A whole home luxury renovation is a construction project that happens inside an existing building, which means the schedule is set less by what you are adding than by what the demolition reveals. The phases are predictable. What is behind the walls is not, and that is the part worth planning for.
What counts as a whole home luxury renovation?
Work that touches every room, replaces the major systems, and usually alters the plan: new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing throughout, new finishes throughout, and structural change in at least one area. Anything less is a series of remodels, and it should be priced and scheduled as one.
The decision that precedes a whole home luxury renovation is covered in teardown versus renovation in South Florida.
What happens before anything is demolished?
Survey, structural assessment, existing conditions drawings, a permit history search, and design far enough advanced to price. Most of the cost and nearly all of the risk on a whole home luxury renovation is decided here, months before a crew arrives.
The sequence is set out in pre-construction planning for a luxury custom home.
What does permitting actually involve?
A signed and sealed drawing set, structural calculations where the plan changes, product approvals for windows, doors, and roofing, and often a floodplain review. Comments come back, and answering them in one complete package rather than piecemeal is what keeps a whole home luxury renovation on schedule.
The review path is mapped in the South Florida luxury home permitting process, and approved products are listed by the Florida Building Code.
What does demolition reveal?
Undocumented prior work, corroded plumbing, undersized framing, water damage behind finishes, and wiring that was never brought up to standard. This is the moment a contingency stops being theoretical, and it is why the contingency should be held by the owner and reported monthly.
How to structure that reserve is explained in payment schedules, contingency, and budgeting.
Why do the systems drive the schedule?
Because mechanical, electrical, and plumbing have to be roughed in, inspected, and closed before any finish work can begin, and because they are the trades most affected by a plan change. On a whole home luxury renovation the systems phase is where an optimistic program meets reality.
Equipment and controls are covered in energy management and sustainability systems.
When do finishes actually start?
Only once the building is dry, the rough-ins have passed inspection, and the selections have arrived. Stone, millwork, and imported fittings carry long lead times, so the selection calendar has to run months ahead of the trades that install them.
Procurement risk on a whole home luxury renovation is covered in contingency planning for supply chain issues.
What has to happen before you move back in?
Final inspections passed, the certificate of completion or occupancy issued, punch list closed, systems commissioned, and the closeout package delivered: warranties, manuals, as-built drawings, product approvals, and final lien waivers. Final payment should follow that package, not precede it.
What a whole home luxury renovation must hand over is listed in warranties and guarantees, and Florida lien procedure sits in Chapter 713 of the Florida Statutes.
Can you live in the house during the work?
Rarely, on a true whole home luxury renovation. Once the systems are open and the envelope is being worked on, the house is a construction site. Phasing to allow occupation is possible, but it lengthens the program and raises the cost, so it should be a deliberate decision rather than a hope.
A high-end renovation often runs 6 to 14+ months, and how that compares to building new is set out in renovation versus new construction.
How does Kass Construction & Development run one?
As a documented project rather than a series of trades. Kass Construction & Development is a state-licensed (CGC1529472) boutique luxury builder in East Fort Lauderdale led by Mitch Kass, a licensed general contractor and attorney, with 100+ luxury residences over 25+ years across Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade, and a whole home luxury renovation here is run with a written schedule, verified draws, and a monthly forecast.
Licenses are verifiable at the Florida DBPR. Contact Kass Construction & Development or call 954-607-4335.
| Phase | What it delivers | What stalls it |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment and design | Survey, structural review, drawings that can be priced | Designing before the existing conditions are known |
| Permitting | An approved set with product approvals identified | Answering plan review comments piecemeal |
| Demolition | The real condition of the structure and services | Discoveries with no contingency behind them |
| Systems | Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing roughed and inspected | Plan changes after the rough-in has started |
| Finishes | Millwork, stone, glazing, and equipment installed | Selections that arrive after the trade needs them |
| Closeout | Punch closed, commissioning, and the handover package | Final payment released before the package arrives |
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a whole home renovation take?
A high-end renovation often runs 6 to 14+ months depending on scope, structural change, approvals, and procurement. Design and permitting happen before that clock starts.
What is the most common cause of delay?
Late decisions. Selections that arrive after the trade needs them stall the sequence more often than the trades themselves do.
Do I need permits for a full interior renovation?
Yes. Structural change, electrical, plumbing, mechanical work, and window or door replacement all require permits and inspections.
What is a realistic contingency?
Enough to absorb what demolition uncovers without touching the upgrade budget. It should be held by the owner and reported with a remaining balance each month.
Should I move out?
On a true whole home project, usually yes. Phased occupation is possible but it extends the program and increases cost.
When are selections needed?
Far earlier than most owners expect. Long-lead stone, millwork, glazing, and equipment should be chosen during design, not during construction.
What should arrive at handover?
Warranties, manuals, as-built drawings, product approvals, commissioning records, closed permits, and final lien waivers, as one package.
