Remodeling Contractor in Winter Park, FL

Remodeling in Winter Park

Winter Park homeowners rarely want a remodel that looks new for its own sake. Many houses here were built between the 1920s and the 1960s: Mediterranean Revival and frame cottages near Park Avenue and Rollins College, brick and block ranches on the side streets toward Lake Sue and Lakemont, and lakefront homes along the Winter Park Chain of Lakes. The goal is usually a kitchen or bath that works like a modern room while still fitting the character of the house, the street and in some cases the historic register.

That shapes the work in practical ways. Older Winter Park homes often have plaster walls, original wood floors, small closed kitchens and one or two baths sized for another era. Opening a kitchen to the family room, adding a primary bath or replacing a 1950s pink tile bathroom tends to uncover old cast iron drains, limited electrical service and framing that someone else already altered. We plan for those conditions at the first visit instead of discovering them after demolition.

We have worked in Winter Park before: a Winter Park customer reviewed their full kitchen renovation with us on Google. Each new Winter Park project still starts with an in-home visit and careful measurements, because no two of these houses have the same walls, ceiling heights or past alterations. From there you get a 3D rendering of the new room, time with our designer choosing materials in the showroom, and a clear answer up front on whether the job needs only a building permit or also a historic or tree review.

Homes in Winter Park and what they need

Winter Park's housing ranges from 1920s and 1930s wood-frame and stucco homes near downtown, many in Mediterranean Revival, Colonial or bungalow styles, to the brick and concrete block ranches built in the 1950s and 1960s across much of the city. Many lots have been redeveloped with larger new homes, so a single street can mix a 1926 cottage, a 1958 ranch and a 2015 two-story. Older homes commonly have original plaster, hardwood floors, galvanized or cast iron plumbing and limited electrical capacity. Typical remodel needs: enlarging closed kitchens, adding or modernizing primary baths, replacing mid-century tile bathrooms and upgrading plumbing and wiring while walls are open.

Who issues building permits in Winter Park?

The City of Winter Park Building and Permitting Services department issues residential building permits for properties inside Winter Park city limits. Many addresses in ZIP 32792, and some with a Winter Park mailing address, are actually in unincorporated Orange County, where the Orange County Division of Building Safety issues permits through its Fast Track system. The Orange County Property Appraiser record shows which jurisdiction applies.

In the city, permits are applied for online with a signed and notarized application, and separate trade permits are pulled for electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas work. A recorded Notice of Commencement is generally required before the first inspection on larger permitted jobs. We prepare the application package, file under our general and plumbing contractor licenses and schedule inspections as each stage is ready.

Winter Park has two local reviews that can come before the building permit. Designated historic properties, and homes inside a designated historic district, need a Certificate of Review from the Historic Preservation Board for exterior additions or alterations. The city also requires a tree removal permit for protected trees on private property, which matters any time an addition, a new slab or a dumpster and material staging area sits near a large oak.

HOA and architectural review

Most of central Winter Park has no HOA, but some newer enclaves and lakefront communities do, and condominium buildings near downtown have association rules on work hours, elevator use and flooring underlayment. Exterior changes to designated historic properties go through the city's Historic Preservation Board instead.

What we plan around in Winter Park

• Designated historic properties and homes inside a designated district need a Certificate of Review for exterior additions or alterations before work starts; interior kitchens and baths are generally not part of it.
• Protected trees on private property need a city tree removal permit, so additions, new patios and even staging near a large oak have to be planned around the canopy.
• A Winter Park mailing address does not guarantee city permitting; parts of 32792 are unincorporated Orange County and are permitted by the county.
• Homes from the 1920s to the 1960s often have plaster walls, cast iron drains and limited electrical service that need upgrading during a kitchen or bath remodel.
• Narrow brick streets and tight lots near downtown limit dumpster and delivery placement, so we schedule material drops and protect the yard and driveway.