Condo association
approval

Two approvals, not one

A condominium renovation generally needs the city or county building permit and the association's own approval. The association's rules live in the declaration and the rules adopted under it, not in the building code.

We did not find association approval letters listed on the City of Fort Lauderdale permit page we read, so we cannot say whether the city asks for one with a unit permit. Ask the building department, and ask the association, early.

Sequence matters. An association may meet only on a set schedule, and a board can ask for changes to drawings that the city has already reviewed. Learning the association's process first lets the architect design once instead of twice, and lets the contractor schedule deliveries, elevators and trades around the building's own rules.

What Chapter 718 says about common elements

Section 718.113 of the Florida Statutes says maintenance of the common elements is the association's responsibility, except limited common elements that the declaration assigns to a unit owner.

The statute also says there may be no material alteration or substantial addition to the common elements unless approved as the declaration provides. If the declaration is silent, 75 percent of the total voting interests must approve before the work begins.

That rule restricts the association, not an individual owner's work inside a unit. Do not read it as the standard for your own remodel.

Safety and soundness

Section 718.113 also says unit owners may not do anything in their unit or on the common elements that adversely affects the safety or soundness of the common elements or association property.

As general knowledge, that is why associations often want structural, plumbing or balcony work reviewed. The statute section we read does not list what an association must require, so that detail sits in your declaration and rules.

Hurricane protection and windows

Under the same section, the board must adopt hurricane protection specifications for each building, including color and style, consistent with the building code. The board may not refuse an owner's installation that conforms to the specifications, though it can require a unified exterior appearance.

With a majority of voting interests, the board may install hurricane protection or require owners to install it.

For product approval questions on windows, doors and shutters, see our coastal and wind guide. Ask the association for its current specification before you order anything.

What to ask the association

The sources we read do not describe a typical declaration, and a 2025 amendment, chapter 2025-175, touched Chapter 718. We read only section 718.113, so ask the association or its attorney whether newer provisions affect your work.

Ask for these in writing, and share the answers with your architect and contractor before drawings are final:

• The declaration, rules and any alteration application form
• Whether flooring, plumbing, balcony, window or structural changes need board approval
• Who reviews the application, how often the board meets, and how long review usually takes
• Working hours, elevator reservation, delivery and noise rules
• What insurance and contractor documents the association wants, and who must be named
• Any deposit, fee or engineer review the association requires

Where a contractor fits

General practice is that the owner applies to the association, and the contractor and architect supply the drawings, scope and documents it asks for. Mike Johnson's approach puts coordination and preconstruction first, so the association's rules shape the schedule and budget before work starts.

Realtors can help a buyer by asking for the declaration and rules before the closing, so renovation limits are known when the price is set.

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