Building permits, zoning and septic rules in the Village of Virginia Gardens, Florida

At a glance

Building permit

Required; issued by the village Building & Zoning Department¹²

Zoning

Village's own Zoning and Land Development Code³

RV living

Prohibited on residential sites⁴

Accessory structures

At least 5 feet from side and rear lines (4 feet in zero-lot-line developments)⁶

Owner-builder

Owner/builder permits limited to one single-family residence²

Septic

Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County, with county DERM review for new systems⁵

Who to call

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

Do you need a building permit in Virginia Gardens, Florida?

Yes. Inside the Village of Virginia Gardens, a building permit is required, and the village's code says each plan must be on file with the village clerk and approved by reviewers including the building inspector, electrical inspector, plumbing inspector, water director, village engineer and zoning department before a permit issues¹⁷. The village's Building Department says it handles processing, plan review, issuance and inspections for all permits within the village². Small jobs count too: permits are required for replacing windows and doors, and for screen enclosures, storage sheds and canvas or metal carports².

Owners may pull their own permit, but owner/builder permits are limited to one single-family residence². Expect to supply a survey no more than a year old with the application².

Who issues building permits in Virginia Gardens, and how do you reach them?

The Village of Virginia Gardens Building & Zoning Department issues building permits for land inside the village, not Miami-Dade County's permitting center². Miami-Dade County's own permit rules cover only unincorporated areas, and each municipality has its own Building Official for work inside city limits⁸. Write to or visit Building & Zoning at 6498 NW 38th Terrace, Virginia Gardens, Florida, 33166, or call (305) 871-6104⁹. Applications can be brought to village hall during regular business hours of 9:00 am to 5:00 pm².

Fees are set by the village's own permit fee schedule, which lists a $125 minimum for a new building or addition, a $125 certificate of occupancy for a single-family home and a $25 re-inspection fee; the schedule may have been amended since, so confirm current amounts with the department¹⁰.

Does Virginia Gardens have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, setbacks and tiny homes?

Yes. Virginia Gardens applies its own unified Zoning and Land Development Code inside the village³. Miami-Dade County's Zoning Code governs unincorporated land, not village lots¹¹. Accessory structures such as sheds must follow the front and side yard rules of the main building and sit no closer than 5 feet to a side or rear lot line, or 4 feet in zero-lot-line developments⁶. District-by-district setbacks, minimum lot sizes and minimum home sizes for the main building are set in the village's zoning districts; we could not confirm them, so ask the Building & Zoning Department which district a parcel is in. For a zoning letter on a parcel, the department publishes a zoning verification letter request form⁹.

We could not confirm whether tiny homes or accessory dwelling units are allowed in Virginia Gardens; ask Building & Zoning before you plan one.

Can you live in an RV on your land in Virginia Gardens?

No. Virginia Gardens prohibits using a parked travel trailer, camping trailer or motor home as living or sleeping quarters on a single-family or duplex site, and bars service connection lines except as needed for maintenance⁴. Camping or sleeping in parked recreational equipment on residential sites is also prohibited¹². Parking is a separate question: one piece of equipment per site is allowed in the rear yard or rear side yard, up to 30 feet long and 10 feet high, and an out-of-county house guest may park equipment for up to 14 days, but not sleep in it⁴.

So an RV can be stored on a residential lot under those limits, but it cannot be your home while you build. Plan on renting nearby during construction.

How do septic permits work inside Virginia Gardens?

Septic permits for every address in Miami-Dade County, including addresses inside municipalities, come through the county health department. The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County handles septic permitting and inspection, and county DERM reviews and approves new and total replacement systems⁵. Conventional Type 1 septic systems are not allowed for new and total replacement systems serving development in Miami-Dade County⁵. Contact the health department at 786-654-6620 or [email protected]¹³.

We could not confirm whether the village requires sewer connection for new homes, or which lots inside the village are already on sewer. Before you assume a lot can take a septic system, ask the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department and the village Building & Zoning Department whether sewer is available. Florida's soils compound the issue: conventional drain fields rate poorly across Miami-Dade County, so expect a site evaluation and an engineered system¹⁴.

Building a home in Virginia Gardens: the steps, in order

1. Ask Building & Zoning (305-871-6104) which zoning district the parcel is in and what setbacks, lot size and use limits apply⁹.
2. Order a current survey; the village requires one no more than a year old with the permit application².
3. Confirm sewer or septic with the county: septic permits come from the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County⁵.
4. Submit the permit application at village hall; plans go through the village's reviewers⁷.
5. Call for inspections the day before you need them, between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on weekdays, and get an approved inspection within every 180 days or the permit can lapse².
6. Finish with a certificate of occupancy; the village's fee schedule lists a $125 fee for a single-family certificate of occupancy¹⁰.

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

The county's own building and zoning rules cover unincorporated Miami-Dade County, not Virginia Gardens¹⁵. For land outside the village, see the Miami-Dade County page. Septic permits, and any well, still run through county and state offices; Florida Department of Health approval is required to drill and install a private well where public water is unavailable¹⁶. Construction in Florida follows the statewide Florida Building Code, 8th Edition¹⁷.

County-level figures give context: Miami-Dade County's effective property tax rate is 0.8%¹⁸, and its typical home value is about $522,601¹⁹.

Watch-outs

• The village's code says a plan must be reviewed by seven offices before a building permit issues, so allow time; the Building Department says regular permits can take 3 to 5 business days and larger residential projects about 30 working days⁷².
• RV parking on residential lots is limited and sleeping in an RV is prohibited, even for guests⁴.
• We could not confirm the village's building code adoption, owner-builder details beyond one single-family residence, minimum lot or home sizes, or rules for tiny homes and accessory dwelling units; ask Building & Zoning at (305) 871-6104⁹.

Sources

1. Virginia Gardens Code Sec. 6-56 Approval of plan required in issuance of building permit (Village of Virginia Gardens), quoted and re-checked
2. Village of Virginia Gardens Building Department (permit information) (virginiagardens-fl.gov)
3. Virginia Gardens Code Ch. 16, 2.1 General rule of construction (Village of Virginia Gardens), quoted and re-checked
4. Virginia Gardens Code Sec. 12-24 Parking of recreational vehicles and boats (Village of Virginia Gardens), quoted and re-checked
5. Onsite Sewage Tanks and Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
6. Virginia Gardens Code Ch. 16, 4.2 Accessory structures (Village of Virginia Gardens), quoted and re-checked
7. Virginia Gardens Code Sec. 6-56 Approval of plan required in issuance of building permit (Village of Virginia Gardens), quoted and re-checked
8. How to Apply for Permits, quoted and re-checked
9. Village of Virginia Gardens Building & Zoning Department (virginiagardens-fl.gov)
10. Virginia Gardens Code Sec. 6-60 Permit fee schedule (Village of Virginia Gardens), quoted and re-checked
11. Miami Dade Zoning, quoted and re-checked
12. Virginia Gardens Code Sec. 12-24 Parking of recreational vehicles and boats (Village of Virginia Gardens), quoted and re-checked
13. Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County (Onsite Sewage Tanks and Disposal Systems) (miamidade.floridahealth.gov)
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. Homeowners General Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
16. Potable Water Supply Permit, quoted and re-checked
17. 61G20-1.001 Florida Building Code Adopted (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
19. Typical home value (Zillow): 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.