Federal regulations require certain permit applicants to obtain a Sewer Capacity Certification letter before being issued a building permit. This letter certifies that the sewer system can handle the demands that your permit will require. Due to an overloaded sewer system, there might not be enough capacity to handle your request. But, you can apply for and obtain certification before you submit building plans, saving you time and money.

Any construction or change of use that will cause an increase in wastewater discharge to a sewer will need a certification letter. This includes such things as changing a single-family house to a duplex, adding extra seats to a restaurant, adding a new doctor to a practice, or building a new house. If you are unsure, call DERM’s Wastewater Section at 305-372-6899.

The Sewer Capacity Certification Letter is part of the Plan Review Process and is issued if an increase of sanitary sewer flow is determined at the time of review.  Prior to starting work, verification from the utilities serving the property and the proper building permit from the Miami-Dade Building & Zoning Department is required.

Upon submitting your application, you will be asked to sign a Sewer Service Connection Affidavit stating that you are aware of and agree to the current building permit regulations. Please read this information carefully, as it affects the amount of time you can hold on to your allocation, both before and during the permitting process. Approval of your application will take approximately three to five days.

Warning: You will have 90 days from the time the allocation is awarded to submit your building plans to the appropriate building and zoning office. If you do not meet this deadline, your allocation will be reabsorbed by the system and you will have to apply again and a fee will be applied.

The initial sewer certification fee is a flat fee and is active for 90 days or until the plans are submitted to the Miami-Dade Building & Zoning Department.  Once the sewer certification expires, a recertification fee will be required to proceed with the proposed project.  The recertification fee is based on the calculated flow of the project per day. Please see DERM Fee Schedule

The Sewer Capacity Certification letter is valid for 90 days.  This means the applicant has 90 days to present this letter to the Building Department.  If the letter expires, a recertification letter will be required and a fee of $35 for every 350 gpd (one dwelling unit) will be applied or the letter will be null and void.  The letter will active as long as the building permit is active. Please see DERM Fee Schedule.

For more information, please call Frank Lezcano at 786-315-2800.

• View the Sewer Capacity Certification (Allocation Letter)