Permits, Setbacks, and Design A lot on the beach or a lake is what many people picture when they move to Florida. Building on one, though, brings a second layer of rules on top of the usual permits. On the coast, the state controls construction near the beach and dunes, and sea turtle lighting rules … Read more
Some of the most important parts of a new Florida home are the ones you’ll never see once the drywall goes up: how tightly the house is sealed, how the AC is sized, and how the ground under the slab is treated for termites. Florida’s code sets minimums for all three, and they’re tested or … Read more
Metal vs Shingle vs Tile The roof is the part of a Florida house that takes the most punishment, and it’s the part hurricane studies keep pointing to. On a new build you get to pick the roofing material before the trusses are designed. That’s the cheapest moment to choose, because tile needs a structure … Read more
Load Paths, Roofs, Storm Shutters, and Beyond Code Every new home in Florida is built to resist hurricanes, but “built to code” covers a wide range, and the details are where homes succeed or fail. A new build is your one chance to get those details right at the lowest cost. The connections hidden in … Read more
Rules, Costs, and Slab vs. Stem Wall vs. Elevated Before a single block is laid, your lot has to be surveyed, cleared, built up, and prepared for a foundation. In Florida, this stage is where many first-time builders run into rules they didn’t expect. These include tree permits, protected gopher tortoises, wetland permits, stormwater permits, … Read more
Plans, Engineering, and Climate-Smart Choices The design stage is where your new home is cheapest to change. A wall moved on paper costs a few hours of drafting, but the same move after framing can cost thousands. In Florida, the plans also carry more technical weight than in many states, because they have to show … Read more
Choosing Your Build Path and Builder in Florida “Building a house” can mean very different things. Some buyers pick a floor plan and options in a builder’s community. Others hire an architect and a general contractor to build a one-of-a-kind house on their own land. Most fall somewhere in between. The path you choose shapes … Read more
The Steps and the Timeline Building a new home in Florida follows the same basic sequence as anywhere else: land, plans, permits, construction, and move-in. But Florida adds its own layers, including flood zones, wind design, termite protection, a construction lien law that reaches homeowners, and a hurricane season that runs half the year. This … Read more
Certificate of Occupancy, Liens, Insurance, and Homestead The last few weeks of a build are where remote owners can lose the most leverage. The house looks done, everyone wants to wrap up, and the final payment is the biggest one left. Getting the closeout right means the house is legally complete, the liens are cleared, … Read more
Inspectors, Owner’s Reps, and Virtual Site Visits Once construction starts, the hardest part of building from out of state is knowing what’s actually happening on your lot. Photos from the builder help, but they show what the builder chooses to show. Remote owners do best when several independent sets of eyes are checking the work, … Read more
