In most cases, yes. Land clearing, vegetation removal, and grading that affects drainage typically require an Environmental Resource Permit from the South Florida Water Management District, separate from the building permit for the home itself.

Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach all publish flood zone maps through their respective county offices, and a licensed surveyor can pull the specific flood zone designation and Base Flood Elevation for your parcel as part of a topographic survey. We do this early since it shapes foundation design.

Fill is engineered soil brought in and compacted to raise a lot's grade, most commonly to reach the finished floor elevation required by the property's flood zone, or to correct low or unstable spots identified in a geotechnical soil report. It has to be compacted and tested, not just dumped and leveled.

It depends on the lot's location. Most lots in the developed parts of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach connect to county water and sewer; lots on the rural edges of the counties may rely on well and septic, which is permitted through the county health department rather than the building department.

It's an Environmental Resource Permit from the South Florida Water Management District, required for activities like land clearing, vegetation removal, and grading that affect stormwater and drainage. Whether a specific lot needs one depends on the scope of site work planned — we verify this as part of due diligence.

It depends on the zoning district and the lot's dimensions. As an example, Miami-Dade's standard single-family district requires roughly 15 to 25 feet of front and rear setback and side setbacks based on a percentage of lot width — we calculate the actual buildable envelope for your specific lot and zoning designation before design begins.

Often, yes — environmental and land-clearing permits are typically separate from the building permit and can be pursued in parallel or ahead of the home's building permit review, which is one reason treating lot development as its own phase can save overall project time.

It varies significantly based on how much fill and clearing is needed and whether environmental permitting or wetlands review is involved. A level, high-and-dry lot with straightforward zoning can move quickly; a low-lying lot needing significant fill and SFWMD review takes considerably longer.