A 12×16 pergola, retroactively permitted in eleven weeks.
The homeowner inherited the structure when they bought the property in 2021. By 2024, with a refinance pending, the missing permit became a problem. Permit Solutions coordinated structural engineering, as-built drawings, and the after-the-fact filing.
The pergola — a 12-foot by 16-foot freestanding shade structure with four wood posts and a 2×8 rafter system — had been built by the prior owner in 2019. No permit had been pulled. The new owner had purchased the property in 2021 without surfacing the issue. In 2024, a refinance application triggered a property-record review and the missing permit became the obstacle to closing.
The structure was visually well-built and clearly intact. The question was whether it would meet current Florida Building Code for the high-velocity hurricane zone (HVHZ) — and whether the original construction could be documented to permit-ready standard.
No original drawings or specifications.
The prior owner had no documentation. We had to draft as-builts from scratch by measuring the existing structure.
Wind-load compliance was uncertain.
Coral Gables — like all Miami-Dade — is in HVHZ. The original construction predated the homeowner’s purchase; we had to verify whether the structural members and connections met current wind-load requirements.
Foundation footings were not visible.
Post bases were buried below grade. A foundation letter required the engineer to either trust documented footing conditions from the homeowner or verify through partial excavation.
Document flow:
- Week 1Site visit, photos, measurements
- Week 2As-built drawings drafted
- Week 3Florida PE engaged for structural review
- Week 4Wind-load calculations completed; one post connection flagged for upgrade
- Week 5Hurricane strap upgrade installed at all four post-to-beam connections
- Week 6Engineer’s seal and foundation letter issued
- Week 7After-the-fact permit application filed with City of Coral Gables
- Week 9Plan reviewer issued two minor corrections (notations on drawings); corrected and re-submitted
- Week 10Permit issued; final inspection scheduled
- Week 11Final inspection passed; permit closed and recorded
| After-the-fact permit | Issued and finaled |
| Structural status | Verified to current HVHZ code |
| Property record | Pergola on record, permitted, closed |
| Refinance | Funded the week after permit closeout |
| Total engagement | 11 weeks |
“We bought the house with the pergola already there. We didn’t know it wasn’t permitted. Permit Solutions made the whole legalization clean — drawings, the engineer, the filing, the inspection. Eleven weeks and it was on the record properly.”
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