Paver driveway in Miami
Miami Paver Co. is a guide run by Terragroupe, LLC. We do not install anything and we are not booking jobs yet.
A paver driveway on a single-family or duplex lot has needed Miami-Dade county drainage review since March 31, 2025 1. The county also asks for a recorded construction covenant on driveways other than asphalt or plain concrete, such as brick pavers. Check with the City of Miami Building Department and the county before you plan.
Miami Paver Co. is a guide run by Terragroupe, LLC. We do not install anything and we are not booking jobs yet.
Last reviewed October 18, 2026 against the cited sources.
Updated . Sources
Paver driveway in Miami: local facts
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Dade Public Works driveway rules on its permits page: interior width 10 to 20 ft, interior edge at least 5 ft from the property line, no more than two driveways or approaches, flare-outs up to 10 ft on each side | 10-20 ft width; 5 ft setback; 2 driveways max; 10 ft flares | [2] October 18, 2026 |
| Miami-Dade Public Works requires a construction covenant, recorded with the Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, for driveways other than asphalt or plain concrete; the page gives brick pavers, stamped concrete and concrete design as examples | recorded covenant required for paver driveways | [2] October 18, 2026 |
| The county's 'Save Our Swales' brochure says swales are public property that owners must maintain, and shows a fully paved swale with a parked car as a 'poorly maintained' example. | do not pave the swale guidance | [3] 2017-07 (form 403_01-176 7/17) |
| Under the impervious surface ordinance Miami-Dade adopted on 4 Sep 2024 (file 241793, ref. 24-92), from 31 Mar 2025, installing, replacing or expanding 'non-structural impervious surface improvements', including pavers, needs County (RER-DERM) review for single-family and duplex lots in the unincorporated area. A municipality may run its own review if the Director finds it at least as stringent. | from 2025-03-31 effective date | [1] September 4, 2024 |
| The City of Miami page on the HB 803 permit exemption says other departments, such as Zoning or Public Works, may need to approve work like driveways even when no building permit is required | other-department approval may apply | [6] October 18, 2026 |
County drainage review for your driveway
A new or replaced paver driveway on a single-family or duplex lot goes through Miami-Dade's impervious surface review 1. The county counts a paver as hard surface unless it passes its tests. Those tests include a maker's certificate and a minimum gap above the water table 1.
A city can run its own review if the county approves its rules as at least as strict 1. The City of Miami is a city. Ask the City of Miami Building Department and the county's RER-DERM office which one reviews your driveway.
The review sits beside the covenant and the approach. The permeable pavers guide explains the tests.
Covenant, width and setback
Miami-Dade Public Works asks for a construction covenant on driveways other than asphalt or plain concrete 2. The covenant is recorded with the Clerk of the Court and Comptroller 2. The page gives brick pavers, stamped concrete and concrete design as examples 2. A stamped finish is not exempt from the covenant just because it is concrete.
The same page lists these driveway limits: 10-20 ft width; 5 ft setback; 2 driveways max; 10 ft flares2. They come from the county page for unincorporated areas. Ask the City of Miami whether it uses the same limits.
The swale and the approach
Swales are public property that owners must maintain. The county's Save Our Swales brochure shows a fully paved swale with a parked car as a poorly maintained example 3. Do not pave your swale.
The brochure does not say what a driveway approach needs. Ask Public Works what applies where your driveway meets the street, and ask the City of Miami the same question.
What a paver driveway costs
National price guides list concrete paver driveways at 10-25 USD per sq ft (national)4. That is a national range, not a Miami quote.
Our arithmetic starts with a driveway of 640 sq ft. The concrete paver range is 10-25 USD per sq ft (national)4. The travertine range is 15-27 USD per sq ft installed (national)5. Together they give 6400-16000 (concrete); 9600-17280 (travertine) USD4. It is an illustration. It leaves out removing your old surface, drainage work and permit paperwork.
What to check for a driveway
- What you have now. Concrete, asphalt, grass or old pavers change the work and the paperwork.
- The covenant. The county has a recorded covenant step. Ask who will handle it.
- The swale and approach. Note where your driveway meets public land.
- The written scope. Ask for base material and depth, compaction, edge restraint, drainage and joint sand, in writing.
National price ranges for paver driveway
| Job | Range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Illustration only: a 640 sq ft two-car driveway at $10 to $25 per sq ft (concrete pavers) is $6,400 to $16,000; at travertine's $15 to $27 it is $9,600 to $17,280. | 6400-16000 (concrete); 9600-17280 (travertine) USD | [4]National price guide range, How Much Does It Cost to Install a Paver Driveway? (HomeAdvisor), June 2026 |
What this site gives you now
This guide cuts the guesswork and the paperwork. You can learn the permit path and the paver system before you spend anything.
- A way to size up your site
Take photos of your site and note your address and what is there now. They help you see what the project involves and which paver system fits. - A permit path to follow
The Paver Plan Check lists the rules we could confirm for your city and the offices to call. Each rule names the page we read and shows its date. - A written scope and price to ask for
Ask any installer for a scope that lists base depth, compaction, edge restraint, drainage, paver, joint sand and sealing, with the price. Nothing should start until you say yes. - The right paver for the job
Concrete pavers, travertine or a permeable system. The guides help you match the choice to how you use the space and to what your city allows. - A photo habit
Take photos of the base, the laying and the finish, so you can see the work you paid for. - What to ask for in writing
Ask any installer to put the workmanship term in your written scope. We will publish an installer's term on this site if one signs.
This site is free to read. It sells no work and takes no payment. If the rules make pavers not worth the paperwork on your lot, the Plan Check and the guides will show it. Any work is agreed in writing between you and the installer who does it.
Paver Plan Check
Pick your city and read the rules we found, each with its source and date.
Start the Paver Plan CheckMiami Paver Co. is a guide run by Terragroupe, LLC. We do not install anything and we are not booking jobs yet.
More paver work in Miami
Questions people ask
Does a paver driveway in Miami need county review?
On a single-family or duplex lot, yes, unless the City of Miami runs its own approved review. The county rule has applied to new, replaced or expanded pavers since March 31, 2025 1. We could not confirm that the city holds that approval. Ask the city and the county.
Do I need a covenant for a paver driveway in Miami?
Under the county's rules for unincorporated areas, yes: the covenant is for driveways other than asphalt or plain concrete 2. Whether the City of Miami asks for the same is a question for the City of Miami Building Department.
What goes under driveway pavers?
A prepared base holds the pavers in place. Your written scope should name the base material and its depth. It should also name how the base is compacted and the edge restraint. We found no Miami-Dade source that sets a required base depth. Ask each installer to show the standard they follow.
Can I pave over my swale?
Do not. The county calls swales public property that owners must maintain, and it shows a fully paved swale as a poorly maintained example 3.
Sources
- Miami-Dade legislative file 241793 (final version), Board action 4 Sep 2024, reference 24-92, September 4, 2024
- Other Permits (Miami-Dade County Public Works; page undated, read 2026-10-18), October 18, 2026
- Save Our Swales (Miami-Dade Public Works brochure, form 403_01-176), 2017-07
- How Much Does It Cost to Install a Paver Driveway? (HomeAdvisor), June 19, 2026
- How Much Does It Cost to Install Travertine Pavers? [2025 Data], June 19, 2026
- Building Permit Exemption Approval Process for Residential Properties - Miami, October 18, 2026