Paver driveway in Miami-Dade

County review comes first

Since March 31, 2025, installing, replacing or expanding pavers on a single-family or duplex lot has needed county drainage review ¹. A new, replaced or widened paver driveway is covered.

The county counts a paver as hard surface. The rule asks that rain stay on your lot, with no water leaving it ¹. One listed way to meet that is to keep part of the lot pervious. On a lot of 5,500 sq ft or less, that share is 20% ¹. On a larger lot, it is 25% ¹.

The rule applies in cities and in unincorporated areas ¹. A city may run its own review, but only if the County Director finds its rules at least as strict ¹. We have not found a list of the cities that hold that approval. Ask your city and the county which office reviews your lot.

We have not confirmed the review fee or the form name, so we print neither. The permit path guide lists what to ask each office.

Pavers, concrete or asphalt: what changes

Plain concrete and asphalt driveways are left out of one county step. Public Works asks for a recorded construction covenant on driveways other than asphalt or plain concrete ². Brick pavers, stamped concrete and concrete design are the examples on that page ². A stamped finish does not avoid the covenant just because it is concrete.

The covenant is recorded with the Clerk of the Court and Comptroller ². Public Works permits are applied for on the county's online permit system ². The page lists no fees, so ask Public Works what the recording and the approach permit cost.

Those steps come from the county's pages for its own area. A city can ask for more, so call your city first. For a side-by-side look at the materials, read pavers vs concrete in Miami.

Materials for a driveway

• Concrete pavers. Molded concrete units in many shapes and colors. HomeAdvisor lists concrete pavers at 10-25 USD per sq ft (national)³.
• Travertine and other natural stone. HomeAdvisor lists stone at 15-60 USD per sq ft (national)³, and its travertine page puts travertine at 15-27 USD per sq ft installed (national)⁴. Ask how thick the stone is and whether the maker rates it for cars.
• Coral stone. A South Florida seller says coral stone is natural limestone and coral, and should be sealed against stains and weather ⁵. The sellers we read disagree on whether it is porous. Ask for the spec sheet of the exact stone, and for its rating for vehicles.
• Permeable pavers. HomeAdvisor lists permeable pavers at 10-70 USD per sq ft (national)³. Under the county rule they count as pervious only when they pass the tests below.

Base and drainage

A paver driveway is only as good as what sits under it. Your written scope should name the base material, how deep it goes, how it is compacted, the edge restraint, the joint sand and where the water goes.

We found no Miami-Dade source that sets a required base depth, so we print none. Ask each installer to show the standard they follow, and to say how the base handles standing water on your lot.

Water has to go somewhere. The county rule asks that rain stay on your lot ¹. That makes the drainage plan part of the driveway, not an extra. Ask where the water from the new surface will run.

Do not pave your swale. It is public property that owners must maintain ⁶.

Permeable options under the county rule

Under the county rule, a paver counts as hard surface unless all of these hold ¹:

• The area has low traffic and sandy soil.
• The slope is under 5 degrees ¹.
• At least 24 inches separate the water table from the paver base ¹.
• The maker certifies the paver as pervious.
• The soil takes water at 0.8 in/hr or better, or the design has an underdrain ¹.

Whether a driveway counts as low traffic is a question for the county. We found no answer. Permeable pavers are not a way around review. The owner must keep them clear, and the rule names pressure cleaning ¹.

Read permeable pavers and Miami-Dade rules for the full tests.

The permit path for a driveway

As of October 18, 2026

• Find your office. Confirm whether your address is in a city or in unincorporated Miami-Dade. The answer sets which rules apply.
• Ask about drainage review. Ask whether the county or your city reviews your lot, and what they need from you.
• Ask about the building permit. In the county's own area, open patios, walkways and pavers are exempt from a building permit while all exempt work in any 12 months stays at or under $5,000 ⁷. That page does not name driveways, so ask.
• Ask Public Works about the approach. The approach is where your driveway meets the road. Ask about the covenant and the permit.
• Check your HOA or condo rules. Ask for paver color and pattern rules in writing.

Write each answer down with the office name, the date and the source. That gives you your own permit path sheet for your address.

How a paver driveway job goes

Miami Paver Co. is a guide, so we do not lay the pavers ourselves. Once an installer signs, this is the order the job should follow.

• Site review. Photos, your address and what is there now.
• Permit path. The offices to call and the papers to bring.
• Written scope and price. Base, edge restraint, drainage, paver, joint sand and sealing. Nothing starts until you agree.
• Removal and grading. The old surface comes out and the ground is shaped to drain.
• Base and laying. The base goes in and is compacted. Then the pavers go down inside the edge restraint.
• Finish. Joint sand goes in, and sealing if you chose it. You get photos of the base, the laying and the finish.

What changes the price

National guides price a paver driveway by the square foot. One lists concrete pavers at 10-25 USD per sq ft (national)³.

Our arithmetic: a driveway of 600 sq ft times that range, 10-25 USD per sq ft (national)³, is $6,000 to $15,000. It is a yardstick, not a Miami quote. We have no Miami quotes yet.

• Size. Guides price by the square foot, so a bigger drive costs more.
• Material. See the ranges above.
• What comes out. Ask whether the quote includes removing your old concrete or asphalt.
• Base and drainage work. A deeper base or a drain adds work.
• Paperwork. The county page lists no fees for the covenant or the approach permit ². Ask Public Works.
• Sealing. Ask for it as its own line.

The cost guide shows every national range with its source and date.

What is in writing

Until an installer signs, we cannot promise a workmanship term. When one does, the term goes on this site and into your written scope. Ask every installer for it before you sign.

National price ranges for paver driveway

Paver driveway in Miami-Dade: cities

• Paver driveway in Miami

Questions people ask