Remodeling a Condo in South Florida: What to Know Before You Start

By Steve Goolsby

A condo remodel looks simpler than a house on paper. Smaller space, no roof, no yard. Then you actually start one and find out you're not just dealing with your contractor. You're dealing with the association, the building manager, the neighbors below you, and a set of rules that can stop a job cold if nobody planned for them.

We do a lot of condo work across Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach, from Boca to Fort Lauderdale to Miami. Here's what I tell every condo owner before we start.

Your association has to sign off first

Almost every South Florida condo association requires approval before any renovation starts, and most of them want it in writing. That usually means submitting an application with your scope of work, the contractor's license, and proof of insurance.

Plan for this to take time. Some boards meet once a month. If your paperwork misses a meeting, you wait for the next one. We put the approval package together for our clients, so it goes in complete the first time.

The contractor needs the right insurance

Most buildings require a certificate of insurance that names the association as additionally insured, sometimes with specific coverage amounts. A handyman or an unlicensed crew usually can't provide that, which is one of the reasons condo boards turn them away.

Before you sign with anyone, ask to see their license and insurance. Ours is CGC 1537778, and you can look it up on the state's website in about thirty seconds.

You still need permits

Association approval and a city permit are two different things. If your remodel touches plumbing, electrical, or anything structural, you need a permit from the city or county on top of the building's approval. Skipping it can come back to bite you when you sell, and some associations will ask to see the permit before work starts.

Know the building rules before day one

Every building has its own list. The common ones:

• Work hours, usually weekdays only with set start and stop times

• Reserving the service elevator for deliveries and debris

• Protecting hallways, elevators, and common areas during the job

• Where the crew can park and where the dumpster or debris can go

• Noise limits, especially for demo and tile cutting

  
  

None of this is hard to work with if you know it going in. It becomes a problem when a crew shows up on a Saturday and the building manager sends them home.

Flooring has its own rules

If you're swapping carpet for tile or wood, check your building's flooring requirements. Many condos require a sound-reducing underlayment under hard flooring so the owner below doesn't hear every footstep. Some specify exactly what type. Get this wrong and the association can make you pull the floor up.

Moving plumbing is a bigger deal in a condo

In a house, relocating a sink or toilet is mostly a cost question. In a condo, your drain lines often run through the slab and tie into shared stacks that serve the units above and below you. Some moves just aren't possible, and others need extra approval. We look at this during the walkthrough so you're not designing a layout the building won't allow.

Be a good neighbor

Your neighbors didn't sign up for your remodel. A little communication goes a long way: let the units next to and below you know when demo is happening, keep the hallways clean, and don't leave debris by the elevator. A crew that respects the building makes the whole process easier, especially if you ever need the board's approval again.

How we handle condo projects

We've been doing this since 2002, and condo work is a big part of it. We handle the association paperwork, the insurance certificates, the permits, and the scheduling around building rules, so you're not stuck in the middle between your contractor and your board.

We'll also tell you up front what the building is likely to allow and what it will cost. What we quote is what you pay, and you'll hear from us throughout the job.

Thinking about remodeling your condo? Call SPS Group Construction at 954-404-4717 or request a free estimate on our website. Licensed general contractor, CGC 1537778, serving Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties.