Finish carpentry and stair work in the City of Miami

Two permit tracks for small jobs

The City of Miami runs a Homeowner’s Express Review for small residential permits. Railings, stairs, window and door replacements, minor kitchen and cabinet repairs and non-structural interior demolition are on its list. The goal is an answer within one business day if the application, with its signed and sealed plans, arrives by 10:00 AM.

Two kinds of property are shut out: anything with an open code violation, and anything in a historic district. Those go through regular review. For a stair rebuild, that can decide when the carpentry starts, so check which track your address is on before booking trades.

Historic houses and the certificate

The city requires a certificate of appropriateness for any work on historic properties, even something as small as a window replacement. Staff handle a standard COA for repairs and minor alterations. A Special COA, for new construction, major additions, demolition and larger alterations, goes to the Historic and Environmental Preservation Board, where the public can comment.

Named districts include Morningside, Palm Grove, the MiMo/BiBo district, Spring Garden and Buena Vista East. In these older houses, the carpentry questions are usually about matching:

• Copying an existing baseboard or casing profile where a wall was opened.
• Repairing a stair with original balusters rather than replacing the whole run.
• Choosing an exterior door that fits the house and also carries county approval.

Talk to preservation staff before you draw anything. They will tell you which certificate applies.

Stairs and railings in Miami houses

Stairs carry much of the design in a two-story Miami house. Choices that drive cost and look:

• Baluster material. Painted wood balusters suit traditional rooms. Iron balusters in a geometric or scroll pattern suit Mediterranean and modern houses alike.
• Newel posts. A paneled box newel anchors a wide stair. See our newel post page for the options.
• Handrail species. Stained walnut, oak or mahogany over white balusters is a common pairing. The rail takes the most wear.
• Treads. New oak treads can cap an existing concrete stair, so the structure stays and only the finish changes.

Doors and ceilings

Exterior doors here, as everywhere in Miami-Dade, need county product approval from the Product Control Section. Inside, a wood ceiling or crown molding needs none of that.