Miami Kitchen Remodel Permit

What's Required in Miami

• Permit required for structural changes, layout modifications, or moving utilities.
• Electrical permit required for new circuits, appliance outlets, and GFCI spacing per FBC.
• Plumbing permit required for moving sinks, dishwashers, or installing garbage disposals.
• Notice of Commencement required if project valuation exceeds $2,500.
• Kitchen countertops must have outlets within 24 inches of any point per current code.
• Cosmetic work (painting/countertop swap with no utility move) is exempt from building permits.

Do You Need a Permit to Remodel a Kitchen in Miami?

It depends on what you're changing, not on the word “remodel.” Miami lists kitchen remodels as permit-required work, and in practice the permit attaches to the plumbing, electrical, and structural scope — not to cosmetic swaps. Permit fees typically run $400–$1,500 (project-based), issued by the City of Miami Building Department. A remodel that moves the sink, adds circuits, relocates the range, or opens a wall is firmly in permit territory — and often means separate trade permits rather than one ticket.

Kitchen Work That Usually Doesn't Need a Permit

The cosmetic layer is generally yours to change freely: swapping cabinets in the same footprint, new countertops, flooring, backsplash, paint, and replacing appliances that use existing hookups. The moment the project touches what's behind the finishes — supply lines, drains, gas, new circuits, walls, or venting — it stops being cosmetic in the city's eyes. If your remodel straddles the line, describe the full scope to the City of Miami Building Department up front; retrofitting a permit onto half-finished work is the expensive path.

How to Get a Kitchen Remodel Permit in Miami

Frequently Asked Questions