Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
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AfterFast, Reliable Home Additions & ADU Across Fort Lauderdale
Home additions and ADU construction in Fort Lauderdale typically run $45,000-$130,000 for room additions and $90,000-$220,000 for detached ADUs, with most projects taking 4-8 months from permit to final inspection. We’re Rowan Construction Group, and our crews work Fort Lauderdale from the beach corridor to the western master-planned communities, dispatching from our South Florida office with background-checked, uniformed technicians who arrive with a written price already in hand. Call (754) 254-7676 to schedule your free estimate - every quote is flat, line-itemed, and signed before any work starts.
Why Rowan Construction Group Fort Lauderdale Is Fort Lauderdale’s Preferred Home Additions & ADU Company
We’ve delivered 4,000-plus projects since 2007, every one with a written price before work started and a documented photo record when the crew left. In Fort Lauderdale, that discipline matters more than most places. Our Home Additions & ADU team knows the difference between a city permit and an HOA architectural review, and we’ve learned - sometimes the hard way, early on - that submitting to one without the other costs owners six weeks and five figures.
Our Fort Lauderdale customers leave reviews mentioning the photo record, the signed change orders, and the fact that the final invoice matched the written quote within a few percent. That’s not luck; it’s Clause 1 of The Haven Standard, the administrative discipline Haven acquired Rowan for. A live person answers our phones 24/7, and every crew member is verified before they arrive at your door.
Our Home Additions & ADU Services in Fort Lauderdale
ADU Design & Permitting
Fort Lauderdale’s ADU permitting runs through the city’s Building Services Division, but the real bottleneck is often the pre-application meeting where staff flag flood-zone elevation requirements and HVHZ product approvals. We handle the full design-build package, from site survey and utility capacity check to stamped plans and permit pull. In master-planned communities near Weston Road, we also manage the parallel HOA architectural review so you don’t end up with a city permit in hand and a stop-work order from the association.
Garage Conversion ADU
This is our most called-about service in Fort Lauderdale, especially in Rio Vista, Las Olas Isles, and the finger-isle neighborhoods where lot coverage limits make detached ADUs impractical. We recently completed a garage conversion ADU for a homeowner in the Rio Vista neighborhood off Bayshore Drive, where the existing CBS garage slab sat at 7 feet elevation in an AE flood zone. Our tech had to raise the subfloor, rough-in all plumbing and electrical to meet current code, and coordinate with the HOA architectural committee on door and window styles that matched the builder-grade originals. After city inspection sign-off, the 400-square-foot ADU passed final punch list with no change orders because we put every allowance in writing before demolition. A typical garage conversion in Fort Lauderdale runs $30,000-$80,000.
New Detached ADU
Detached ADUs in Fort Lauderdale face the tightest constraints: setback rules from navigable waterways, FEMA flood-elevation requirements, and in the western communities, HOA covenants that restrict secondary structures by square footage or roof pitch. We source impact-rated windows and HVHZ-approved roofing from GAF and Owens Corning - brands that carry the separate Miami-Dade product approval required in Broward County. The foundation alone on a flood-zone lot can add $8,000-$15,000 over inland pricing due to stem-wall height and fill requirements.
Junior ADU & Interior Conversion
Junior ADUs - converted interior space with a separate entrance but shared utilities - work best in Fort Lauderdale’s older CBS homes where the original floor plan has redundant formal spaces. We see these in Victoria Park and Colee Hammock, where 1,400-square-foot 1960s ranch homes get a second bedroom and bath carved from oversized living rooms. The key constraint is wet-wall access; if the kitchen or bath stack isn’t adjacent to the conversion zone, plumbing costs jump fast. We map that in the first site visit and put the number in writing.
Second Story Additions
Adding a second story in Fort Lauderdale means dealing with CBS load-bearing walls that were never designed for the transfer loads, plus truss systems that may need complete replacement. In newer builder-grade homes, this is where owners trip hardest: cutting into load-bearing walls or altering the building envelope without written builder approval voids the structural warranty, leaving them to pay out of pocket for foundation or truss issues. We always pull the original truss engineering before we quote, and we coordinate with the builder’s warranty department when the home is under 10 years old. A second-story addition in Fort Lauderdale typically falls in the $45,000-$130,000 range depending on whether we’re adding 400 or 800 square feet.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Before
AfterTrusted Brands We Service in Fort Lauderdale
We source across fifty-plus vetted brands, and for Fort Lauderdale’s HVHZ requirements, that vetting matters. Our roofing and window packages specify GAF, CertainTeed, and Owens Corning products that carry Miami-Dade product approval - the separate certification required in Broward County that disqualifies materials legal in Palm Beach County or Orlando. We stock common HVHZ-rated windows and impact doors locally to cut lead times, and our paver and hardscape work draws from Belgard and Techo-Bloc lines rated for South Florida’s salt-air exposure. The written quote names the manufacturer and model number, not “or equal.”
Common Home Additions & ADU Problems We See in Fort Lauderdale Homes
- Builder warranty voids from unapproved modifications. Homeowners in newer developments assume their builder warranty covers any modification, but cutting into load-bearing walls, adding a second story, or altering the building envelope without written builder approval voids the structural warranty. We always contact the builder’s warranty department before structural work begins and document the response.
- HOA stop-work orders from out-of-sequence permitting. In HOA-governed communities, owners submit permits before securing architectural review board approval, then face stop-work orders and change orders to match approved colors, roof pitches, or setback rules that differ from city code. We file both tracks simultaneously and don’t break ground until both approvals are in hand.
- Flood-zone elevation surprises on waterfront lots. On finger-isle lots in Rio Vista and Las Olas Isles, additions often hit unexpected utility depths or pump-station infrastructure zones, causing inspection delays that push the draw schedule and add unplanned retaining or grouting costs. We pull the city’s pump-station sequencing map during pre-construction planning.
- HVHZ product rejections at inspection. Broward County’s High Velocity Hurricane Zone requires separate product approval for roofing, windows, and doors. We’ve seen owners source their own materials online - “impact-rated” but not Miami-Dade approved - and fail inspection. Every product in our quotes carries the right certification, and we document it in the submittal package.
Pricing for Home Additions & ADU in Fort Lauderdale, FL
These are the ranges we write on our quotes for Fort Lauderdale projects. They’re flat prices with written scope, not estimates that balloon later.
| Service | Price Range in Fort Lauderdale |
|---|---|
| Home Addition | $45,000-$130,000 |
| ADU Construction | $90,000-$220,000 |
| Garage Conversion | $30,000-$80,000 |
| Kitchen Remodel | $14,000-$45,000 |
| Bathroom Remodel | $9,000-$28,000 |
What moves you within these ranges: square footage, flood-zone elevation requirements, HVHZ material upgrades, and whether the project needs full architectural plans or can use a prescriptive design. In Fort Lauderdale’s master-planned communities, HOA-mandated material matching - specific siding profiles, roof tile color, window grille patterns - can add 10-15% over base pricing. We itemize every allowance so you see where the money goes before we start. Call (754) 254-7676 for your free estimate; we also offer a Free Second Opinion on any written estimate from another contractor.
We Also Serve Cities Near Fort Lauderdale
Our crews work throughout Broward County, including Home Additions & ADU in Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding cities of Plantation, Pompano Beach, Hollywood, and Margate. Each jurisdiction has its own permit timeline and flood-zone map; we maintain current contacts at every building department to keep projects moving.
Serving Fort Lauderdale, FL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Fort Lauderdale area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs - Home Additions & ADU in Fort Lauderdale
Yes. In Fort Lauderdale’s master-planned communities, particularly those along the western corridor near Weston Road, every addition or ADU must pass both the HOA architectural review board and a separate city building permit. We file both applications simultaneously and won’t schedule demolition until both approvals are in hand - under The Haven Standard, no work proceeds until the paperwork is complete. Call (754) 254-7676 to discuss your specific community’s timeline.
All roofing, window, and door products used in Fort Lauderdale must carry a separate Miami-Dade product approval, a stricter standard than neighboring Palm Beach County requires. This disqualifies materials that are legal elsewhere in Florida and typically adds 8-12% to material costs for impact-rated openings and HVHZ-certified roofing. We specify GAF, CertainTeed, and Owens Corning products with current approvals, and we include the submittal documentation in every permit package. For a line-itemed quote on your project, call (754) 254-7676.
The biggest risk is voiding the structural warranty by modifying load-bearing elements without written builder approval. Most builder warranties in Fort Lauderdale’s newer developments - particularly those built 2015-2025 - explicitly exclude damage from owner-initiated structural changes. We always contact the builder’s warranty department before cutting into walls or adding second-story loads, and we document that clearance in your project file. Get your free estimate at (754) 254-7676.
Usually yes. Much of Fort Lauderdale sits at 6-9 feet elevation within FEMA AE flood zones, and finished floors in converted spaces must meet current base flood elevation plus freeboard. In our Rio Vista project off Bayshore Drive, we raised the subfloor 8 inches to comply, which added roughly $4,500 to the base conversion cost. We check FEMA maps and city flood-plain data during the first site visit and include any elevation work as a line item in the written quote. Call (754) 254-7676 to schedule that visit.
Five things: the flat total price, the line-item scope of work, the material specifications with brand and model numbers, the project schedule with permit and inspection milestones, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise terms. Under Clause 1 of The Haven Standard, the price is written before anyone starts; under Clause 3, no change proceeds without a signed change order. You also receive a documented photo record of every visit as standard. Call (754) 254-7676 and we’ll deliver that package for your project.
Written by Grant Rowan, Owner at Rowan Construction Group, serving Fort Lauderdale since 2007.