Apartments Under Construction in Surfside: What International Buyers Should Know

A project announced in Surfside and a project actually under construction are not the same thing, and the difference shows up in the county permit record. A buyer abroad can check it without flying in.

Sales material is produced before the building exists: a sales gallery, renderings and a scale model can be ready while the land still has no foundation permit. Knowing where the permit file stands changes what you are buying, because a project with an approved vertical permit and a crane on site carries a different risk from one still in municipal review. That information is public and free, and the seller does not control it.

In Surfside you buy by asking the building for paperwork before you ask the unit, and that is what sets it apart along this coast. Structural scrutiny of oceanfront condominium stock is, on this stretch, the most demanding in the county, and the practical consequence is that the building's file outweighs the buyer's: the lender and the carrier want to see inspection history, the reserve study, and the minutes in which the board decided what to repair and how to pay for it, before they look at the solvency of whoever signs. For someone who cannot show up in person that means two separate, mandatory counterparts: the manager or the board, which holds the minutes, the budget and the assessments already voted, and the town counter, which keeps the recertification file and any open correction orders. Ask the manager which assessments are approved and which are still under study; ask the town whether there are open files on that address; ask your closing attorney what the estoppel says about debts and pending approvals; and ask the lender what it requires from the building, not from you, in order to approve.

What is specific to Surfside

What to verify, step by step

1. Ask for the project's exact address and parcel number, not the marketing name, because permit files are searched by parcel.
2. Look that parcel up at the county permitting centre and see which permits are open, closed or merely applied for.
3. Check the county appraiser's record for what stands on that land today: if it still shows vacant or an older structure, the work has not progressed.
4. Ask in writing what stage construction is at and request the date of the last approved inspection report, not a verbal description of progress.
5. If you cannot travel to Surfside, commission a Florida-licensed broker or an independent inspector to visit and send dated site photographs.
6. Ask about the city or town permit as well, because the municipality and the county run separate processes.

Mistakes that cost money

• Confusing the sales launch with the construction start: the sales gallery opens long before the structural permit.
• Accepting undated photographs, or a crane from a neighbouring project, as proof of progress.
• Assuming an applied-for permit is an approved permit.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know the project I am being offered really exists?

Through the parcel. With the exact address and parcel number you can pull the county permit file and the appraiser's record, and both sources are public and free.

Can I verify progress without travelling to Surfside?

On paper, yes: permits and approved inspections are searchable online. For the physical state of the site it is worth commissioning a visit with dated photographs from someone licensed in Florida.

Which permit shows that construction has started?

It depends on the project and the municipality, which is why you read the whole file rather than trusting a single document. The county permitting centre shows the sequence and the dates.

Where to check it

• Miami-Dade Permitting and Inspection Center — open or closed building permits on an address
• Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser — record card, area, year built and parcel history
• Miami-Dade Board of Rules and Appeals — the county's building recertification programme
• Florida DBPR — whether a broker, appraiser or contractor holds a current licence
• Town of Surfside — the rules of the municipality Surfside belongs to

Official bodies. Specific figures are requested there, not copied from a listing.

Updated 2026-11-06