
  4. Build to the Florida Building Code11.
  5. Finish the work, including any bonuses on your approved site plan, so a certificate of occupancy can be issued12.

What stays with Miami-Dade County, and what to check before you buy

Miami-Dade County's building and zoning rules apply to unincorporated land, not to the village10. For land outside the village, see the Miami-Dade County page. Septic and well approvals stay with the health department415.

Countywide figures: the typical home value is $522,60116 and the typical home insurance premium is $7,089 a year17. Miami-Dade County's effective property tax rate is 0.8%18. Conventional drain fields rate poorly in Miami-Dade County soils19.

Watch-outs

  • Setbacks, height limits and short-term rental rules in Key Biscayne were not confirmed; ask the village Building, Zoning, and Planning office1.
  • Miami-Dade County's building and zoning pages cover unincorporated land only, so do not use them for a Key Biscayne lot10.
  • Flood hazard areas add RV and manufactured-home restrictions in the village code5.

Sources

  1. Key Biscayne Code Sec. 30-100 Single Family and Two-Family districts (Village of Key Biscayne), quoted and re-checked
  2. Village of Key Biscayne Building, Zoning and Planning (keybiscayne.fl.gov)
  3. Key Biscayne Code Sec. 30-41 Recreational vehicles and manufactured homes (Village of Key Biscayne), quoted and re-checked
  4. Onsite Sewage Tanks and Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
  5. Key Biscayne Code Sec. 30-41 Recreational vehicles and manufactured homes (Village of Key Biscayne), quoted and re-checked
  6. Key Biscayne Code Sec. 30-100 Single Family and Two-Family districts (Village of Key Biscayne), quoted and re-checked
  7. Key Biscayne Code Sec. 30-100 Single Family and Two-Family districts (Village of Key Biscayne), quoted and re-checked
  8. Key Biscayne Code Sec. 30-100 Single Family and Two-Family districts (Village of Key Biscayne), quoted and re-checked
  9. Miami Dade Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  10. Homeowners General Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
  11. 61G20-1.001 Florida Building Code Adopted (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Key Biscayne Code Sec. 30-100 Single Family and Two-Family districts (Village of Key Biscayne), quoted and re-checked
  13. Onsite Sewage Tanks and Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
  14. Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County (Onsite Sewage Tanks and Disposal Systems) (miamidade.floridahealth.gov)
  15. Potable Water Supply Permit, quoted and re-checked
  16. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  17. Typical home insurance premium: Bolthole Index county data
  18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 17, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Village of Key Biscayne

Village of Key Biscayne’s own rules

  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Single-family and two-family development using FAR bonuses inside Key Biscayne village

    • Certificate of occupancy or completion is withheld unless completed development includes each bonus on the approved site plan.
    • General CO requirement beyond FAR bonuses not located.
    “No certificate of occupancy or completion shall be issued unless the completed Development includes each of the bonuses listed on the approved Site Plan”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Key Biscayne village

    • Zoning is in Chapter 30 Zoning and Land Development Regulations, administered by the Building, Zoning, and Planning Director.
    “These districts are designed to protect the character of Single Family and Two-Family homes and to regulate Development within the district as relates to neighboring properties and adjacent streets.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts in Key Biscayne village

    • Residential: VR, VE, IR, PS; others include RM, C-1, Office, HR, PUD, PC, GU, PROS, Institutional.
    “VR, VE, and IR Districts: Single Family Dwelling”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family districts VR, VE, IR and PS in Key Biscayne village

    • Or as platted as of October 24, 2000; maximum two platted lots.
    • VE and IR: 15,000 sq. ft. where Single Family Low Density Residential future land use designation applies.

    VR minimum lot area: >= 7500 sq ft (or as platted) · VE minimum lot area: >= 10000 sq ft (15,000 for low density FLUM) · IR minimum lot area: >= 10000 sq ft (15,000 for low density FLUM) · PS minimum lot area: >= 7500 sq ft (or as platted)

    “Minimum 10,000 sq. ft. or as platted*, except for those properties that have a Single Family Low Density Residential Future Land Use Map designation in the Comprehensive Plan, which shall be a minimum of 15,000 sq. ft. or as platted.*”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Single-family districts VR, VE, IR and PS in Key Biscayne village

    • Existing one-story 45%, existing multistory 35%.
    • New one story base 38%, new two story base 28%, plus rainwater harvesting bonuses.
    • Minimum pervious area 30% of lot.

    max coverage new one-story: <= 45 percent (base 38% plus bonuses) · max coverage new two-story: <= 35 percent (base 28% plus bonuses)

    “In no event shall the maximum lot coverage for a new one story residence, inclusive of these bonuses, exceed 45%.”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Recreational vehicles on property inside Key Biscayne village

    • Must be stored in a garage or carport.
    • Counts days in one calendar year whether or not consecutive.
    • Flood hazard areas: Sec. 10-90 requires fewer than 180 consecutive days on site or road-ready status; Sec. 10-91 prohibits others.

    maximum days on property per calendar year: <= 180 days

    “A Recreational Vehicle shall be stored in a garage or Carport and shall not be permitted to remain on a property for more than 180 days in one calendar year, regardless of whether the days are consecutive.”
  • Manufactured homesProhibited

    Manufactured homes inside Key Biscayne village

    • Sec. 10-91(b) also bars manufactured homes in any special flood hazard area.
    “Manufactured Homes shall be prohibited within the Village as provided in Section 10-91 .”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Key Biscayne or Miami-Dade County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Key Biscayne village
  • Inspections — Inspections inside Key Biscayne village
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Key Biscayne village
  • Setbacks — Single-family districts in Key Biscayne village
  • Building height — Single-family districts in Key Biscayne village
15 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Village of Key Biscayne publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Miami-Dade County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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