Bolthole Index

Miami-Dade County, Florida

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Town of Medley, Florida

The Town of Medley, Florida, in Miami-Dade County, runs its own zoning under Chapter 62 of the town code1, and its Building and Zoning Department handles building permits inside town limits2. Septic permits for any address in Miami-Dade County, town or not, go through the county health department3.

At a glance

Zoning
Town zoning with districts such as R-1 and R-31
Building permit
Issued by the Town of Medley Building and Zoning Department2
Septic
County health department permits, with Miami-Dade DERM review of new systems3
RV living
Not allowed: a parked RV may not be occupied for living or sleeping4
Mobile homes
Town Council must approve each one by resolution5
Minimum home size (R-1)
800 sq ft of ground floor area6
Minimum lot (R-1)
5,000 sq ft, average width at least 50 ft7

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Medley Building and Zoning Department

Building permits, plan review and inspections inside Medley town limits

305-887-6913

building@townofmedley.com

7777 NW 72nd Ave, Medley, FL 33166

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 16, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Medley means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does the Town of Medley have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Land inside the Town of Medley is zoned under Chapter 62 of the town code, with districts such as R-1 and R-31. Miami-Dade County's zoning code covers only unincorporated land, so inside town limits the town's code is the one that applies8.

In the R-1 one-family district, a building site must be at least 5,000 square feet with an average width of at least 50 feet, and smaller lots of record can still hold one family if yard rules are met7. A home must have at least 800 square feet of ground floor area, not counting porte-cocheres, attached garages and porches6. R-1 front yards are at least 10 feet deep, and special rules apply between NW South River Drive and the C-6 Canal9.

In R-1, a private garage may have a room and bath but no kitchen, for servant's quarters only; adding a sink or stove counts as evidence of a violation10. Other districts have their own numbers, so confirm your parcel's district with the Building and Zoning Department2.

Do you need a building permit in the Town of Medley, and who issues it?

The Town of Medley's Building and Zoning Department reviews plans and inspects work inside town limits2. Miami-Dade County's building permit rules apply to unincorporated land, and municipalities administer permits within their own city limits11.

For container homes, the town code requires building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits before construction, along with a survey and a site plan12. A container home must also pass structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing inspections before anyone occupies it13.

The department's forms page lists an owner-builder affidavit, a mobile home approvals form and a flood zone information request2. Town code sections we reviewed do not say whether owner-builders can pull their own permits inside Medley, so ask the Building and Zoning Department before you plan to act as your own contractor. Florida's statewide Building Code applies in town14.

How do septic permits work inside the Town of Medley?

Septic permits do not come from the town's Building and Zoning Department. In Miami-Dade County, the county health department does septic permitting and inspection, and Miami-Dade DERM reviews and approves new and total replacement systems15. Conventional Type 1 septic systems are not allowed for new and total replacement systems serving development in the county16.

Florida law requires a site evaluation before an onsite system is permitted, and local ordinances may add requirements17. Soils across the county rate poorly for conventional drain fields, so expect an advanced or engineered system rather than a basic tank18. Whether a given Medley lot can connect to sewer is a question for the town's Water and Sewer Department, which we could not confirm online. Start with the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County19.

Can you live in an RV, mobile home or tiny home in the Town of Medley?

RVs: no. Under the town code, an RV parked on a lot cannot be occupied or used for dwelling, living, sleeping or storage4. Florida's rules for RV parks and camps do not change that for a private lot in town20.

Mobile homes and house trailers: possible, but only with approval. The applicant must own the lot, and Town Council must approve by resolution the water and sewage provisions and the size and type of the home5.

Tiny homes: we found no tiny-home provision in the Medley code. Container homes are separately permitted in residential districts, with permits, a survey, a site plan and inspections before occupancy12. Ask the Building and Zoning Department before you buy a lot for a tiny home2.

Building a home in the Town of Medley: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm your parcel's zoning district (R-1, R-3 or another) with the Building and Zoning Department12.
  2. Check lot size, minimum home size and yards for that district; in R-1, the minimums are 5,000 square feet of lot and 800 square feet of ground floor area76.
  3. Ask the department for a flood zone information request if the lot may be in a flood hazard area; the town's Floodplain Administrator oversees development there212.
  4. Contact the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County about a septic permit, or ask the town about sewer19.
  5. Apply to the town for building permits and schedule inspections through the department2.
  6. Pass the required inspections before anyone occupies the building13.

What stays with Miami-Dade County, and what to check before you buy in Medley

The county, not the town, handles septic permits, and Florida requires a Department of Health permit to drill a water well22. Land outside Medley's limits falls under the county's rules instead; see the Miami-Dade County page.

Flood: Chapter 30 of the town code covers development in flood hazard areas, and RVs placed there temporarily must stay fewer than 180 consecutive days or be licensed and ready for highway use21.

Costs: these are county-level figures. Miami-Dade County's effective property tax rate is 0.8%23, and a typical home insurance premium is $7,089 a year24. Medley's public safety impact fee and permit fees are unconfirmed here; ask the Building and Zoning Department2.

Watch-outs

  • The county's building permit and zoning pages apply to unincorporated land only; inside Medley the town's Building and Zoning Department is the right office8.
  • We could not confirm Medley's building permit fee schedule, owner-builder rules, sewer connection requirements or short-term rental rules; call the Building and Zoning Department at 305-887-69132.
  • Sleeping in a parked RV is prohibited on Medley lots, even briefly4.

Sources

  1. Medley Code Sec. 62-87 R-1 One-family districts (Town of Medley), quoted and re-checked
  2. Town of Medley Building and Zoning Department (townofmedley.com)
  3. Onsite Sewage Tanks and Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
  4. Medley Code Sec. 62-65 Recreational vehicle parking (Town of Medley), quoted and re-checked
  5. Medley Code Sec. 38-57 Mobile homes permit required (Town of Medley), quoted and re-checked
  6. Medley Code Sec. 62-87 R-1 One-family districts (Town of Medley), quoted and re-checked
  7. Medley Code Sec. 62-87 R-1 One-family districts (Town of Medley), quoted and re-checked
  8. Miami Dade Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  9. Medley Code Sec. 62-87 R-1 One-family districts (Town of Medley), quoted and re-checked
  10. Medley Code Sec. 62-87 R-1 One-family districts (Town of Medley), quoted and re-checked
  11. Homeowners General Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
  12. Medley Code Sec. 62-40 Construction of container homes (Town of Medley), quoted and re-checked
  13. Medley Code Sec. 62-40 Construction of container homes (Town of Medley), quoted and re-checked
  14. 61G20-1.001 Florida Building Code Adopted (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Onsite Sewage Tanks and Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
  16. Onsite Sewage Tanks and Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
  17. OSTDS Construction Application (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County (Onsite Sewage Tanks and Disposal Systems) (miamidade.floridahealth.gov)
  20. Florida Statutes Chapter 513: Mobile Home and Recreational Vehicle Parks (Florida statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. Medley Code Sec. 30-66 Manufactured homes (flood inspections) (Town of Medley), quoted and re-checked
  22. Potable Water Supply Permit, quoted and re-checked
  23. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  24. Typical home insurance premium: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 16, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Medley

Town of Medley’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Container-home construction inside Medley town

    • Separate building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are listed.
    • A survey is required.
    • A site plan is required.
    “Permits are required prior to beginning construction.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Container homes inside Medley town

    • Inspections must be passed before occupancy.
    “The container home must pass structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing inspections before occupancy.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Medley town limits

    • Zoning is in Chapter 62 of the town code, with districts such as R-1 and R-3.
    “No building or land shall be used and no building shall be hereafter erected, constructed, reconstructed or structurally altered in an R-1 district”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    R-1 One-family district inside Medley town

    • The area excludes porte-cocheres, attached garages and porches.

    minimum ground floor area: >= 800 sq ft

    “The minimum ground floor area of residences exclusive of porte-cocheres, attached garages and porches shall be 800 square feet.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-1 One-family district inside Medley town

    • Lots of record that are smaller than the minimum may be occupied by one family if the yard requirements are met.
    • Average lot width must be at least 50 feet.

    minimum building site area: >= 5000 sq ft (smaller lots of record) · minimum average width: >= 50 feet

    “The minimum building site area shall be one lot or parcel of land 5,000 square feet in area for each one single-family residence. such parcels or lots shall have an average width of at least 50 feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R-1 One-family district inside Medley town

    • Side yard is 10 percent of the average lot width, but not less than 5 feet.
    • Corner-lot street side yard is at least 10 feet.
    • Special rules apply between NW South River Drive and the Miami (C-6) Canal.

    front yard: >= 10 feet (measured from the maintained right-of-way between NW South River Drive and the C-6 Canal) · principal building rear yard: >= 15 feet (does not apply between NW South River Drive and the canal) · accessory building rear yard: >= 7.5 feet (does not apply between NW South River Drive and the canal)

    “There shall be a front yard depth of not less than 10 feet distant from the front property line.”
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    A recreational vehicle parked on a lot zoned R-1 or R-3 inside Medley town

    • Only one RV of at most 45 feet may be parked.
    • The RV must be licensed and ready for highway use.
    • It may stay fewer than 180 consecutive days.
    • It may not be connected to utilities.
    • It may not be used for business.
    • It must be accessory to a principal residence unless a special exception is granted.

    maximum RV length: <= 45 feet · maximum consecutive days parked: < 180 days

    “A recreational vehicle while parked on the lot shall not be occupied or used for dwelling, living, sleeping or storage.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Mobile homes and house trailers inside Medley town

    • The applicant must be the owner of the lot.
    • Town Council must approve by resolution the adequacy of water and sewage disposal and the size and type of the home.
    • The home must comply with all town laws.
    • Flood-zone manufactured homes must meet the Chapter 30 elevation rules.
    “No permit shall be granted to any applicant except the legal or equitable owner of the lot and until approved by resolution of the Town Council as to the adequacy of provisions for water and sewage disposal and the size and type of the mobile home or trailer to be located, and in compliance with all laws, rules and regulations effective in the town.”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    R-1 One-family district inside Medley town

    • A private garage may have a room and bath but no kitchen, for servant's quarters only.
    • Adding a sink, stove or similar fixtures is evidence of a violation.
    “including a private garage with room and bath, but no kitchen, to be used as servant's quarters only.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in flood hazard areas inside Medley town

    • Chapter 30 (Flood Damage Prevention) is administered by the Floodplain Administrator.
    • Manufactured homes in flood hazard areas must be inspected and their lowest-floor elevation certified.
    • RVs placed temporarily in flood hazard areas must stay fewer than 180 consecutive days or be licensed and ready for highway use.
    “The Floodplain Administrator shall inspect manufactured homes that are installed or replaced in flood hazard areas”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Medley or Miami-Dade County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Medley town
  • Certificate of occupancy — New homes inside Medley town
  • Lot coverage — R-1 district inside Medley town
  • Building height — R-1 district inside Medley town
  • Camping on your land — Camping inside Medley town
12 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Medley publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Miami-Dade County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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