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Building Blocks
Plain-English answers about building, remodeling and permits in South Florida, from a licensed general contractor.
Named for the concrete block most South Florida homes are built from. Written by Scott Rosenberg, Florida Certified General Contractor, CGC1541479.
Latest · Condos & Commercial
Broward County's 25-Year Building Safety Inspection: What Owners and Boards Need to Know
Which Broward buildings need the 25-year structural and electrical safety inspection, which are exempt, the 180-day deadlines for the report and the repairs, how it lines up with Florida's milestone inspection, and how the repair phase works.
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- RemodelingRenovating an Older Home in Hollywood, FL: Permits, Historic Rules and What Is Behind the WallsA Hollywood-based general contractor's guide to renovating an older house in Hollywood, Florida: the city's permit steps, the historic districts and when you need a Certificate of Appropriateness, flood zone limits, and what we usually find when the walls come open.
- AdditionsAdding a Second Story to a Concrete Block House in South FloridaCan your one-story CBS house take a second floor? What the engineer checks first, why the footings and tie beam matter, how flood zones and the 50 percent rule can stop the project, wood frame versus block on top, and how the job is sequenced around the roof.
- PermitsRemodeling or Building in Coral Gables: How the Board of Architects Process WorksWhat the Coral Gables Board of Architects reviews, how preliminary and final approval work, tree surveys and approved colors, how historic review fits in, and how to plan the schedule for an addition, new home or exterior remodel.
- PermitsHow Long Do Building Permits Take in Broward and Miami-Dade?Florida law sets deadlines for building departments to approve or deny permits, from 5 business days for small jobs to 60 for larger buildings, with fee refunds when they are missed. What the deadlines are, when the clock starts, what slows permits down, and how private providers fit in.
- Hiring a ContractorHow to Hire a General Contractor in Broward and Miami-Dade: What to Check Before You SignA licensed general contractor's checklist for hiring one in South Florida: certified vs registered licenses, what CGC, CBC and CRC mean, how to verify a license and insurance, who pulls the permit, deposits, and the red flags that show up after storms.
- Hurricane ProtectionHow to Look Up a Miami-Dade NOA for Your Windows, Doors or RoofA step-by-step guide to finding and reading a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance: where to search, what the number means, how to check the expiration date and High-Velocity Hurricane Zone approval, and what the label on the product should say.
- PermitsBuilding Near the Beach in Florida: The Coastal Construction Control Line Permit ExplainedIf your property is on the beach side of Florida's Coastal Construction Control Line, most new construction needs a state permit before the city one. What the line is, what is exempt, the 30-year erosion rule, sea turtle requirements, and how the permits fit together.
- Hurricane ProtectionAfter a Storm in Florida: Emergency Repairs, Insurance Claim Deadlines and Roof RulesWhat to do in the first days after hurricane or storm damage in South Florida: protecting the house, documenting everything, Florida's claim deadlines, the roof replacement rules, and the contractor practices Florida law now prohibits.
- AdditionsGarage Conversions in South Florida: Permits, Parking, Flood Rules and What It TakesTurning a garage into a bedroom, office or family room in Broward, Miami-Dade or Palm Beach: the permit, zoning and parking questions, the flood zone rule that stops many conversions, and the construction work most people underestimate.
- Condos & CommercialRemodeling a Condo Unit in Florida: Association Approval, Permits and Building RulesWhat a South Florida condo association can control in a unit remodel, what Florida law says about alterations and hurricane protection, which parts need a city permit, and the building rules that set the schedule.
- PermitsFixing Unpermitted Work in South Florida: How After-the-Fact Permits WorkFound an enclosed garage, an addition or a kitchen with no permit? How to check permit history, what legalizing work costs and requires in Miami-Dade and Broward, the 2026 Miami-Dade guidelines, and when removing the work is the better choice.
- PermitsHOA Approval and Building Permits in Florida: What Changed in 2026 and What Order to Do Things InFlorida HOAs can no longer require a building permit before they review your plans. What the 2026 change means, what your association can and cannot control, how hurricane protection is treated, and the order that keeps a remodel on schedule.
- Hurricane ProtectionWind Mitigation Inspections in Florida: What Lowers Your Insurance, and What to Fix FirstWhat a Florida wind mitigation inspection checks, which features earn insurance credits, what changed on the form in 2026, and which upgrades are worth doing during a remodel. Written by a South Florida general contractor.
- Condos & CommercialCondo Milestone Inspections: What Happens After the Engineer's ReportA plain guide for Florida condo boards and owners: what phase one and phase two milestone reports mean, the repair deadlines, how repairs get priced and permitted, and how it ties to your reserve study.
- Hiring a ContractorWhat a Florida Remodeling Contract Must Include (and What It Should)The notices Florida law requires in a home improvement contract, the deposit rule, lien releases, and the plain-sense terms every South Florida remodeling contract should spell out.
- Hurricane ProtectionImpact Windows: Miami-Dade NOA vs Florida Product ApprovalWhat a Miami-Dade NOA and a Florida Product Approval actually are, which one your impact windows need in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, and how to check a quote before you sign.
- PermitsFlorida's 50 Percent Rule: How to Budget a Renovation in a Flood ZoneHow the 50 percent rule works for renovations in South Florida flood zones, what counts toward it, how market value is set, and how to plan a remodel that stays on the right side of it.
- Hurricane ProtectionWhat the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone Means for Your ProjectMiami-Dade and Broward are Florida's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. Here is what that changes for windows, doors, roofs and remodeling, in plain English.
- New ConstructionWhat Are South Florida Houses Made Of? Concrete Block vs Wood FrameWhy most South Florida homes are concrete block, how a block house is actually put together, where wood frame still shows up, and what it all means when you remodel or add on.
- PermitsDo I Need a Permit for That? A Room-by-Room Guide for South Florida HomeownersWhich home projects need a building permit in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, what the new $7,500 exemption really covers, and who should pull the permit.
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