Why is the scope of work so important in a residential remodel or addition - Miami residential architect explains
- Maria Luisa Castellanos
- 7 days ago
- 7 min read
As a Miami residential architect, I want to explain why the scope of work for an addition or remodel matters. But before you even consider talking to an architect about a substantial remodel or addition, you need to establish two things:
(1 ) Are you in a flood zone?
(2) Are you connected to a sewer line or are you on septic tank?
If you are in a flood zone, FEMA has limitation on how much you can build. Can you go around this, yes, but you have to know how.
What about the septic tank issue, why is that important? The requirements for new septic tanks were changed by Miami-Dade County last year, so new septic tanks are more expensive. And with an addition, you probably will need to replace the new septic tank with a larger one.
Miami residential architect explains scope of work and levels of alterations
Now, let’s talk about the scope of work. What is a scope of work? A Scope of Work (SOW) is a detailed document that defines exactly what needs to be built, installed, or repaired. It serves as a legally binding "game plan" outlining specific tasks, deliverables, timelines, materials, and responsibilities for all parties involved.
In my business, the most common scope of work that I see are either the remodeling of the kitchen and bathrooms in a whole house remodeling, or the addition of another bedroom and bathroom usually to create a better master bedroom suite, or a family room addition.
The most expensive rooms in a house are the kitchen and the bathrooms. If you plan to remodel or add either of these, be aware that they are expensive.
If you plan to take down walls or partitions, you first need to determine if they are structural. The easiest way to do this is to get the existing microfilm plans from your municipality or the county. If your house was built before 1960, those walls that look like drywall partitions may well be structural walls. We did not have trusses before 1960, so the roof had to span from partition to partition.
Notice that rafters span the width of the room, but not more. So, check and see if your roof is composed of rafters or trusses. If you don’t feel confident in determining this, your architect’s structural engineer will be more than happy to determine this for you.
You want to make sure that this is done at the beginning. You do not want to remove bearing partitions without a plan on how to hold up the roof!
Level 1 Alteration
If you are doing a simple remodeling where you are just changing the finishes to the bathrooms, the floors, changing out the kitchen cabinet, but not changing the arrangements of the rooms, this is a Level 1 Alteration. This will be very easy to permit.
Level 2 Alteration
Level 2 Alteration applies when the work area is less than 50% of the total building area and involves the addition, replacement, or rearrangement of walls, fixtures, or building systems. It is essentially a step up from minor repairs and replacements.
Level 2 alterations demand a higher standard of structural and life safety than Level 1, without triggering a full gut renovation to bring the entire building up to modern standards for new construction.
Vertical Openings: Any new or modified openings between floors must be enclosed with fire-rated construction to prevent the spread of fire and smoke.
Means of Egress: The number of exits, travel distances, and corridor dimensions must comply with the code for the altered areas. Windows in new bedrooms must comply with the required dimensions in case of fire, they will be easy to exit.
Structural Upgrades: If altered elements are carrying gravity or lateral loads, they must be checked and reinforced to meet specific load criteria.
Level 3 Alteration
Under the Florida Building Code – Existing Building (Chapter 9), a Level 3 Alteration is triggered when your reconfigured work area exceeds 50 percent of the aggregate building area. This represents a major, whole-house structural and spatial remodel
Critical Requirements for Level 3 Remodels
While you do not need to bring the entire existing structure up to 100% current code, a Level 3 alteration subjects your home to stricter compliance standards:
Structural Upgrades: Any altered or reconfigured structural elements must meet current wind and load codes. The existing lateral force-resisting system requires evaluation depending on the work.
Fire Safety: If your home is an attached unit (e.g., a townhouse), continuous fire separation may be required between units depending on the extent of the removed wall/ceiling finishes.
Means of Egress: You must ensure that escape routes, window sizes (especially for bedrooms), and door clearances within the work area align with modern life safety standards.
Energy Efficiency: While the entire structure is exempt from a full energy code retrofit, new and replaced materials in your remodel must meet current standards for new construction.
It is important to note that as we move from Level 1 to Level 3, the costs of the renovations go up. This is not a problem in itself, but the owner must keep this in mind.
Your scope of work will affect zoning, setbacks, and lot coverage requirements
Before finalizing your scope of work, you must verify your local zoning rules. Every property is governed by setback requirements — minimum distances that any structure must maintain from the front, rear, and side property lines. Building into a setback area without a variance is not permitted, regardless of how the addition might look or how much you want the space. Similarly, most municipalities impose lot coverage limits, which cap the total percentage of the lot that can be covered by structures. An addition that pushes you over that limit will not receive a permit. Your architect can obtain a survey and check these constraints early, saving you from designing something that cannot be built.
Check whether any part of your house is in a setback already. I had a project like that where we had to go to a variance because part of the existing house was in a setback and the new addition could not be built until this problem was resolved through a variance.
HOA and deed restrictions
Many South Florida homeowners live in communities governed by a Homeowners Association (HOA) or subject to deed restrictions. These are private rules that exist entirely separate from county building codes, and they can be more restrictive. An HOA may require architectural review board approval before any exterior work begins, impose limits on roof materials, exterior colors, or the size of additions, and may prohibit certain outbuildings or structures altogether. Even if the county approves your permit, the HOA can still block construction. Always review your HOA documents and deed restrictions as one of the very first steps before investing in architectural drawings.
The permitting process
Once your architect has prepared the drawings, they must be submitted to the building department for plan review. For a substantial remodel or addition, this typically involves architectural drawings, structural engineering calculations, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) plans and sometimes civil engineering plans or drainage calculations. Plan review times vary widely by municipality — in Miami-Dade County, reviews can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months depending on the complexity of the project and the current workload of the building department. Once approved, the permit is issued and construction can begin. Inspections are required at specific stages — such as after framing, rough-in of plumbing and electrical, and insulation — before the work can be covered and before a final certificate of occupancy is issued. Never build without a permit. Unpermitted work creates serious problems when you try to sell the home, can result in fines and required demolition, and may invalidate your homeowner’s insurance coverage for that portion of the structure.
Hiring licensed contractors
Florida law requires that contractors who pull building permits hold an active state or local license. A general contractor license is required for structural work; specialty licenses are required for electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work. Before signing any contract, verify the contractor’s license on the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (www.myfloridalicense.com) website, and confirm that they carry both general liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage. Hiring an unlicensed contractor may seem like a way to save money, but the risks are substantial: they cannot legally pull permits, their work will not be inspected, and if a worker is injured on your property, you may be held personally liable, if the general contractor does not carry workmen’s comp. insurance. If you are presently on septic tank, and you add square footage and a bathroom, you may also have to provide an additional septic tank or replace the one you have with a larger one and increase the drainfield area. These are not optional expenses; they are code requirements. Your architect and engineer should identify all likely system upgrade requirements during the planning stage, so they are included in your budget from the start.
Realistic timeline expectations
Homeowners frequently underestimate how long a remodel or addition takes from first conversation to move-in. A realistic breakdown for a modest addition in Miami-Dade might look like this: initial design and programming with your architect, two to four weeks; schematic design and design development, four to eight weeks; construction documents and engineering, six to ten weeks; plan review and permitting, four to twelve weeks depending on the municipality and project complexity; and construction itself, three to a year or more, depending on the project scope. In total, it is not unusual for a well-managed addition to take twelve to twenty-four months from the first meeting with the architect to a final certificate of occupancy. Planning for this timeline from the outset — rather than discovering it mid-process — reduces stress and helps you make better decisions about temporary housing, school schedules, and financing.
Contact information
If you would like to discuss your project, please call the principal of United Architects, Inc., Maria Luisa Castellanos, R.A., at 305-439-7898 or email her at MLC@UnitedArchs.com . She will be very happy to speak to you and answer questions you may have.
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