Short-Term Events

• Bleachers
• Enclosed cooking facilities
• Lifts
• Non-portable ventilation systems
• Platforms
• Ramps
• Stages
• Tents
• Towers for lighting or sound systems

Not all temporary structures utilized in a short-term event require building permits. No building permits are required for tents that are 10 x 12 in size or less provided they are not being used for the sale of items such as sparklers, Christmas trees, pumpkins, stuffed animals and/or flowers. You may contact Zoning and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to verify and obtain recent information.

In addition to obtaining a short-term event building permit, a Certificate of Use (CU) is also required for:

• Events that generate revenue from ticket sales, registration fees and/or retail sales of merchandise, food and drinks.
• Holiday tent sales for pumpkins, Christmas trees, 4th of July and New Year’s Eve fireworks, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. A site that qualifies for a holiday sales event can only have two events per year. For more information, read about Certificate of Use requirements.

The following items are required for a short-term event building permit. All items are required. Incomplete and illegible application and documents will not be accepted.

• A completed building permit application signed by a qualified applicant (Chapter 10 Miami-Dade County Code or F.S. Chapter 489).
• A complete set of plans showing all property lines, together with dimensions of same; all streets or avenues on which the property is located; the location, setback, dimensions and description of all existing buildings, light standards, driveways, customer parking areas and the size, location and setbacks of any and all the temporary structures; the location and number of restroom facilities.
• Temporary structure plan details must comply with the Florida Building Code and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 102.
• All plans must include structural calculations and when applicable, a copy of the Class A flame spread certification.
• Plans must be signed and sealed by a State of Florida licensed and registered architect or engineer.
• A completed Professional Certification for Short-Term Event Affidavit and Verification Form:
  • The form must be signed by the property owner, event holder, prime contractor and all applicable subsidiary contractors (electrical, plumbing, mechanical).
  • The form also requires the signature and seal of a Florida licensed and registered architect or engineer who will be responsible for performing plan reviews and inspections for Florida Building Code requirements.

The Building Official will rely on the Affidavit to issue the permit without examination of the plans. However, the plans will be reviewed by other applicable agencies including, but not limited to, the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources (RER) and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

Additional requirements for events and temporary structures are outlined below:

• Special Requirements for Assemblies, Circuses and Sporting Events
• Special Requirement for Christmas Trees
• Special Requirements for Tent Revivals and Carnivals
• Special Requirements for Tent Sales of Sparklers

Your event permit includes all trade-related work (electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits), requiring subsidiary contractors to sign the Professional Certification for Short-Term Events Affidavit and Verification form.

RER will rely on the professional who signed the affidavit to inspect the erection and installation of all temporary structures and will perform an inspection seven days after the event's conclusion to ensure all temporary structures have been removed.

However, other departments may require you to call for other inspections during construction. Check your permit card for details.