Building a new home from scratch in the city of Miami hasn’t gotten any easier. Land is scarce, and the permit process is notoriously tedious. 

These are just a few reasons it might make more sense to look outside the heart of Miami to build your dream home. Areas to the north like Southwest Ranches or Palmetto Bay to the south, not only have more available land to build on, but they are also much easier to work with, making the permit process significantly less stressful by comparison. 

Finding the Perfect Location

A huge advantage of building a house from scratch is that you get to choose the perfect location for your needs and preferences. You should be able to build in a spot that checks all of your most important boxes, such as proximity to shopping centers, reputable schools, and major transportation hubs. 

In Miami, only a limited amount of land is available for development. That means there’s a very slim chance you’ll be able to find that ideal location. 

The entire Miami Metropolitan Area also has some of the strictest building codes in the United States. However, these codes can differ tremendously in different parts of town. You may find fewer barriers for building large-scale family homes in Broward – which is becoming a more in-demand county for new construction builds – as well as quicker turnaround times for permit approvals. 

Building Within Miami-Dade

Some cities within Miami-Dade County are notorious for their difficulty in securing permitting for new builds. Cities like Coral Gables have specific regulations in place that you may not see in neighboring cities like Pinecrest or Palmetto Bay or Pinecrest.

If there’s no glaring issues with your project, the Village of Pinecrest could approve a permit application in as little as 30 days. In Coral Gables, however, obtaining the necessary permits can easily take more than 10 months currently. And that’s if there’s no requests for revisions. 

Looking North to Broward

Lately, we have seen many clients look towards Broward as an option for building larger-scale new construction homes. Why? A number of reasons, of course – as each decision is going to be specific to each homeowner – but you do see commonality in the ability to have more variety when it comes to lot size and location. Additionally, depending on the neighborhood in which you’re looking to build, the permitting process could be a whole heckuva lot easier to undergo. All this isn’t even touching on the concept of more bang for your buck as far as property costs too. 

Curious About Building New?

If you want to learn more about building a new home in South Florida, look no further than the Debowsky Design Group. We’ve been designing homes in and around Miami for more than 15 years. Give us a call today if you’re curious about the process or want to discuss what options you have as you consider building your new home.