How to Prepare Your Florida Home for a Renovation

A little preparation makes a remodel go more smoothly for you and your contractor. Here's a checklist, with a few steps specific to Florida homes.

Before work starts

• Confirm permits and approvals. Make sure the permit is issued and posted, the Notice of Commencement is recorded for jobs over $5,000, and HOA approval is in hand. See HOA approval.
• Talk to your insurer. Ask whether your policy has conditions for major renovations or periods when the home is unoccupied.
• Agree on site rules with your contractor: working hours, parking, bathroom use, where materials are stored, how the site is secured at night and who has keys or codes.
• Notify neighbors, especially for roofing, demolition or work in close quarters.

Protect your home

• Move furniture, art and valuables out of the work area and nearby rooms.
• Ask how dust will be controlled: plastic barriers, zippered doors, floor protection and covering or turning off air conditioning returns in the work area.
• Protect floors along the path from the door to the work area.
• Keep pets away from the work area and open doors; consider boarding pets on demolition days.
• If you have a pool, protect it during roofing and demolition, and keep pool barrier gates closed and latched at all times.

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Test for lead and asbestos in older homes

• Lead. If your home was built before 1978, lead-based paint may be present. Under the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, contractors paid to disturb painted surfaces in pre-1978 homes must be certified and use lead-safe work practices, unless the work is very small or testing shows no lead-based paint. Ask for the firm's certification.
• Asbestos. Older vinyl flooring, black mastic adhesive, popcorn ceilings, some drywall compounds and other materials can contain asbestos. Have suspect materials tested by a qualified professional before demolition. See flooring costs for tile removal.

Plan for utility shut-offs

Ask when water, power or air conditioning will be off, and for how long. In Florida's summer, a day without air conditioning matters; plan for pets, older family members and anyone working from home.

Hurricane season

If your project runs between June 1 and November 30, agree on a storm plan: how the contractor will secure loose materials, dumpsters, open roofs and window openings, and how delays will be handled. Keep your own hurricane supplies accessible even if the garage is full of materials. See renovation timelines.

Budget for the unexpected

Older homes hide surprises; keep a contingency and read change orders and hidden damage before demolition starts.