Owner’s representative in Fort Lauderdale

Much of the city’s best housing sits on canals. A waterfront project on the Las Olas Isles, in Rio Vista or Harbor Beach often includes seawalls, docks and boat lifts, which can need Broward County environmental approval and sometimes state or federal approval on top of the city permit. The county and city also set minimum elevations for new and substantially rebuilt seawalls, which affects older canal lots.

Broward County is in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ), so roofing, windows and doors need HVHZ-rated approvals and structural work follows the stricter rules. Many lots are in FEMA flood zones, and a renovation that reaches half of the structure’s market value (substantial improvement) can require bringing an older home up to current flood rules.

Larger projects downtown, in Flagler Village and along the beach go through the city’s Development Review Committee and, depending on scope, the Planning and Zoning Board, the City Commission or the Historic Preservation Board in districts such as Sailboat Bend. Oceanfront work seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line also needs a state coastal permit. We lay out this approval path at the start.