Bolthole Index

Miami-Dade County, Florida

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in South Miami, Florida

South Miami, Florida has its own zoning code, and the city's Planning & Zoning Division and Building Division handle zoning approvals and building permits inside city limits, not Miami-Dade County123. Septic permits stay with the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County, with county DERM reviewing new systems4. Manufactured homes are prohibited in the city5.

At a glance

Zoning
City of South Miami zoning code, with residential, office, retail and mixed-use districts16
Building permits
City Building Division, not the county, inside city limits37
Septic
Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County permits; county DERM reviews new systems4
RV living
Flood-zone sites: under 180 consecutive days unless highway-ready; general zoning rule unconfirmed8
Manufactured homes
Prohibited inside the city5
Flood elevation
New homes in mapped A-Zones: lowest floor at base flood elevation plus 1 foot9
Accessory dwellings
Narrow: affordable-rent townhouse ground-floor units in RT-1810

Who to call

Building permits

City of South Miami Building Division

Building permit forms and inspection scheduling inside South Miami city limits

305-663-6355

[email protected]

6130 Sunset Drive

Zoning

City of South Miami Planning & Zoning Division

Zoning and land-use questions, variances, site plan review, sign and tree removal permits inside South Miami

305-663-6326

[email protected]

6130 Sunset Drive

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 South Miami means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does South Miami, Florida have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and lot size?

Yes. South Miami divides the city into its own zoning use, overlay and special districts under its Land Development Code1. The residential districts run from RS-1 through RS-5 for single-family lots, then RT-6, RT-9 and RT-18 townhouse districts and RM-18 and RM-24 multifamily districts, alongside office, retail, transit-supportive and planned-development districts6. No agricultural district appears in the list6.

Manufactured and mobile homes are prohibited inside the city5. Accessory dwelling units are limited: in the RT-18 townhouse district an ADU is allowed only on the townhouse ground floor, and it must be rented at an affordable rate to low-income households10. We could not confirm minimum lot sizes, setbacks or tiny-home rules for the single-family districts; ask the Planning & Zoning Division at the number below2. In the transit-supportive district, single-family homes are not permitted and residential units need at least 500 square feet11.

Do you need a building permit in South Miami, and who issues it?

Inside South Miami, the city's own Building Division handles building permit applications and inspections, not Miami-Dade County3. Miami-Dade County states that incorporated municipalities administer permits within their city limits7. Call or email the Building Division at 305-663-6355 or [email protected]3.

The city's Planning & Zoning Division separately handles variances, site plan reviews, sign permits and tree removal permits2. We could not confirm the city's owner-builder rules, permit fees or review times; ask the Building Division before you plan a schedule. The county's permit pages apply to unincorporated land only, so a South Miami lot should not be sent to the county permit center12.

How do septic permits work inside South Miami?

Septic permits for every Miami-Dade County address, city or not, come from the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County4. Miami-Dade DERM must also review and approve new and total replacement systems, and conventional Type 1 systems are not allowed for new or total replacement systems serving development in the county13.

That matters for an in-city lot because USDA rates essentially none of Miami-Dade County's soils as free of limits for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and an engineered system if sewer is not available14. Where a public sewer is within the county Water and Sewer Department's service area, connection may be required15. We could not confirm which South Miami streets have sewer, so ask the Water and Sewer Department or the Health Department before you buy.

Can you live in an RV or camp in South Miami?

South Miami's code prohibits overnight camping on public property, including rights-of-way, unless the appropriate governmental authority specifically authorizes it; a violation after a written warning is a misdemeanor with a fine up to $500 and up to 60 days in jail16. That rule addresses public land, and we did not find a city rule on living in an RV on a private lot.

In mapped special flood hazard areas, an RV must be on the site for fewer than 180 consecutive days or be fully licensed and ready for highway use8. Ask the Planning & Zoning Division whether any RV occupancy is allowed on your particular lot2.

Building a home in South Miami: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district and what it allows with the Planning & Zoning Division2.
  2. Check the flood map: in A-Zones with a base flood elevation, new residential construction needs its lowest floor at the base flood elevation plus 1 foot9.
  3. Settle sewer or septic. Septic goes through the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County, with DERM review for new systems4.
  4. Apply for the building permit with the city's Building Division3.
  5. Schedule inspections with the Building Division as work proceeds3.

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

Septic permits and inspections, well permits, and DERM review stay with Miami-Dade County and the state health department rather than the city417. For land outside city limits, see the Miami-Dade County page, where the county's own permit and zoning rules apply.

Before buying, check the flood zone, because accessory structures below base flood elevation are limited to one story and 600 square feet for parking or storage only9. Miami-Dade County's typical home insurance premium is $7,089 a year18, and its effective property tax rate is 0.8%19.

Watch-outs

  • Searches for South Miami permits often return Miami-Dade County pages, but those pages state that they apply to unincorporated land, not to addresses inside the city12.
  • South Miami's rules for single-family setbacks, lot coverage and height, owner-builder permits and permit fees were not confirmed; ask the Planning & Zoning Division and Building Division23.
  • The flood rules apply to new construction and substantial improvement in mapped A-Zones, so a lot's flood zone can change both cost and design9.

Sources

  1. South Miami LDC 20-3.1 Zoning use districts and purposes (South Miami), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of South Miami Planning & Zoning Division (southmiamifl.gov)
  3. City of South Miami Building Division (southmiamifl.gov)
  4. Onsite Sewage Tanks and Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
  5. South Miami Code Sec. 10A-27 Specific standards (flood) (South Miami), quoted and re-checked
  6. South Miami LDC 20-3.1 Zoning use districts and purposes (South Miami), quoted and re-checked
  7. Homeowners General Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
  8. South Miami Code Sec. 10A-27 Specific standards (flood) (South Miami), quoted and re-checked
  9. South Miami Code Sec. 10A-27 Specific standards (flood) (South Miami), quoted and re-checked
  10. South Miami LDC 20-3.1 Zoning use districts and purposes (South Miami), quoted and re-checked
  11. South Miami LDC 20-8.4 TSDD permitted and special residential uses (South Miami), quoted and re-checked
  12. How to Apply for Permits, quoted and re-checked
  13. Onsite Sewage Tanks and Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
  14. 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
  15. First Time Sewer Connection, quoted and re-checked
  16. South Miami Code Sec. 15-65 Overnight camping prohibited (South Miami), quoted and re-checked
  17. Potable Water Supply Permit, quoted and re-checked
  18. Typical home insurance premium: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Effective property tax rate: 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 South Miami

South Miami’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside South Miami city limits

    “the City is hereby divided into the zoning use, overlay and special districts with the symbol designations and general purposes listed below”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts in South Miami city

    • Residential districts RS-1 to RS-5, RT-6, RT-9, RT-18, RM-18, RM-24; also office, retail, TSDD, PUD, overlay and special districts
    • No agricultural district appears in the list
    “the City is hereby divided into the zoning use, overlay and special districts with the symbol designations and general purposes listed below”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential units in the Transit-Supportive Development District (TSDD) in South Miami; single-family districts not retrieved

    • Single-family residences are not permitted in TSDD
    • Live-Work Units minimum 850 sq ft

    minimum floor area per residential unit: >= 500 sq ft (TSDD only)

    “The minimum floor area required for any residential unit: five hundred (500) square feet.”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Recreational vehicles on sites in South Miami special flood hazard areas (A-Zones with base flood elevation)

    • Flood-damage standard only; general zoning RV occupancy rules not retrieved
    • Alternative: be fully licensed and ready for highway use

    RV maximum consecutive days on site: < 180 days (unless fully licensed and highway-ready)

    “Be on the site for fewer than one hundred eighty (180) consecutive days; or”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Overnight camping on public property and rights-of-way in South Miami; private-land camping not addressed in retrieved text

    • Unless specifically authorized by the appropriate governmental authority
    • Misdemeanor after a written warning; fine up to $500 and/or up to 60 days jail
    “It shall be unlawful to engage in overnight camping on public property, including rights-of-way, except as may be specifically authorized by the appropriate governmental authority.”
  • Manufactured homesProhibited

    Manufactured and mobile homes inside South Miami city

    • Prohibition is cited from LDC section 20-1.3(C), which was not itself opened
    “Manufactured homes and mobile homes are prohibited under section 20-1.3(C) of the Land Development Code.”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    ADUs in the RT-18 Townhouse district, inside South Miami city

    • Only on townhouse ground floor above minimum flood elevation and not used for required vehicle storage
    • Must be rented at an affordable rate to extremely low, very low or low-income persons
    • Not permitted in TSDD mixed-use categories except ground floor of townhomes in TSNA
    “An application for a building permit to construct an accessory dwelling unit must include a recorded title restriction by the applicant”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    New construction and substantial improvement in A-Zones with base flood elevation (AE, A1-30, A, AH) inside South Miami

    • Enclosures below lowest floor need two openings on different sides and no finished living space
    • Nonresidential buildings may be floodproofed instead of elevated
    • Accessory structures below BFE limited to one-story, 600 sq ft, parking or storage only

    lowest floor elevation: >= base flood elevation plus 1 foot (nonresidential may floodproof)

    “All new construction and substantial improvement of any residential building shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to no lower than the base flood elevation plus one (1) foot.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits inside South Miami city
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside South Miami city
  • Building code adopted — Building code inside South Miami city
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside South Miami city
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside South Miami city
17 more unanswered
  • Minimum lot size
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Tiny homes
  • 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 South Miami 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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