Everything below comes from public permit data, and we explain exactly how we counted at the bottom of the page. A demolition permit is a good signal of what's happening to a neighborhood: almost nobody pulls one unless something new is coming. The permit records don't say why owners are tearing down, so we stick to what the numbers show and leave the speculation out.
The short version
Six findings from the data
House teardowns hit a record
The City of Miami issued 216 full demolitions in its single-family and duplex zones by October 23, 2026. That's already more than any full year since 2018, with more than two months left, and up 36% from the same point in 2025.
Total demolitions are on a record pace
All full demolitions in the city reached 329 by October 23, up 18% from 278 at the same point in 2025 and 21% from 272 in 2024. At that pace, 2026 finishes around 400.
From towers to houses
Demolitions in the city's high-rise zones peaked at 78 in 2022 and 80 in 2023, then fell to 53 in 2025 and 37 so far in 2026. Since 2024, about 59% of all full demolitions in the city have been in single-family and duplex neighborhoods.
Most teardowns are investor or builder projects
In Miami-Dade County records, about 63% of the houses demolished were owned by an LLC or other company. About 34% were owned by individuals and about 3% by a trust or estate.
It's the family house coming down
The typical house demolished in the county records was about 1,950 square feet, and the middle half ran from about 1,300 to 2,800. These aren't just small cottages.
County teardowns are rising too
Whole-house demolitions in the county records rose from 171 in 2024 to 203 in 2025, an increase of about 19%. About 1 in 4 were pulled by the owner instead of a contractor.
City of Miami
Full demolitions by year and zone
| Item | All full demolitions | Single-family and duplex zones (T3) | High-rise zones (T6) | Residential | Commercial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 136 | 51 | 54 | 82 | 54 |
| 2019 | 206 | 97 | 55 | 135 | 71 |
| 2020 | 173 | 69 | 45 | 117 | 56 |
| 2021 | 184 | 98 | 45 | 118 | 66 |
| 2022 | 286 | 134 | 78 | 183 | 103 |
| 2023 | 256 | 120 | 80 | 171 | 85 |
| 2024 | 342 | 184 | 76 | 254 | 88 |
| 2025 | 336 | 198 | 53 | 264 | 72 |
| 2026, through October 23 | 329 | 216 | 37 | 253 | 76 |
Full (total) demolition building permits issued by the City of Miami, counted by issue date. Zones come from the Miami 21 zoning recorded on each permit: T3 is the sub-urban zone of single-family homes and duplexes, T6 is the urban core where towers are built. Residential and commercial are the city's own property type field. The T4 and T5 zones and civic and industrial districts make up the rest.
Same time last year
January 1 to October 23, year over year
| Item | All | Single-family zones |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 272 | 149 |
| 2025 | 278 | 159 |
| 2026 | 329 | 216 |
Comparing the same stretch of each year removes the effect of 2026 not being over yet.
Miami-Dade County
Who owns the houses being torn down
| Item | Share |
|---|---|
| LLC or company | About 63% |
| Individuals | About 34% |
| Trust or estate | About 3% |
| Owner pulled the permit | About 25% |
About 380 whole-house demolitions in Miami-Dade County permit records issued from January 20, 2024 to January 16, 2026. Owner type is based on the owner name on the permit. See the methodology below.
Reading the numbers
What the data shows, and what it doesn't
The shift is real
In 2018, the city's demolitions were split almost evenly between single-family neighborhoods and the high-rise core, 51 and 54. Since 2024, about 59% have been in single-family neighborhoods, and the high-rise count so far this year is the lowest of any year since 2018.
Investors and builders are the main buyers of teardowns
When nearly two out of three houses coming down are owned by a company, most teardowns are someone's development project, not a family replacing its own home.
The reasons aren't in the permits
Permits don't record why an owner tears down: land value, flood elevation, insurance, an aging house or plans for something bigger. We'd rather show the numbers than guess.
What it means for you
If you own, invest or live next door
Homeowners in older neighborhoods
Builders and investors are actively buying houses to tear down. If you're getting offers, the land may be worth more than the house, and it helps to understand how a buyer does the math.
Investors
Teardowns are competitive right now, and permit time can decide whether a deal works. A full demolition in the City of Miami spends months in plan review, while a house in unincorporated Miami-Dade is typically permitted in days.
Neighbors
More teardowns means more demolitions next door. Here's how a careful demolition protects the houses around it.
Methodology
How we counted
The data
City of Miami: the city's public Building Permits Since 2014 dataset. Miami-Dade County: the county's public Building Permits Issued By Miami-Dade County, 2 Previous Years to Present dataset, which covers permits issued by the county's own building department, mostly in unincorporated areas. Both were downloaded on October 28, 2026.
City of Miami demolitions
Building permits with a scope of work of demolition and a work item of total demolition, counted by issue date. Partial demolitions, interior demolitions, detached structures and trade sub-permits are not included. The city's records before 2018 are much thinner, likely because of changes in how permits were recorded, so the trend starts in 2018.
Zones and property type
Zones are the Miami 21 zoning recorded on each permit, grouped by transect: T3 for single-family and duplex neighborhoods, T6 for the urban core. Residential and commercial are the city's own property type field.
County house demolitions
County demolition building permits where the proposed use is a single-family home, cluster home, zero lot line home or townhouse. Many of these permits are for sheds, pools or partial work, so we counted a permit as a whole-house demolition only when its description says so, such as total demo, total demolition or house demo, and not when it names a shed, pool, carport, interior or partial work. That left about 380 of 787 permits. This is our classification, so treat the county figures as estimates.
Owner type and size
Owner type comes from the owner name on the permit: names with LLC, Inc., Corp., Ltd., Holdings, Properties, Investments, Development and similar terms count as companies, and names with Trust or Estate as trusts. Square footage is the figure on the permit, and permits listing less than 200 square feet were left out of the size numbers.
What we'll update
We plan to rerun these numbers as new permits are issued and add other cities when we can get permit-level data for them. The date at the top of this page shows the last update.
Using this data
How to cite this report
You're welcome to use it
Reporters, researchers, agents and anyone else can use these numbers. Please credit Rosemont Ventures Group and link to this page.
Suggested citation
Rosemont Ventures Group, "The Miami Teardown Report," soflodemolition.com, analysis of City of Miami and Miami-Dade County permit records, November 2026.
Questions about the numbers
Call 786-464-4555 or email sales@soflodemolition.com. We're happy to explain how anything was counted.
Related
Keep reading
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
How many houses are demolished in Miami each year?
In the City of Miami, full demolitions in single-family and duplex zones rose from 97 in 2019 to 198 in 2025, and reached 216 by October 23, 2026. All full demolitions in the city, including commercial buildings, were 336 in 2025 and 329 by October 23, 2026.
Are teardowns increasing in Miami?
Yes. House teardowns in the City of Miami's single-family neighborhoods are at the highest level in the city's permit data, up 36% from the same point in 2025. Whole-house demolitions in Miami-Dade County records rose about 19% from 2024 to 2025.
Who is tearing down houses in Miami?
Mostly companies. In Miami-Dade County permit records from January 2024 to January 2026, about 63% of the houses demolished were owned by an LLC or other company, about 34% by individuals and about 3% by trusts or estates.
What kind of houses are being torn down in Miami?
Mostly mid-size family houses. The typical house demolished in the county records was about 1,950 square feet, with the middle half between about 1,300 and 2,800 square feet.
Are fewer big buildings being demolished in Miami?
In the City of Miami's high-rise zones, yes. Demolitions there peaked at 78 in 2022 and 80 in 2023, then fell to 53 in 2025 and 37 so far in 2026.
Where does this data come from?
Public permit datasets published by the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County, downloaded on October 28, 2026. The methodology section explains exactly what was counted.
Can I use these numbers?
Yes. Please credit Rosemont Ventures Group and link to this page as the source.
This report is an analysis of public permit records as published by the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County, downloaded on October 28, 2026. Permit records can contain errors and are updated over time, and the county figures depend on our classification of permit descriptions and owner names. The figures describe permits issued, not completed demolitions.