If this sounds familiar
"Took my deposit, then ghosted." You signed, paid 30% so they could order cabinets, and the start date came and went. Now your texts sit on read. The fix is in the payment schedule. Keep the first payment small, tie the rest to work you can see, and get the permit and start dates written into the contract so the Florida clock applies.
"Supposed to be a six-week kitchen remodel." Three months later you're washing dishes in the bathroom sink. In Miami the slip usually starts with permits, then the subs. Ask who pulls the permit, how you'll see its status, and what the plan is if the city sends comments back.
"The estimate came out at the top of my budget." Then the change orders started. Ask for an itemized price and how changes get priced, in writing, before anyone opens a wall.
What people worry about most, and what to do
"They took the deposit and went silent"
Before you pay anything, look up the contractor's license on the state's search at myfloridalicense.com. Keep the deposit modest and know the rule: more than 10% up front starts a 30-day clock to apply for permits and a 90-day clock to start after they're issued. If they miss it, Florida lets you send a written demand by certified mail. A contractor who doesn't act within 30 days of that demand can be presumed to have no good reason, and holding your money without doing the work carries criminal penalties under the same law.
Call (786) 627-5048"It's going to take months"
One Miami homeowner on Reddit was told a full interior renovation needs "about two to three months in permitting, a few months for construction." A kitchen alone is usually simpler. In the City of Miami, kitchen and bath remodels can go through Walk-Thru Express, a same-morning review, unless the home is in a historic district, has an open code violation, or the job is legalizing old unpermitted work. Ask the remodeler which path your job takes and why.
Call (786) 627-5048"This will go over budget, it always does"
Ask for a written price broken out by cabinets, counters, plumbing, electrical, flooring, permits and cleanup. Ask how a change order gets priced before it happens, not after. One Miami homeowner on r/Miami found "another sub-contractor somehow between the electrician and my GC," which meant extra markup. It's fair to ask who's actually doing each part.
Call (786) 627-5048What to hold any remodeler to
- They answer and keep you updated: same-day replies, a set day for progress updates, one person you can call.
- A detailed written price with no surprises in it.
- They show up on the day they said.
- They pull the permits and show you the status.
- A name and a direct number, not a general inbox.
- Floors and the rest of the house covered and kept clean.
- They come back to fix what's wrong after the last payment.
- A certificate of insurance sent from the insurer's office, and two recent references you can call.
What moves the price of a Miami kitchen
We don't publish a price range, because the same 10 by 12 kitchen can land very far apart depending on a few things. One Miami homeowner on Reddit said their kitchen came to about $55,000; another posted a $46,000 estimate for a 13 by 13 kitchen with cabinets, island and counters. What moves your number:
- Moving the sink, range or walls. Keeping plumbing where it is costs far less than relocating it.
- Cabinet line. Stock, semi-custom and custom cabinets are the biggest single swing.
- Countertop material and seams. Bigger islands mean bigger slabs or a seam.
- What's behind the old cabinets. Water damage or old wiring only shows up after demo.
- Permits and the building. Condo rules on hours and deliveries add time, and time adds cost.
- The 50% rule. In a flood zone, if the whole job reaches half the building's value (land not counted), the house has to meet current flood code. That changes everything, so ask about it early on a big remodel.
A good written price lists each of these as its own line.
What's different about kitchens here
A lot of Miami's houses are concrete-block homes from the middle of the last century. The typical home in Little Havana, Allapattah and Little Haiti was built around 1960, according to Census data. Opening the walls in a house that age can turn up old drain lines and wiring that has to come up to code once a permit is pulled. If you want to open the kitchen to the living room, that wall may need a new header and sometimes an engineer's sign-off.
In a condo, your association's rules come first. Read the building's alteration rules before you sign with anyone, and ask the remodeler whether they've worked in your building or one like it.
Humidity is the other local enemy. Ask that cabinet bottoms near the sink and dishwasher are sealed, and pick boxes that won't swell if a drip goes unnoticed.
What happens after you call
- You call (786) 627-5048, press 1, then choose kitchen, then enter your ZIP code.
- We connect you with a remodeler who works in your part of Miami.
- They visit, measure, and talk through what you want.
- You get a written, itemized price and a schedule that includes the permit dates.
- They pull the permit (and your condo approval, if you're in one) before demo.
- Work starts, and you get updates on the day you agreed.
Other things people ask about
Picking a finish you'll regret. Very light granite can darken, marble shows "every water mark and accidental stain," and all-white cabinets show every smudge. Ask to see a sample in your own light, at home, before you commit.
Living through the dust. Ask how the work area will be sealed off and where cutting will happen. Outside is better than inside.
They won't come back. Get the warranty terms in writing, and keep a small final payment until the punch list is done.
What's behind the cabinets. Ask how the remodeler handles surprises like finding water damage once the old cabinets come out, and how that gets priced.
Kitchen remodels across Miami, including Little Havana, Allapattah, Little Haiti, Liberty City, Buena Vista, Coconut Grove, Brickell, Miami Beach, North Miami, Miami Shores and Princeton. See all service areas.
Questions Miami homeowners ask
Questions people ask
Is a 50k estimate for kitchen remodel high?
It depends on what's in it. Cabinets, counters, moving plumbing and permits all move the number. Compare written, itemized prices line by line instead of totals. If one bid is far below the others, ask what it leaves out.
Am I wrong to be turned off that the estimate came out at the top of my budget?
No. Tell the remodeler your real budget and ask what they'd change to hit it: keeping the layout, a different cabinet line, or a smaller island.
Anyone dealt with Miami permitting for a full renovation?
Plenty of people have. Kitchen and bath remodels in the City of Miami can use Walk-Thru Express unless the house is in a historic district, has an open violation, or the job legalizes old work. Miami Beach and North Miami have their own building departments, and condo work in Miami Beach needs a letter from the association.
What are some red flags when hiring a general contractor?
A big deposit up front, no written price, no permit, and trouble reaching them before the job even starts. Check the license at myfloridalicense.com.
Reface vs new kitchen?
If the cabinet boxes are solid and you like the layout, refacing can make sense. If you're changing the layout or the boxes are swollen from water, new cabinets usually do. See kitchen cabinets.
How do they deal with unexpected issues, like they take out your cabinets and find water damage?
Ask before you sign. A good contract says how hidden damage gets documented, priced and approved before anyone fixes it.
Get a written price before anyone touches your kitchen
Call (786) 627-5048 and we'll connect you with a remodeler who works in Miami. Press 1, then choose kitchen or bathroom and enter your ZIP code. Or get a written price online.