What's Required in Miami
- Mechanical permit for a system replacement or new installation above $2,500 (City Code 10-5, 10-1 applying FBC Mechanical)
- No permit for mechanical contracts up to $2,500, portable units or part replacements that do not alter the equipment approval
- No permit, at any value, for coil, compressor, refrigerant piping, non-combustion heating or ventilation fan replacement and duct repair by a licensed mechanical contractor
- Fee: 0.5 percent of cost with a $110 minimum, plus $40 application, solid waste surcharge ($26 minimum) and state surcharges of 1 percent and 1.5 percent
- No engineer-sealed documents for replacing an existing system or for work on a one- to four-family home
- SAVE pilot: 50 percent city fee reduction for qualifying energy-efficient HVAC until February 12, 2027
- Contractor must be a Florida Class A or Class B air-conditioning contractor (Class B up to 25 tons) with a Miami-Dade certificate of competency or state license
- Separate electrical permit for a new circuit or disconnect
- Permit void if work does not start within 180 days or lacks an approved inspection for 180 days
Do You Need a Permit to Replace an AC System in Miami?
For a full change-out, yes. City Code 10-5 requires a permit to install, alter, repair or replace any mechanical system, and 10-1 applies the Florida Building Code, Mechanical to replacements. But the mechanical exemption list in 10-5(b) is unusually generous. No permit is needed for contracts that do not exceed $2,500 in materials and labor, for portable heating, cooling and ventilation units, for replacing a part that does not alter the equipment's approval, or, regardless of value when done by a licensed mechanical contractor, for repair of air-conditioning duct, repair or replacement of a coil, compressor or refrigerant piping, non-combustion heating and ventilation fans. A compressor swap on an existing condenser is therefore exempt in licensed hands, while replacing the condenser and air handler as a system above $2,500 is a stand-alone mechanical permit with inspection. No engineer is involved: the City Code says sealed HVAC documents are not required for replacing an existing system or for work on a one- to four-family home.
Miami HVAC Permit Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Repair or service contract up to $2,500 | No permit | City Code 10-5(b)(1)(D)(x) |
| Coil, compressor or refrigerant line replacement by a licensed AC contractor, any value | No permit | City Code 10-5(b)(1)(D)(xi) |
| Duct repair or exhaust fan replacement by a licensed contractor | No permit | City Code 10-5(b)(1)(D)(xi) |
| Full split-system change-out, condenser and air handler, over $2,500 | Mechanical permit (min. $110 + $40) | Replacement of a mechanical system; City Code 10-5 and 10-18 |
| New ductwork or a new system in an addition or ADU | Mechanical trade permit under the master permit | City Code 10-18 trade permit; subsidiary permits exempt from solid waste surcharge |
| New dedicated circuit or disconnect for the condenser | Electrical permit ($110 + $40) | Electrical exemptions cover only like-for-like device replacement |
| Window or portable AC unit | No permit | City Code 10-5(b)(1)(D)(iii): portable cooling unit |
How Much Does an HVAC Permit Cost in Miami?
Nothing when an exemption applies. A permitted change-out is charged 0.50 of the estimated construction cost, read as one-half of one percent (the commercial rate in the same section is one percent), with a $110 minimum; because any mechanical contract under $2,500 is exempt, the $45 small-job fee never applies here. Every permit adds a non-refundable $40 application fee, the city solid waste surcharge of $0.22 per $100 of cost with a $26 minimum, state surcharges of 1 percent and 1.5 percent of the permit fee (at least $2 each) and a Miami-Dade County code-compliance surcharge whose rate the City Code does not state.
Worked example, a $9,000 split-system replacement: 0.5 percent is $45, so the $110 minimum applies; + $40 application + $26 minimum solid waste + $4 state surcharges = about $180. A $20,000 two-system job: fee $110 (0.5 percent is $100), + $40 + solid waste $44 + $4 = about $198. The city's SAVE pilot cuts city permit fees by 50 percent for qualifying energy-efficient HVAC systems and appliances and processes them within three business days, until the program sunsets on February 12, 2027. A re-inspection costs $57.
Who Can Pull an HVAC Permit in Miami?
Air-conditioning work is licensed by the state as Class A (unlimited) or Class B (up to 25 tons of cooling per system) contracting, and Miami-Dade County requires every contractor working inside the city to hold a county certificate of competency or state license. The exemptions for component replacement and duct repair apply only when a licensed mechanical contractor does the work. An owner-occupant of a one- or two-family home may file as owner-builder under Florida Statute 489.103(7), appearing in person to sign. A notice of commencement is not needed when the direct contract is $2,500 or less; Miami-Dade County's owner-builder guidance adds that the repair or replacement of an existing heating or air-conditioning system under $7,500 is also exempt from the notice.
How to Get a HVAC Permit in Miami
Check the exemption first
Repairs up to $2,500, and licensed-contractor coil, compressor, refrigerant line, duct and fan work at any value, need no permit; a system change-out over $2,500 does.
Get the contractor's license
Confirm a Florida Class A or B air-conditioning license or Miami-Dade certificate of competency; the county warns an occupational license number is not a contractor license.
File the mechanical permit
Pay the $40 application fee and the up-front fee of $2.80 per $1,000; no sealed drawings for a residential replacement. Ask about the SAVE 50 percent reduction for efficient equipment.
Pay the permit fee on approval
The $110 minimum or 0.5 percent of the contract plus the solid waste and state surcharges; pull an electrical permit if a new circuit is needed.
Schedule the final inspection
Keep the equipment and condensate, refrigerant and electrical connections accessible; a failed or unready inspection costs $57.