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Remodeling FAQ · Greater Orlando

What should you know before you remodel in Greater Orlando?

Short, sourced answers on costs, permits, Florida rules, timelines and hiring, from a Florida certified general contractor in Oviedo. Updated October 2026.

Right Image Inc · Lic. #CGC1539321
Right Image Inc project team · CGC1539321
Updated October 2026
Based in Oviedo, FL

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This page answers what Greater Orlando homeowners ask most before an addition, ADU or remodel: what it costs (planning ranges from our price tables, updated October 2026), which office issues the permit, Florida rules such as the Notice of Commencement, the new $7,500 permit exemption, wind mitigation and the FEMA 50% rule, and how to check a contractor. Each answer links to the page that holds the detail.

Costs

What do remodels and additions cost in Greater Orlando?

Every figure below is a planning range from our price tables (updated October 2026), not a quote; each project is priced after a site visit.

Our planning range for a room addition in Greater Orlando is $40,000 – $120,000. A second-story addition runs $150,000 – $300,000+, and an ADU or garage conversion $50,000 – $180,000. The size, the foundation, the roof tie-in, any plumbing and the finishes decide where a project lands. The room addition cost guide walks through each cost driver.
We don't publish a price per square foot, because the foundation, roofline, plumbing and finishes move the cost more than the floor area does. A 12×12 room is 144 sq ft and a 20×20 room is 400 sq ft; both are priced against our room-addition planning range of $40,000 – $120,000, and a written estimate after a site visit gives your number.
Our planning range is $150,000 – $300,000+. Building up costs more than a ground-floor room because a structural engineer has to confirm the existing footings and walls can carry the new floor, and the job adds a stair and a new roof. See second-story additions for how the work is sequenced.
Our planning range for an ADU or garage conversion is $50,000 – $180,000; whether it is detached or a conversion, the utility connections and the kitchen and bath decide where in that range it lands. Inside Orlando city limits, the city's ADU Incentive Program can rebate up to $10,000 plus impact and permit fees when the unit is rented to a qualifying household. Details: ADU rules by city.
We currently publish one planning range for ADUs and garage conversions: $50,000 – $180,000. A conversion that stays inside the existing walls avoids a new foundation and roof, which are large cost items in a detached ADU, while adding a kitchen or bathroom adds plumbing. Your written estimate itemises it; see garage conversions.
Usually, if the layout stays. $50,000 sits inside our full-remodel planning range of $30,000 – $70,000, which covers new cabinetry, counters, flooring, lighting and appliances in the same footprint. Removing a wall or moving plumbing and wiring belongs to the layout-change tier, $60,000 – $100,000+. See the kitchen remodeling price table.
$30,000 is where our refresh range ends ($15,000 – $30,000: refaced or stock cabinets, quartz or granite, backsplash) and where a full remodel begins ($30,000 – $70,000). By $50,000 a full remodel replaces the cabinetry, counters, flooring, lighting and appliances. Neither budget usually covers moving walls, which is a separate tier.
For a hall or guest bath, often yes: $20,000 is the top of our refresh range ($10,000 – $20,000) covering new tile, vanity, fixtures and lighting. A primary bath with a walk-in shower, double vanity and glass starts there ($20,000 – $45,000). See the bathroom remodeling table.
Our planning range for replacing a tub with a walk-in shower is $12,000 – $25,000. That covers removing the tub, waterproofing, sloping the floor to the drain and the glass. Moving the drain or wall plumbing to a new spot pushes the job toward a full bathroom remodel.
The planning ranges on our roofing page are $9,000 – $20,000 for an architectural-shingle replacement with full tear-off and $20,000 – $45,000+ for tile or metal, which depends on the material and the roof structure. Repairs such as leaks, flashing or a shingle or tile patch run $500 – $3,500.
Our planning range for a screen enclosure or pool cage is $8,000 – $25,000, driven by its size, height and wind rating. A covered lanai or outdoor room with a solid roof runs $15,000 – $50,000. See screen enclosures and pool cages.
Our planning ranges are $12 – $25 / sq ft for a paver driveway (base preparation, paver type and edging drive the price) and $6 – $16 / sq ft for a concrete patio or walkway, standard or decorative. Retaining walls are priced per square foot of face: $40 – $90 / sq ft (face). See concrete and hardscape.
Usually because they don't cover the same scope. Compare whether each quote includes engineering, permit and inspection fees, debris removal, allowances for fixtures and finishes, and repairs found behind walls, and ask for an itemised written estimate with a schedule. A quote far below the others often leaves something out.
Permits

When do you need a permit, and who issues it?

Almost always. Since July 1, 2026, Florida's HB 803 lets single-family owners skip a permit for work valued under $7,500 after a written request, but the exemption excludes any electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical or gas work and any property in a flood hazard area. A bathroom remodel nearly always moves plumbing or wiring, so it goes through your city or county building department. Full guide: do you need a permit to remodel a bathroom in Florida?
Yes when the work touches wiring, plumbing, gas lines or walls, which most kitchen remodels do. Purely cosmetic work valued under $7,500, with no electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical or gas work and outside a flood hazard area, can qualify for the HB 803 exemption on a single-family home after a written request to the building department.
Yes. An addition or ADU is new structure, so it needs a building permit with structural drawings plus the trade permits, and the zoning review checks setbacks, lot coverage and, for an ADU, the local ADU rules. HOA or architectural-review approval is separate and often comes first. Start with home addition permits in Orlando & Seminole County and ADU rules by city.
Yes for a full re-roof: the cost is far above the $7,500 exemption, so it goes through the building department, and every roofing product used must carry Florida Product Approval or local approval. Small repairs below $7,500 can qualify for the HB 803 exemption only on a single-family home outside a flood hazard area and with a written request.
A screen enclosure or pool cage is engineered for wind load and permitted. Most cities in our area also permit fences and set height and placement rules, and many HOAs set material and color. We confirm the city, county and HOA rules for your address before anything is ordered; see fencing and screen enclosures. Driveways, patios and retaining walls: permits for driveways, patios and retaining walls.
The city if you're inside city limits, otherwise the county. Examples: Oviedo through the City of Oviedo; Baldwin Park and most of Lake Nona through the City of Orlando; Celebration through Osceola County; Windermere through the town or Orange County depending on the address; Kissimmee through the city. Each city page names its office.
When the direct contract is greater than $5,000, the permit office requires a copy of the recorded Notice of Commencement before the first inspection (F.S. 713.135). Repairing or replacing an existing heating or air-conditioning system under $15,000 is excluded. The notice is recorded with the county clerk and posted at the job site.
The owner, or the owner's authorized agent, records it with the clerk of court in the county where the property is and posts a copy on the job site before the first inspection (F.S. 713.13). Improvements of $2,500 or less are exempt from the construction lien part of the statutes. Your contractor will tell you when the permit office needs the copy.
No. The HB 803 exemption removes the permit, not the standards, so the work should still be built to the Florida Building Code, and the local government has no duty to the owner or contractor for exempted work. Orange County's guidance says owners remain responsible for code-compliant work, which is why we treat exempt jobs like permitted ones.
Codes and wind

Which building code and wind rules apply here?

The Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), in effect since December 31, 2023, applies statewide, including Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties. A 9th Edition (2026) is being developed by the Florida Building Commission but is not in effect yet. Local amendments and the building department's review apply on top of the state code.
No. In the Florida Building Code the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone consists of Broward and Miami-Dade counties only, so homes in Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties follow the standard wind provisions. Wind loads still matter here: the design wind speed for each site is set under the code's Section 1609, and products need Florida Product Approval.
Windows, exterior doors, roofing products, skylights, shutters and impact protective systems must carry a Florida Product Approval number (or a local approval for that job), which shows the product was tested to the code. A statewide approval means a local government cannot demand further testing. You can look up any product on floridabuilding.org. More in permits for siding, windows and stucco in Florida.
Not by statute. Florida's product-approval law names Miami-Dade's Product Control Division as one of the approved evaluation entities, but in Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties a Florida Product Approval or a local approval for the job meets the requirement. Many manufacturers list both numbers for the same product.
Per address. The Florida Building Code sets the design wind speed for each site under Section 1609, and the building department or the engineer of record confirms it for the permit drawings. That is why we don't publish one wind-speed number for a whole city; additions, enclosures and roofs are engineered to the figure for your lot.
Timelines

How long does it take, and does hurricane season matter?

Plan on about 6–10 weeks for a full remodel once permits are issued and materials are in. Before that come design, ordering and the permit review at your city or county; cabinets on order can also set the start date. Layout changes with structural or plumbing work add time. You get a written schedule with the estimate.
Typically about 3–5 weeks on site once permits and materials are ready. Moving plumbing or changing the layout adds time, and special-order tile or glass can delay the start. A tub-to-shower conversion that keeps the drain where it is usually takes less. The schedule in your estimate includes the permit review for your address.
For a room addition, about 3–5 months from permit to finish for a room addition; second stories and ADUs take longer. Engineering, zoning review and the building permit come before any ground is broken, and an ADU adds utility connections. We build the review time of your city or county into the written schedule; see additions and ADUs.
For most kitchens, bathrooms and ground-floor additions, yes: the work area is closed off and the rest of the house stays usable, though you lose the room being remodeled for a while. A second story is different, because the roof-off and dry-in stage can make parts of the house unusable for a period. We plan the sequence with you first.
Yes. The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, so Central Florida projects run through it every year. The schedule allows for storm days, and the most exposed stages, an open roof or framing before dry-in, are planned around the forecast, with materials and open work secured when a storm is expected.
Insurance and roofs

What do Florida insurance rules mean for your roof and remodel?

It is Florida's Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, which documents wind-resistant features such as roof strength, the roof covering, roof-to-wall connections and opening protection. Insurers must offer discounts or credits for those features (F.S. 627.0629). Revision 04/26 of the form must be used for inspections from April 1, 2026.
It is worth asking your insurer. The credits under F.S. 627.0629 are based on features such as the roof covering, roof-to-wall connections and opening protection, so a new roof, impact windows or shutters can change what the form shows. A fresh inspection on the current OIR-B1-1802 revision documents the new features.
Under F.S. 627.711, a licensed home inspector with hurricane-mitigation training, a certified building code inspector, a licensed general, building or residential contractor, a licensed engineer, a licensed architect, or another person the insurer accepts as qualified. Ask your insurer which inspectors it accepts before booking.
Not for a younger roof: an insurer may not refuse to issue or renew a homeowner's policy solely because the roof is less than 15 years old (F.S. 627.7011). For a roof 15 years or older, you can have it inspected, and coverage cannot be refused on age alone if the roof has at least 5 years of useful life left.
Since 2022, if a roof was built, repaired or replaced to the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, repairing or replacing 25% or more of it no longer forces the whole roof up to the current code; only the repaired portion has to comply (F.S. 553.844). Older roofs don't get that exception. See roofing for planning ranges.
Florida property insurers must cover catastrophic ground cover collapse, a sudden collapse that damages the house badly enough for it to be condemned, and must offer broader sinkhole coverage for an additional premium (F.S. 627.706). Check your declarations page for whether sinkhole coverage was added.
Flood rules

How do flood zones affect an addition or remodel?

If the cost of an improvement or of repairing damage equals or exceeds 50% of the building's market value before the work, it is a substantial improvement under the National Flood Insurance Program, and in a mapped flood zone the existing building must then meet the standards for new construction, which typically means raising the living area (44 CFR 59.1; Seminole County and City of Orlando flood rules). Florida bars local governments from adding up improvements over several years.
Enter the address in the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (msc.fema.gov), which shows the flood zone and the map panel. Counties and cities also publish flood-zone viewers. If the lot is in a special flood hazard area, the floodplain administrator reviews additions and large remodels, and the HB 803 permit exemption does not apply.
If the addition plus any other work reaches 50% of the building's market value, the whole structure has to meet the flood rules for new construction, which include elevation. Below that, the local floodplain administrator decides what applies to the new part, so we check the flood zone and the county's or city's valuation method before design.
ADUs

Can you build an ADU here, and what does it change?

The City of Orlando, Oviedo, unincorporated Seminole County, Winter Garden, Kissimmee, St. Cloud and unincorporated Osceola County allow them with permits; unincorporated Orange County allows them on homestead property; Winter Springs needs a conditional use. Sanford limits occupancy to the owner, family or a caretaker; Longwood treats ADUs as accessory structures; Casselberry has no ADU ordinance yet; Winter Park, Maitland, Lake Mary and Altamonte Springs allow only limited guest houses. Full table: ADU rules by city.
Yes. Oviedo permits one accessory dwelling unit per lot with a zoning permit, up to the lesser of 1,000 sq ft or half the main structure, and not in front of the house. Lots with more than one dwelling or non-conforming lots don't qualify. See ADUs in Oviedo and additions in Oviedo.
Only on homestead property, with the owner living on the lot. The county caps the living area at 50% of the main home or 1,000 sq ft and does not allow rentals of 180 days or less. Orange County's Ready Set Orange program offers pre-reviewed ADU floor plans. See ADUs in Orange County.
Inside Orlando city limits, long-term leases are allowed, and a rental under 30 days needs the city's home-sharing registration. Rules differ next door: unincorporated Orange County bars rentals of 180 days or less, and Seminole County requires leases of at least 30 days. Check ADU rules by city for your address before you plan income.
Usually yes. Under Florida's Save Our Homes rules the yearly increase in a homestead's assessed value is capped, but changes, additions and improvements are assessed at just value when they are added (F.S. 193.155), so the assessment rises by the value of the new space. The county property appraiser sets the figure.
Hiring

How do you check and hire a contractor in Florida?

Search the name or licence number on the DBPR licence search at myfloridalicense.com and check the licence type, status and expiry. Florida law requires the licence number on every advertisement, proposal and contract (F.S. 489.119), so a missing number is a warning sign. Our licence, CGC1539321, shows as Certified General Contractor, Current, Active.
A written scope, price, payment schedule and timeline, plus two statutory notices when the job is over $2,500: the Florida Homeowners' Construction Recovery Fund notice (F.S. 489.1425) and the construction lien law disclosure for homes of one to four units (F.S. 713.015). The contractor's licence number must also appear.
Florida doesn't cap the deposit, but if a contractor takes more than 10% of the contract price up front on residential work, it must apply for the permits within 30 days and start work within 90 days after they're issued, unless there's just cause or a written agreement for longer (F.S. 489.126). Diverting deposit money can be a crime under the same statute.
Yes, under the owner-builder exemption, for a one- or two-family home you will use yourself: you must personally supervise the work, sign the permit application and the owner-builder disclosure statement, and a sale or lease within a year of completion is presumed to mean it was built for sale (F.S. 489.103). Be wary of a contractor who asks you to pull the permit.
No licence number on the ad, proposal or contract; a licence that doesn't show as current on the DBPR search; a deposit over 10% of the price with no permit application within 30 days; no written contract or missing Recovery Fund notice on a job over $2,500; and a request that you pull the permit yourself as an owner-builder. For kitchens specifically, see how to hire a kitchen remodeling contractor.
An itemised scope and price for each part of the job, with permit and inspection fees shown separately, the planning assumptions, and a written schedule that includes the permit review for your address. It follows a site visit where we measure and check zoning, HOA and permit requirements. There's no charge and no obligation.
Working with us

Where do we work, and how does it start?

Greater Orlando from our office in Oviedo: Oviedo, Winter Springs, Casselberry, Longwood, Lake Mary, Sanford and Altamonte Springs in Seminole County; Orlando, Winter Park, Maitland, Baldwin Park, Lake Nona, Apopka, Ocoee, Winter Garden and Windermere in Orange County; and Kissimmee, St. Cloud and Celebration in Osceola County. Each has its own area page.
We typically reply the same business day, Monday to Friday, by phone or email. Send the form on any page or call (407) 993-6889 during office hours, Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–5:00 PM. Photos and a short description of the project help us prepare for the site visit.
We call you back to understand the project, visit the site to measure and check zoning, HOA and permit requirements, and send a free, written, itemised estimate. Once you approve it, we file the permits and schedule the work. Contact us to start, or read about Right Image Inc.

Sources (primary sources, checked 2026-10-16): F.S. 553.79 · F.S. 713.135 · F.S. 489.126 · F.S. 489.119 · F.S. 489.1425 · F.S. 713.015 · F.S. 489.103 · DBPR · Florida Building Code · High-Velocity Hurricane Zone · F.S. 553.842 · F.S. 627.0629 · OIR-B1-1802 · F.S. 627.7011 · F.S. 553.844 · F.S. 627.706 · 44 CFR 59.1 · Seminole County flood rules · FEMA Flood Map Service Center · F.S. 193.155 · ADU Incentive Program · hurricane season. This page explains rules in general terms; it is not legal advice, and the building department for your address has the final word.

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