How Do I Search Miami-Dade County Building Permits for New Homes?

Using the Miami-Dade Building Permit Selection Menu

The county's permit lookup is the Building Permit Selection Menu on miamidade.gov. Here's how to use it:

1. Check who issues the permit. The county only covers unincorporated Miami-Dade. Cities like Miami, Hialeah, Miami Beach and Doral run their own building departments and portals.
2. Get the address or folio. If you only have an address, the county says to look up the folio on the Property Appraiser site.
3. Pick one search. Use "Process/Permit Number Cross-Reference (Address)", "Open Master Permits (Address)" or "Open Permits by Folio (Folio Number)".
4. Type the address the county's way, like "11805 SW 26 ST": no city, state or ZIP, and abbreviate street, avenue and road.
5. Open the permit to see its history and status.

Skip the morning permit search. The board does it for you.

The county's EPS portal also has an Advanced Search by address or folio, but it only shows applications that need plan review.

Why is the county search only half the job?

Every county search needs something you already have: a permit number, address or folio. There's no button for new houses permitted this week. And even once you find one, a bigger question comes up.

Isn't the sub on a new Miami-Dade house already picked by the time a permit is public?

That's the first worry most subs have about permits, and it's fair. It depends on which permit you're watching. On a new house, the electrical and plumbing permits are pulled by the subs who already have the job. They tell you who won.

Try it for a week and make your first call.

The building permit for the house comes first. The builder can't start until the Miami-Dade County issues it, and that's often when he's still lining up subs. Permits in Miami-Dade can take a while from application to issue, but construction can't start until it's issued. That's the permit to watch.

To reach him, the building permit names the builder or contractor, and the Miami-Dade County record sometimes lists a phone. When it doesn't, the company name is usually enough to find one.

Don't Miami-Dade builders just stick with the sub they know?

Even when you reach the builder in time, there's a second wall: most builders stick with who they know. A builder who's happy with his sub puts him on the next house, and the one after that.

"I know a builder who gives every solar job to one solar guy. That one relationship has been worth hundreds of thousands in work to him."Ben, FirstBid founder

That's exactly why it's worth getting in. You're not trying to bump his sub off this house. You're getting on his list, so when his guy is booked, late or slipping, you're the next call. Miss that, and you're back to shared leads where the cheapest quote wins.

Skip the morning permit search. The board does it for you.

How do you get on a Miami-Dade builder's list? 3 steps

Getting on the list comes down to being early, being easy to work with, and proving it once.

1. See the new building permit the week it's issued. Run the county search above, or let the board pull new county single-family permits each morning.

2. Call the builder like a sub, not a salesman. Keep it short and easy to say no to:

If he's set: "No problem. Mind if I send you my info for the next one?" If he's open, ask when he'll need you, then tell him what he cares about:

The next builder on your list is already on the board.

Then text him your name, license number and phone so he has it when he needs it. One call won't always win the house. It gets you on the list for the next one.

3. Do one house right, then ask for the next. Show up on his schedule, pass inspection, leave it clean. A builder who doesn't have to chase his sub keeps calling the same one.

Step 1 is the hard part. Checking Miami-Dade County permit records every morning takes time most owners don't have. That's what FirstBid does for you.

What do you get on the Miami-Dade board?

Try it for a week and make your first call.

Once you're in, every card opens up like the one above:

• New Miami-Dade single-family permits each morning, from Miami-Dade County public records.
• The full address, so you know the house and the area.
• The builder's name and phone, when the record lists them.
• Tap to call or text right from the card.

You still make the call and win the job. The board tells you who to call and when.

Questions Miami-Dade subs ask before trying it

Want to see who's building this week? Unlock today's permits.

Fair questions. Here are straight answers.

Sources: Miami-Dade County Building Permit Selection Menu (miamidade.gov/Apps/RER/ePermittingMenu/Home/Permits); Miami-Dade "Public Records - Building Plans and Permits" (miamidade.gov); Miami-Dade EPS portal (miamidade.gov/Apps/RER/EPSPortal). Checked Nov 2, 2026.

Skip the address-by-address search

The county search works one address at a time. The board lists new county single-family permits each morning. Try it for 7 days.