In Coral Gables, design review comes before the building department
Coral Gables is not a city where you draw what you like and then apply for a permit. Exterior work goes in front of the Board of Architects, which reviews design for compatibility with the city’s architectural character — the Mediterranean Revival vocabulary the Gables was planned around. New construction, additions, and alterations you can see from the street all pass through that review, and properties with historic designation carry a further layer.
This is the single biggest difference between renovating here and renovating anywhere else in South Florida. A contractor who treats Coral Gables like Miami will design something that gets sent back, and the owner pays for the redraw and the delay.
Where design review and hurricane code collide
The sharpest example is glazing. Every exterior window and door in Miami-Dade has to carry approval rated for the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone — that is not negotiable. But the Board of Architects also has a view on how those openings look: proportion, profile, muntin pattern, frame finish.
The job is finding products that satisfy both at once. It is entirely doable, and it is much easier done at selection than after a submittal has come back with comments. Same story for roof tile, stucco texture, railings and exterior colour.
What we build in Coral Gables
- Whole-home renovation
- Home additions
- Kitchen remodeling
- Bathroom remodeling
- Custom home construction
Across South Florida
We work throughout the region, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Hallandale Beach.
Common questions
Does my Coral Gables renovation need Board of Architects approval?
If the work changes the exterior, generally yes. Interior-only renovations do not go through design review, but anything visible — windows, doors, roof, additions, colour, hardscape — is reviewed for architectural compatibility.
Can I use standard impact windows?
They must carry Miami-Dade or Florida Product Approval for the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, and they also have to satisfy design review on proportion, profile and finish. We select for both requirements together rather than sequentially.
How much does design review add to the schedule?
Less than a rejected submittal does. The cost of Board review is planning time up front; the cost of ignoring it is a redraw, a resubmittal and a delayed start.
Start your Coral Gables project
Request a free consultation and we will map the review path your project needs before anyone draws anything.