In Cutler Bay, the Town’s Building Division issues building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and roofing permits, with plan review and inspections run at Town Center by its contractor, CAP Government, Inc. You can apply at the counter or through the Town’s online permit services, and the common homeowner checklists (fence, shed, re-roof, shutters, driveway) all ask for a $130 up-front review fee.
What requires a building permit in Cutler Bay?
A permit is needed to build, enlarge, alter, repair, move or demolish a building or structure, to change its occupancy, or to install, alter, repair or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system. The Town publishes checklists for the jobs homeowners most often file:
Permit needed
- Fences
- Sheds, site-built or pre-fabricated
- Re-roofing
- Storm shutters
- Driveways, including the apron in the right-of-way
- Awnings
- Air-conditioning replacement
- Replacing a water heater or adding a hard-wired light fixture
- Demolition
Usually no permit
- Painting, wallpapering and similar finish work
- Swapping a faucet or a switch
- Burglar alarms and master TV antenna systems in single-family homes, townhouses and duplexes
The permit application also covers sign, paving and drainage, public works, shop drawing, revision, zoning, extension and renewal permits.
Cutler Bay building department: who handles permitting
The Building Division, part of the Department of Community Development, reviews plans, issues permits, inspects construction, issues certificates of occupancy and keeps contractor licence and insurance files. Carlos Lanza is the Building Official.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Local office | Building Department, Town Center, 10720 Caribbean Boulevard, Cutler Bay, FL 33189 (the Building Division page gives Suite 110; the 2026 contractor registration form gives Suite 230) |
| Phone | 305-234-4193; inspection hotline 786-573-5515 |
| permitting@cutlerbay-fl.gov (contractor registration); inspections@cutlerbay-fl.gov (inspection requests) | |
| Hours | Mon.-Fri. 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. (excluding holidays); the 2026 contractor registration form lists 7:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. |
| Building Official | Carlos Lanza, 305-234-4193 |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Cutler Bay permit types and online filing
One Town permit application is used for every trade: tick Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing/Gas, Roofing or Sign, and give the master permit number for trade work tied to a building permit. The form also asks for floodplain data: FIRM panel, flood zone, base flood elevation and lowest floor elevation.
The Town’s online permit services show permit, plan and inspection status around the clock, with records back to August 1, 2010. First-time users register as a New User; one email address can be used only once, and only the permit applicant’s own account can book inspections.
- Contractor Registration: before pulling a permit, contractors email the form to permitting@cutlerbay-fl.gov with their state certification or Miami-Dade Certificate of Competency, Local Business Tax Receipt, and liability and workers’ compensation certificates naming the Town as certificate holder.
- Owner-Builder Disclosure: owners acting as their own contractor sign it and prove ownership with a recorded deed, mortgage or Miami-Dade tax receipt in their name.
- Change of Contractor Form, Special Inspector Form and Affidavit Designating Agent for Lien Reduction for those situations.
- Homeowner Survey Affidavit for a survey between 6 months and 3 years old.
Cutler Bay building permit cost
The Town’s checklists for fences, sheds, re-roofs, storm shutters and driveways each require a $130 up-front fee before review. Fees are worked out on the permit application, which itemises base, flood review, zoning review, landscape review, public works review, construction dumpster, state radon, concurrency and rework fees. The Town does not post a building fee table online, but its trade fee sheets list unit rates:
| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| Minimum electrical permit | $130 |
| Minimum mechanical permit | $130 |
| A/C exact change-out | $21.48 per ton |
| Electrical work for A/C or refrigeration | $8.59 per ton |
| Permanent service or service upgrade | $6.45 per 100 amps |
| Outlets | $2.30 each |
| Generator or transformer | $10.03 per 10 kW |
| New fire alarm system | $178.90 |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Work started without a permit is charged a double fee, and fees paid in error are not refunded. The Building Department takes checks, money orders, Visa and Mastercard, and since January 10, 2023 every credit card payment, in person or online, carries a 3% convenience fee.
Trade permits in Cutler Bay
The Building Division issues electrical, mechanical and plumbing/gas permits on the same application as building permits. Electrical and mechanical fees come from the Town’s separate fee sheets, and plumbing and gas from the plumbing and gas fee sheet.
- Electrical: inspected Monday through Friday. Fire alarm, access control, low-voltage and sound systems have their own fee categories.
- Mechanical: inspected Monday, Wednesday and Friday only. An A/C replacement needs the A/C replacement sheet, the unit’s AHRI certificate and tie-down details.
- Plumbing and gas: inspected Monday, Wednesday and Friday only. Demolition of a building on public sewer needs a sewer-cap plumbing permit from the Town as well as County approval.
Application documents
Paper checklists ask for 2 copies of each drawing. Since August 23, 2021 the Town has required a boundary survey less than 6 months old for any project that changes a building footprint, adds impervious area, affects setbacks or installs a fence.
Shed or fence
- Permit application and, if you build it yourself, the Owner-Builder Disclosure
- Property survey and site plan with setbacks
- Shed: Lot Coverage Calculation Worksheet, the Declaration of Restrictive Covenants for Shed in Backyard, and sealed plans (site-built) or state-approved shop drawings (pre-fabricated)
- Fence: fence detail and material, Sunshine Network ticket number, and the corner-lot addendum if it applies
Roof, shutters, driveway
- Re-roof: roofing package and product Notice of Acceptance
- Shutters: plan of the openings and mean roof height, plus a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance or a Florida High Wind Velocity Zone approval
- Driveway: detail, survey, front-yard and lot coverage worksheets, and a Covenant of Construction within the right-of-way for the apron
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →How to get a building permit in Cutler Bay
Make sure the property is inside the Town of Cutler Bay and note every trade permit the job will need.
Licensed contractors email the Contractor Registration form and documents to permitting@cutlerbay-fl.gov; owners doing their own work use the Owner-Builder Disclosure instead.
Order a boundary survey under 6 months old, or sign the Homeowner Survey Affidavit for one up to 3 years old.
File at the Building Department in Town Center or through the online permit request service, with the $130 up-front fee where the checklist calls for it.
Revise the plans if reviewers ask, then pay the invoiced fees and collect the permit before work starts.
Request each inspection in time, and file the as-built or topographic survey the Town requires before final approval.
Inspections in Cutler Bay
Book inspections online through the applicant’s registered account, on the Inspection Hotline at 786-573-5515, by email to inspections@cutlerbay-fl.gov, or by delivering or faxing (305-234-5873) the Inspection Request form. Give the permit number, inspection type, address, a contact name and phone number and any gate code; email requests missing these details are not processed.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →At least 24 hours’ notice is required. Requests received before 3:00 p.m. go on the next business day; later requests go on the day after. Building and electrical inspections run Monday through Friday, plumbing and mechanical only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. A shed, for example, is inspected at the footer, the slab and final.
Permits generally expire after 180 days without a requested inspection. Since June 1, 2017, a contractor or owner-builder with an open expired permit cannot apply for new permits until it is renewed or closed.
Local Cutler Bay details that matter
Surveys at close-out: under Ordinance 21-06, the owner files an as-built survey when the job is done. If the project changes drainage (slabs, pools, berms, swales or exterior alterations), a topographic survey is also due before final approval or the Certificate of Occupancy or Completion.
Flood zone data: the permit application asks for the FIRM panel, flood zone, base flood elevation and lowest floor and machinery elevations, so have the elevation certificate or survey data ready.
HOA approval: the Town may issue a permit without an HOA approval letter, but deed restrictions can still stop the project; check with your association before you start.
Expedited processing: if you believe state law (s. 553.792, F.S.) entitles your application to expedited processing, tell the Town when you submit it and cite the statutory basis.
Florida building code
The Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), has applied statewide since 31 December 2023; the Florida Building Commission has proposed the 9th Edition (2026) to take effect on 31 December 2026. Florida permit rules
Frequently asked questions
Who issues building permits in Cutler Bay?
The Town of Cutler Bay Building Division at Town Center, 10720 Caribbean Boulevard. Its plan review and inspections are provided by the Town’s contractor, CAP Government, Inc.
How much is a permit in Cutler Bay?
Fence, shed, re-roof, shutter and driveway permits each start with a $130 up-front review fee. Electrical and mechanical permits have a $130 minimum, and credit card payments carry a 3% convenience fee.
Do I need a permit for a fence in Cutler Bay?
Yes. Submit the application, a fence detail, a survey less than 6 months old, a site plan, a Sunshine Network ticket number and the $130 up-front fee.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Can a homeowner pull a roofing permit?
Only for shingle or peel-and-stick roofs. Other roof types need a contractor, according to the Town’s re-roof checklist.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call 786-573-5515, email inspections@cutlerbay-fl.gov or book online. Requests made before 3:00 p.m. are scheduled for the next business day.
Do contractors have to register with the Town?
Yes. Contractors email the registration form, licence, business tax receipt and insurance certificates to permitting@cutlerbay-fl.gov before they can obtain permits.
Cutler Bay permit search and official resources
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.
- Florida Building Commission - current code
- Online permitting services
- Community Development contacts
- Building forms
- Permits and inspections
- Building Division
- Cutler Bay permit application form
- Cutler Bay notice of survey requirements
- Cutler Bay contractor registration form (2026)
- Cutler Bay electrical fee sheet
- Cutler Bay mechanical fee sheet
- Cutler Bay online services registration and inspection request instructions
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Simplify Cutler Bay permitting with Alliance Permitting
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Florida. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.
Ready to break ground in Cutler Bay sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Cutler Bay permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Florida permitting guides
Miami-Dade County
Read guide →Aventura
Read guide →City of Miami
Read guide →Dania Beach Building Permit Guide
Read guide →Davenport Building Permit Guide
Read guide →Town of Davie Building Permit Guide
Read guide →This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Cutler Bay permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.