Coral Gables isn’t just one of the most coveted communities in South Florida for no reason. It’s the ultimate family-friendly inner suburb, known for its high-end shops, plentiful dining options, and stunning architecture. Many homes date back to the 1920s with decade’s old oaks lining the streets, giving Coral Gables a vintage charm you won’t find in other subsets of Miami. 

Thanks to Coral Gables’ elite reputation and high architectural standards, building a new home in the “City Beautiful” is a unique experience to say the least. It’s important to know what you’re getting into so you can be prepared for the various stages and potential obstacles lying ahead. 

Here’s what you need to know about building a home from scratch in Coral Gables: 

Coral Gables Has a Unique Permit Process

Coral Gables presents a complex permit process for aspiring home builders, but there’s a clear reason for it. When it comes to the way houses are designed and built, there’s a consistency in quality you see in Coral Gables that’s difficult to find elsewhere in Miami, let alone the entire United States. As our younger clients often say, this place is simply on another level. 

Why does Coral Gables look this way? Because local authorities enforce strict building codes to maintain the city’s appearance and traditional aesthetic. 

That’s why there’s so many permits and inspections involved. Your documents have to clear several hurdles – such as the Coral Gables Board of Architects, the Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resource Management and the City of Coral Gables Building Department – before you get to the usual reviews for electrical, plumbing, structural, landscaping, etc. The permit process for building new in Coral Gables can easily take more than 10 months, and that’s if there’s no issues or revisions. 

Your Design Has to Adhere to Certain Regulations

One of the biggest benefits of building new is that you get exactly what you want. However, in order to be approved for new construction in Coral Gables, your design needs to be consistent with local architectural regulations. This can impact several aspects of your design, such as the materials you plan on using, window placement, how much of your lot you want to use for the home, and the exterior paint colors you have in mind. 

So, if you plan on building a home in Coral Gables, it should be because you like the way a lot of the other homes are designed. Also, since your design needs to meet certain standards, be prepared to spend some time going over important details with your architect – and why they designed an aspect a specific way – during the design phase. 

Assemble Your Team as Early as Possible

When you want to live in the Gables, you want to make sure you are handling this process correctly. Any errors or compliance issues could delay your project even further. You can avoid this scenario by recruiting a team of experienced professionals from the get-go, so you know how to approach every preliminary step the right way. 

That means hiring an architect as early as possible. This way, you can work together in the design phase and collectively ensure your design meets local regulations and your goals. The more frequently you can communicate, the smoother the entire process goes. 

If you are seriously considering building new in Coral Gables or just want to ask questions about how it would work to see if you want to consider it in the future, we’re here for you. We’re fully prepared to walk you through each step of the home-building process and help you create a design that’s worth all the time and effort involved. 

So, when you have an idea for a design, schedule your consultation and let’s get started on your dream home!