Off-grid site report
Miami-Dade County, FL
25.9519, -80.1486 · 30 ft elevationRead this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Miami-Dade County, FL, not legal advice and not a guarantee. Rules change, and the deciding facts on any specific parcel (setbacks, perc results, overlay districts, deed restrictions, road frontage) live at the county or town office, not in any database. Before you buy land or build, confirm the current rules directly with the local zoning and health offices - the sources on this page tell you exactly who to call.
The local rulesMiami-Dade County, FL
Zoning & raw-land occupancy
Varies locallyCountywide zoning is set by Miami-Dade's Chapter 33 code; AU (Agricultural Use) district allows single-family homes on five-acre lots in unincorporated areas, but any parcel inside one of the county's 34 cities follows that city's own zoning instead. source
Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs
RestrictedRVs cannot be used as permanent dwellings and are only allowed limited parking/storage under Section 33-20 of the County Code; mobile homes outside licensed parks are separately and specifically regulated, not a default right. source
Building permits & codes
RestrictedUnincorporated Miami-Dade requires permits through the county's RER Building Division, and the Florida Building Code applies in its stricter High-Velocity Hurricane Zone form here; a narrow set of exemptions exists under FBC 102.2.5 for some single-family work. source
Septic & composting toilets
Generally allowedSeptic (OSTDS) permitting is handled by the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County, but the county has added stricter environmental standards on top of the state baseline to protect the shallow Biscayne Aquifer; composting toilets as an alternative are not confirmed by any county page. source
Greywater reuse
Unclear - verifyNo Miami-Dade-specific greywater ordinance was found; the state Florida Building Code's general restriction (largely limiting reuse to toilet/urinal flushing) appears to be what applies by default. Confirm with RER Building Division.
Rainwater harvesting
Unclear - verifyNo Miami-Dade ordinance specifically addresses residential rainwater catchment; the county's Potable Water Supply Operating Permit process covers private water systems generally but doesn't mention rainwater explicitly. source
Private wells & water rights
Generally allowedThe Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County is delegated to issue well construction permits, while SFWMD handles consumptive-use permits; a strictly domestic single-family well may be exempt from the consumptive-use permit step. source
Living disconnected from utilities
Unclear - verifyNo explicit county ban on disconnecting from the electric grid was found, but water supply, sewage disposal, and building code life-safety requirements still apply regardless of grid status. source
Sun30-year normals
- Peak-sun hours, annual average
- 5.7 hrs/day
- Worst month (sizes an off-grid array)
- 4.8 hrs/day
- Yearly output per 1 kW of panels
- 1,588 kWh
JFMAMJJASOND
Weather1991-2020
- Precipitation
- 65 in/yr
- Heating degree days
- 177 (mild)
How far help isstraight-line
- Hospital
South Florida State Hospital - 7.3 mi
- Fire station
Aventura Fire Department Station 8 - 0.7 mi
- Hardware store
Lowe's - 12.4 mi
- Grocery
Winn-Dixie - 6.5 mi
From OpenStreetMap. Road miles will be longer, often much longer in hill country.
Plan this spot
These open with this location's real numbers already filled in (ZIP 33180).
Size a solar systemHeat loss & insulationFirewood per winterRainwater harvestGarden sizePanel tilt
Looking at a specific parcel in Miami-Dade County, FL?The rules above are the jurisdiction. The land check runs the parcel itself: flood zone, soils and septic suitability, wetlands, slope, access, climate, and these verdicts, from a parcel number or coordinates.
Check a parcel →Share or save this report:New report
Sources: US Census Bureau geocoder; NLR PVWatts v8 (solar); NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 climate normals (nearest station) or Open-Meteo (ZIP-centroid) for weather; Open-Elevation; OpenStreetMap contributors. Public data retrieved Aug 21, 2026; agencies update their layers on their own schedules. Planning data, not a survey or legal advice.
New here, or not sure where this fits? Start here walks through the whole thing in order.