From garage conversion to fully detached accessory dwelling unit. Design, Miami-Dade NOA product approvals, permits, construction, and certificate of occupancy — all under one licensed GC contract, built to the state's toughest wind code.
Representative example finishes for illustration — not a specific completed project.
Our ADU & Garage Conversion Work
How it works
ADUs involve zoning review, NOA-compliant drawings, structural engineering, multiple permit departments, and a final CO inspection. We manage the entire process under one contract — you don't project-manage it.
We review your lot, zoning jurisdiction (unincorporated county vs. one of Miami-Dade's 34+ cities), setbacks, utility connections, and flood elevation before you spend a dollar on drawings.
Architectural drawings, HVHZ structural engineering, and Miami-Dade NOA product selection for every window, door, and roofing component. Permit fees included in written scope.
Foundation, framing, roofing, electrical, plumbing, insulation, drywall, flooring, kitchen or kitchenette, bathroom — all trades coordinated under our GC license.
Final inspections across all trades, CO issued by the correct jurisdiction. You receive a completed, legal dwelling unit with a certificate of occupancy — ready to rent or move family in.
What we build in Miami-Dade
Garage conversions are the fastest and most cost-effective ADU option in Miami-Dade. Detached ADUs on larger lots in Kendall, Homestead, and unincorporated areas offer more flexibility and rental income potential. We build both to HVHZ standard.
Convert your existing attached or detached garage into a legal, permitted living space. We handle the floor leveling, insulation upgrade, mini-split HVAC, electrical panel sub-feed, plumbing rough-in for a kitchenette and bathroom, and CO application. Most efficient ADU path in Miami-Dade.
A standalone dwelling unit built on your lot — separate from the main house. New foundation, HVHZ-rated structural system, its own utility connections, kitchen, bathroom, and CO. Best option for maximizing rental income or creating a fully independent living space for family.
Already have a builder but need help getting through Miami-Dade's RER permitting process or a city building department? We provide architectural drawings, HVHZ engineering, NOA product documentation, permit submission, and project management through CO — without doing the construction ourselves.
Honest pricing
ADU costs in Miami-Dade run higher than most of Florida because every exterior product must carry a Miami-Dade NOA or HVHZ-rated Florida Product Approval, and land/labor costs in the county are among the state's highest. These ranges include design, permits, and CO — not just construction. We quote the total project cost in writing before you commit.
Convert an attached or detached garage into a legal ADU. Fastest path to a CO'd unit in Miami-Dade — existing structure, existing roof, existing footprint.
New detached ADU, 400–800 sq ft. New foundation, HVHZ-rated CBS construction, full mechanical systems, kitchenette or full kitchen, bathroom, and independent utility connections, NOA-approved windows and roofing.
800–1,200+ sq ft detached ADU with full kitchen, 1–2 bedrooms, 1–2 bathrooms, laundry hookup, and high-spec finishes. Designed for long-term rental income or a permanent family suite.
Miami-Dade County · What property owners need to know
ADU projects in Miami-Dade touch the state's strictest wind code, a patchwork of 34+ incorporated cities, and coastal flood review. A handyman or unlicensed contractor cannot legally manage this.
Coral Gables requires accessory dwellings to meet Section 5-1103 of the Zoning Code, which mandates an identifiable architectural style — Mediterranean, Colonial, Venetian, Italian, French, or Bahamian — matching George Merrick's original vision for the city. The Board of Architects, which meets weekly, reviews every accessory structure against the Design Review Standards in Section 5-100 before a permit can move forward. We design for this review from day one, not as a late-stage correction.
Coral Gables sits within Miami-Dade's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, with a 175 mph design wind speed — the highest in the state. Every window, door, and roofing product on your ADU must carry a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA), and those products still have to be selected within the Board of Architects' approved material and color palette. We balance both requirements from the first drawing.
Properties near canals, wetlands, or coastal flood zones often require review by Miami-Dade's Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) in addition to standard building permits — covering septic/well setbacks, flood elevation (base flood elevation plus freeboard), and king-tide resilience requirements that are more aggressive in Miami-Dade than inland counties. We identify DERM-triggering conditions during the feasibility step, not after drawings are paid for.
Detached ADUs require electrical service (new sub-panel or meter), water connection, and sewer tap. Florida HB 1339 now caps ADU impact fees at the single-family rate, but Miami-Dade's school impact fee and utility connection costs still apply on top of that — we include a full fee assessment in the written scope, not a rough estimate.
The certificate of occupancy is what makes an ADU legal to rent or occupy. Unpermitted "in-law suites" have no legal standing and create serious liability when you sell or insure the property — and are a frequent code enforcement target in dense Miami-Dade neighborhoods. Every ADU we build targets a CO at close-out.
We provide HVHZ-compliant architectural drawings, manage the permit across whichever of the 34+ jurisdictions applies, coordinate all trades, and deliver the CO. You have one contract and one point of contact — not a separate architect, engineer, plumber, electrician, and framer you hired off Craigslist.
We bring the same feasibility-first ADU process we built across South Florida to Coral Gables' Board of Architects review. Here is what shapes every project in this city.
Coral Gables' biggest trap isn't the building code — it's the Board of Architects. Because every accessory structure needs to pass Design Review Standards for massing, materials, and architectural style before a permit moves forward, the first question on every Coral Gables inquiry is whether the design will clear the board on the first submission, not just whether it meets size and setback rules. We design to the board's standards from the first sketch.
Once the design is board-ready, the HVHZ wind code sets the material budget — NOA-rated windows, doors, and roofing cost more than standard product, and those products still have to fit the approved Mediterranean or historic-style palette. We price the real number and the real design-review timeline before you sign anything.
From the Biltmore area to Gables Estates — Coral Gables is part of our Miami-Dade County market, backed by 10+ years of licensed GC experience in South Florida.
Verified reviews from ADU and garage conversion projects across Miami-Dade County.
"We didn't know our windows needed Miami-Dade NOA approval, not just a regular Florida product sticker. D&Co caught that before it became a problem at inspection. CO in hand 8 months after we first called."
"Garage conversion in Hialeah. D&Co handled the drawings, the permit through the city, all the trades, and the CO. My parents moved in within 5 months. Knowing the full cost upfront mattered most."
"I rent the unit out long-term near Cutler Bay. The total project cost was $98,000. Two other contractors couldn't explain the DERM review for my canal-adjacent lot. D&Co walked me through it before we signed anything."
Common questions
The process, the cost, what needs an NOA, and what makes an ADU legal to rent in Miami-Dade.
ADU cost in Coral Gables ranges from $45,000 for a basic garage conversion to $200,000+ for a custom detached unit with HVHZ-rated construction and premium finishes. Our pricing includes design, NOA-compliant product selection, permits, construction, and CO — not just construction labor. The most common detached ADU project (400–800 sq ft) runs $75,000–$130,000 all-in.
Yes. Miami-Dade County (along with Broward) sits in Florida's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, with a 175 mph design wind speed — the highest in the state. Every window, door, roofing product, and exterior component used on an ADU must carry a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) from the County's Product Control Section, or a statewide Florida Product Approval explicitly rated for HVHZ use. This is stricter than ordinary wind-borne debris region rules used in most of the rest of Florida, and it changes which products a builder can legally use.
Only if it has a certificate of occupancy as a dwelling unit. An unpermitted conversion — even a beautifully finished one — cannot be legally rented and is a common code enforcement target in Coral Gables. It also creates liability when you sell (must be disclosed) and may void your homeowner's insurance. We build every ADU through to CO so the unit is legal, insurable, and rentable from day one.
Design and drawings typically take 4–8 weeks. Permit review runs 4–14 weeks, including the Board of Architects' weekly review cycle for Design Review Standards compliance. We manage this timeline and design to pass board review on the first submission.
In most cases, yes. Accessory dwellings are a permitted use in the Single-Family Residential (SFR) district, but Section 5-1103 of the Zoning Code requires an identifiable architectural style — Mediterranean, Colonial, Venetian, Italian, French, or Bahamian — and the Board of Architects, which meets every Thursday morning, reviews the Design Review Standards under Section 5-100 before a permit can move forward. We confirm your design approach against board precedent before quoting — not after you've paid for drawings.
ADU projects in Coral Gables typically include: impact fees (now capped at the single-family rate under Florida HB 1339, generally $5,000–$15,000 depending on jurisdiction), school impact fees (roughly $3,000–$5,000), utility connection fees ($4,000–$15,000), permit fees ($1,500–$4,000), and architectural drawings and HVHZ-rated engineering ($7,000–$20,000). All of these are included in our written total project cost — no surprises at permit issuance.
Yes. D&Co holds Florida Certified General Contractor license CGC1531095, which authorizes all phases of residential and commercial construction including HVHZ-rated ADU design-build projects. Dariceli Kunhardt has 10+ years in construction, development, and project management. All work is fully permitted and inspected under our GC license. Verify at the Florida DBPR website.
Ready to explore?
Tell us your lot, your goals, and your timeline. We'll review zoning, NOA requirements, and give you an honest picture of what's buildable before you commit to anything.
Prefer email? office@dandcohomes.com
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