Miami closing guide

From Brickell and Downtown high-rises to single-family homes in Coconut Grove, Little Havana and the Upper Eastside, the City of Miami covers a wide range of property types, each with its own closing checklist.

Permits and open permits

Open or expired building permits don't usually show up in a standard title search, but they can delay a closing, create problems with insurers and lenders, and leave the next owner dealing with the building department. Search the city's records early:

• City of Miami – Permits & Construction
• City of Miami – View permit history / permit search (iBuild)
• Miami-Dade County building permit search (unincorporated areas and county-issued permits). Use this for properties in unincorporated areas; city-issued permits are in the city system above.

Florida law lets a property owner close a permit even if someone else pulled it, by hiring the original or a new licensed contractor or acting as owner-builder (§ 553.79, Fla. Stat.(16)). A local building department may not deny a permit to, or fine, an arm's-length purchaser solely because a prior owner's permit was never closed (§ 553.79, Fla. Stat.(17)). More in our open permits guide.

Property appraiser, records and courts (Miami-Dade County)

• Ownership, folio/parcel number, assessed value and exemptions: Miami-Dade Property Appraiser
• Deeds, mortgages, liens and other recorded documents: Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller – Official Records
• Court records (judgments, foreclosures, probate): Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller

Code-enforcement fines can become a lien on the land once a certified copy of the order is recorded (§ 162.09, Fla. Stat.(3)). That's one reason closings use a municipal lien search in addition to the title search.

Flood zone

Look up the property's flood zone and the effective Flood Insurance Rate Map at the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Enter the address, view the FIRMette, and note the zone (for example X, AE or VE) and base flood elevation. If your lender requires flood insurance, get quotes during the inspection period.

Condo and HOA notes

• High-rise condo closings in Brickell, Downtown and Edgewater usually turn on the association estoppel, the resale document package and building safety items such as milestone inspections and reserve studies.
• Older single-family neighborhoods often turn up permits that were opened years ago and never closed. A municipal permit and lien search is worth ordering early.
• Make sure the property is actually inside City of Miami limits. Many "Miami" mailing addresses are in unincorporated Miami-Dade or another municipality, and that changes which building department you search.
• Estoppel certificates: condo associations (§ 718.116, Fla. Stat.(8)) and HOAs (§ 720.30851, Fla. Stat.) must issue an estoppel within 10 business days of a request. Fees are capped by statute. See our condo and HOA estoppel guides.
• Condo resale documents: the buyer is entitled to the governing documents, financial report and, for contracts after December 31, 2024, information about milestone inspections and structural integrity reserve studies (§ 718.503, Fla. Stat.(2)).
• Milestone inspections: required for condo and co-op buildings three or more habitable stories tall by December 31 of the year the building turns 30, and every 10 years after (§ 553.899, Fla. Stat.).
• HOA disclosure summary before the contract is signed (§ 720.401, Fla. Stat.).

Doc stamps here

In Miami-Dade, deed doc stamps are 60¢ per $100, plus a 45¢ surtax unless the deed conveys only a single-family residence (a condo unit counts). Estimate yours with the doc stamp calculator.

Inspections and how to check a license

Buyers commonly order one or more of these inspections during the inspection period. Florida licenses most of these professionals, so verify any license before you hire:

We don't recommend, rank or refer any inspector or contractor. Choose your own professional and verify the license yourself with the state.

Other city guides

Aventura · Miami Beach · Coral Gables · Sunny Isles Beach · Doral · Key Biscayne · Coconut Grove · Miami Shores · Fort Lauderdale · Hollywood