Remodeling in Fort Lauderdale
Kitchens, bathrooms, tile, flooring, drywall and painting across Fort Lauderdale and Broward County — with the permit route and the association rules handled as part of the schedule rather than discovered halfway through.
Permits and approvals in Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale runs its own building department rather than contracting with the county, so plan review and inspections are scheduled through the city. Cosmetic work — paint, wallpaper, replacing a floor covering — is generally exempt; anything structural, electrical, plumbing or mechanical is not.
The beach and Intracoastal corridors are condo-dense, and buildings there set their own rules on work hours, freight elevator access and floor soundproofing on top of whatever the city requires.
The city's published exemption list could not be verified directly — their FAQ page refuses automated requests — so we confirm the permit scope with the building department for each project rather than relying on a third-party summary.
The rules that apply across the whole service area — the county permit application, the hurricane code and the condominium requirements — are set out on the service areas page rather than repeated here.
Where to apply
- City of Fort Lauderdale — Development Services Department
- 700 NW 19th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale FL 33311
- 954-828-6520
- Building department website
Code that applies
- Broward County
- High-Velocity Hurricane Zone — Miami-Dade NOA required on windows and exterior doors
- Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023)
- Median home built 1973
How we work here
- Free in-home estimate, written and itemized
- A named installer and a one-hour arrival window
- Materials ordered before demolition starts
- Daily cleanup — the home stays livable
- Service in English and Spanish
Recent work
Completed projects across the South Florida service area. Ask at the estimate to see work close to you.
What we do in Fort Lauderdale
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a permit to remodel a kitchen or bathroom in Fort Lauderdale?
- Fort Lauderdale runs its own building department rather than contracting with the county, so plan review and inspections are scheduled through the city. Cosmetic work — paint, wallpaper, replacing a floor covering — is generally exempt; anything structural, electrical, plumbing or mechanical is not.
- What does my condo or HOA need to approve in Fort Lauderdale?
- The beach and Intracoastal corridors are condo-dense, and buildings there set their own rules on work hours, freight elevator access and floor soundproofing on top of whatever the city requires.
- Anything specific to Fort Lauderdale I should know?
- The city's published exemption list could not be verified directly — their FAQ page refuses automated requests — so we confirm the permit scope with the building department for each project rather than relying on a third-party summary.
- Who issues the permit for work in Fort Lauderdale?
- City of Fort Lauderdale — Development Services Department, at 700 NW 19th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale FL 33311, 954-828-6520. Every municipality in this service area runs its own building department with its own requirements, which is why we confirm scope with the right one before quoting rather than assuming the county rule applies.
- Does the hurricane code change the job in Fort Lauderdale?
- Fort Lauderdale is in Broward County, which together with Miami-Dade makes up the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone under Chapter 44 of the Florida Building Code. In practice that means any window or exterior door in the project has to carry a current Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance, and design wind pressures are calculated to the HVHZ standard. Interior-only work is unaffected, but the moment a project touches an opening it changes what can be specified.
- My Fort Lauderdale house is from the 1970s — what should I expect?
- The median home in Fort Lauderdale was built in 1973, so this is the common case rather than the exception. Two things turn up often enough that we look for them before quoting: cast iron drain lines, which were standard here before about 1975 and typically fail somewhere between forty and sixty years, and electrical that was sized for a very different kitchen. Finding either at the estimate is a conversation; finding it after demolition is a change order.
Planning a project in Fort Lauderdale?
Free in-home estimate, written and itemized, usually within 24 hours of the visit.
