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Coral Gables has launched a same-day permit program for certain residential projects.<\/p>\n
Pedro Portal<\/p>\n
pportal@miamiherald.com<\/p>\n
A lot of people complain about how long the permit approval process takes in stringent Coral Gables.<\/p>\n
Now, the city is trying to make home renovation and repairs less of a headache for its residents. It\u2019s launched a same-day permit program for certain types of work to try and make it easier, and faster, for property owners to fix up their homes.<\/p>\n
The recently launched pilot program, administered by the city\u2019s Development Services Department, is meant for \u201csmaller residential projects that do not require structural or mechanical review,\u201d the city said in a recent news release.<\/p>\n
For single-family residences, qualifying projects can include roofing, doors and windows, exterior painting, asphalt driveways, and certain kitchen and bathroom renovations, according to the city.<\/p>\n
The program is meant to help respond to the needs \u2014 and permit processing complaints \u2014 of residents without adding extra costs, Coral Gables Commissioner Richard Lara, who sponsored the initiative, told the Miami Herald this week.<\/p>\n
\u201cSmall projects, repairs to your driveway, kitchen, painting \u2014 the type of things that are everyday needs should be provided without delay,\u201d Lara said, describing the program as an example of how the city is \u201cresponding to the needs of residents.\u201d<\/p>\n
The same-day residential permit program<\/a>, which garnered unanimous support among the City Commission in July and slowly began rolling out in August, is just one of various efforts underway to revamp the city\u2019s grueling and time-consuming permit process.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how it works:<\/p>\n How to apply for a same-day permit in Coral Gables<\/p>\n The good news is that residents and their contractors don\u2019t need to do any extra paperwork or pay an extra fee to ask for a same-day permit. You just need to submit your application through the city\u2019s existing online permitting portal and pay the initial fees before 8 a.m. for same-day review consideration.<\/p>\n Once your application is submitted, the city will quickly determine if it\u2019s eligible for the same-day permit program. If it is, the city will automatically start the expedited review process on the permit application.<\/p>\n Take note: If you can\u2019t submit your application before 8 a.m., don\u2019t fret. \u201cApplications submitted after 8 a.m. are automatically enrolled for review the following business day, if they have not been reviewed by then,\u201d the city said.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Hiring a contractor for home repair? How to check the license and complaints in Florida<\/a><\/p>\n How does the approval process work?<\/p>\n The city says eligible permits will automatically go through an expedited review process. If all goes well, the application will be approved, and you\u2019ll receive an invoice for the remaining permit fees.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen those fees are paid that day, the permit is automatically issued that evening,\u201d the city said. \u201cWork may begin once the permit has been issued, and the applicant can request the required inspections.\u201d<\/p>\n However, keep in mind your permit might take a little longer to get, even if it qualifies for an expedited review, if the city needs you to fix an error on the application or provide additional information. The city also has the power to remove any application from the expedited review process and send it back to the regular permit approval pathway if a Board of Architects reviewer determines that the permit \u201ccannot be approved administratively.\u201d<\/p>\n Since rolling out in August, the program has completed nearly 300 \u201cindividual discipline reviews\u201d and has processed 158 eligible applications. Of those applications, 65 were approved, and 52 permits were issued.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to make the permitting process as straightforward and efficient as possible for residents completing routine home improvement projects,\u201d Doug Ramirez, the Gables\u2019 acting director of development services, said in a statement. \u201cBy automatically enrolling qualifying applications in the Same Day Review program, we can provide a faster review without requiring residents to complete any additional steps.\u201d<\/p>\n The city, in response to questions from the Herald, said that while roofing, doors and windows are some of the residential projects that may be eligible for same-day review, eligibility will be on a case-by-case basis and will depend on the specific scope of work.<\/p>\n \u201cFor example, a roof replacement may qualify, but the specific project would need to be evaluated to determine whether it requires structural or mechanical review or otherwise falls under one of the program\u2019s exclusions,\u201d the city wrote in an email.<\/p>\n READ NEXT: Did Coral Gables just bill you? Someone is impersonating the city, using real info<\/a><\/p>\n Coral Gables same-day permits: What won\u2019t qualify for expedited review<\/p>\n The Gables might be trying to speed up its permit approval process to relieve resident stress. But it\u2019s still the City Beautiful, and that means people trying to fix or renovate historic properties, at least for now, should still expect more scrutiny for permit approval.<\/p>\n That\u2019s because work involving historic properties and properties within historic districts don\u2019t qualify for same-day permits, according to the city. Other types of projects that won\u2019t qualify for the expedited permit review include:<\/p>\n Projects using private providers. That refers to qualified professionals or firms hired by property owners to perform building-code plan reviews and inspection services that would otherwise be performed by the city.Projects requiring structural or mechanical reviewSub-permits filed under a master permitKitchen and bathroom renovations involving HVAC work or range hoods requiring outside air or ventilationProjects where a Board of Architects reviewer determines that the permit \u201ccannot be approved administratively\u201dWhat about Gables businesses?<\/p>\n The city last year formalized its permitting assistance program<\/a>, an initiative it launched years ago with the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce, to provide \u201cconcierge permitting assistance\u201d and help businesses navigate the confusing and time-consuming permitting process faster.<\/p>\n The city is also in the process of developing \u201cGables Permitting 2.0,\u201d an initiative meant to \u201cmake the permitting process more efficient and user-friendly for those who use the system, including residents and businesses,\u201d according to city spokeswoman Martha Pantin.<\/p>\n \u201cAs part of that effort, the project team has met with permit expediters to identify common challenges and has implemented changes based on their feedback,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Other recent changes include Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson\u2019s 2025 initiative to offer a 20% discount<\/a> in city permit fees for eligible living seawall or modular retrofit panel installations. In February, the City Commission also unanimously approved Mayor Vince Lago\u2019s ask to make Miami-Dade County\u2019s MeetQ Permit Services, the county\u2019s online appointment scheduling system, available to residents and business owners in the city\u2019s development services lobby.<\/p>\n The goal is to \u201cmake it easier for residents to improve their homes and for businesses to invest in Coral Gables while maintaining the standards our community expects,\u201d said Lago.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will continue to assess what is working, identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary delays and look for ways to improve the permitting experience for our community,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Michelle Marchante<\/a><\/p>\n Miami Herald<\/p>\n Michelle Marchante covers the pulse of healthcare in South Florida and also the City of Coral Gables. Before that, she covered the COVID-19 pandemic, hurricanes, crime, education, entertainment and other topics in South Florida for the Herald as a breaking news reporter. She recently won first place in the health reporting category in the 2025 Sunshine State Awards for her coverage of Steward Health\u2019s bankruptcy. An investigative series about the abrupt closure of a Miami heart transplant program led Michelle and her colleagues to be recognized as finalists in two 2024 Florida Sunshine State Award categories. She also won second place in the 73rd annual Green Eyeshade Awards for her consumer-focused healthcare stories and was part of the team of reporters who won a 2022 Pulitzer Prize for the Miami Herald\u2019s breaking news coverage of the Surfside building collapse. Michelle graduated with honors from Florida International University and was a 2025 National Press Foundation Covering Workplace Mental Health fellow and a 2020-2021 Poynter-Koch Media & Journalism fellow.\u00a0
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