Florida Condo Kitchen Renovation Rules: Approvals, Insurance and Delivery

Florida's condo kitchen renovation rules come from two places: a short list of state statutes and your own building's declaration, bylaws and rules. State law decides who insures the cabinets (you, not the association), when the board must give written consent (an owner rebuilding after a property loss), and how alterations to the common elements get approved (the declaration's method, or 75% of the voting interests if it says nothing). The building's documents decide almost everything else, from the alteration application to work hours and the freight-elevator booking. Below: both layers, how a homeowners' association differs, then permits, the post-Surfside inspection and reserve laws, getting cartons from the loading dock to your unit, and materials for a unit whose AC may be off half the year.

We sell cabinets, not renovation services, and nothing here is legal advice. The two delays we see most in condo kitchens: an order that lands before the board signs off, and a 96-inch pantry carton that won't fit the service elevator.

Table of Contents

• What Florida Condo Law Says About a Kitchen Remodel
• Your Declaration and Rules: Where Most Limits Live
• Condo Association or HOA: Who Has to Approve
• Who Insures the Cabinets in a Florida Condo
• Condo Permits: Miami-Dade, Miami Beach and the Rest
• Milestone Inspections and Reserve Studies: Budget and Timing
• Elevator and Loading Dock: Getting Cabinets Into the Building
• Materials for Humid Units and AC-Off Summers
• Step-by-Step Approval Checklist
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Florida Condo Law Says About a Kitchen Remodel

Chapter 718, the Condominium Act, has no kitchen section. Three provisions do most of the work.

Common elements need the declaration's approval method. Section 718.113(2)(a) says there may be no material alteration or substantial addition to the common elements, or to association real property, except in the manner the declaration provides. Where the declaration doesn't spell out a procedure, 75% of the total voting interests of the association must approve before the work begins (s. 718.113, F.S.). That vote is about shared property. It is not a statewide rule that 75% of your neighbors must approve new cabinets in your unit.

You can't harm the building from inside your unit. Section 718.113(3) bars a unit owner from doing anything within the unit or on the common elements that would adversely affect the safety or soundness of the common elements or other property the association maintains. This is the clause that makes boards careful about coring slabs, opening walls and rerouting pipes.

The declaration draws the line between your unit and everyone's property. Under s. 718.104(4)(e), the declaration and its survey and plot plan must identify each unit and the common elements (s. 718.104, F.S.). Whether the drywall, the plumbing riser or the slab under your floor is yours depends on that wording, so read the unit-boundary section before you plan the layout.

Here is how those rules usually play out. Your declaration controls, so treat the table as a starting point.

The cheapest approval is the one you never need. Keeping the existing sink wall keeps a small condo kitchen reconfiguration in the first two rows, and you can still gain storage with drawers or ceiling-height wall cabinets. Our small kitchen design ideas and kitchen layouts guide show what fits in a galley or L-shape without moving plumbing.

Your Declaration and Rules: Where Most Limits Live

Because the statute leaves interior work to each building, you need the declaration, the bylaws, the rules and regulations, and any renovation policy the board has adopted. Ask the manager for current versions; rules change more often than declarations.

Many Florida buildings ask for some or all of the following before kitchen work starts. This list comes from Florida renovation and contractor guides, not from any statute, so treat it as a preview of what to look for, not as your building's rules:

• An alteration or renovation application describing the scope, often with drawings or a cabinet layout.
• The contractor's license and a certificate of insurance (COI), often naming the association as certificate holder, sometimes with a minimum liability limit and proof of workers' compensation.
• A refundable damage deposit covering hallways, elevators and common areas.
• A service-elevator reservation for deliveries and debris removal, booked through the front desk or manager.
• Work hours, often weekdays around 8am to 5pm, and often no work on weekends or holidays.
• Debris rules. Many buildings bar contractors from the building's dumpsters, so the old cabinets and countertop leave the way the new ones arrive.
• Sound-control rules for any new hard flooring, usually a minimum underlayment rating.

Two consequences for cabinets. Ask whether the work-hours rules also cover deliveries, and what happens if the freight truck comes early or late. And the insurance certificate has to come from whoever does the work: we ship cabinets to Florida but don't install cabinets, so it comes from the installer you hire.

Allow time for review. Many boards or architectural committees review applications at a monthly meeting, so one that misses the cutoff can wait a month. Ask the manager for the deadline and the next meeting date before you set an install date.

If the rules seem to conflict with your plan, ask the board in writing and keep the answer; an attorney can tell you how much discretion your declaration gives the board.

Condo Association or HOA: Who Has to Approve

People say "HOA" for both, but Florida runs two systems. A condominium association operates under Chapter 718: you own a unit in a building whose structure and exterior are usually common elements. A homeowners' association operates under Chapter 720: you own the house and its lot. Townhome and villa communities can be set up either way, and the recorded declaration says which.

The difference matters for a kitchen. Since a 2024 amendment, s. 720.3035(1)(b)1. says an HOA, or its architectural committee, may not enforce or adopt a covenant, rule or guideline that limits or places requirements on the interior of a structure that is not visible from the parcel's frontage, an adjacent parcel, an adjacent common area or a community golf course (s. 720.3035, F.S.). New cabinets inside a house fall in that zone. A condo association has no such limit, because your kitchen shares walls, floors and pipes with your neighbors.

An HOA can still set rules for the roads, gates and common areas your freight truck and installer use, so ask how contractors and deliveries get in. Our Florida cabinet permit guide covers the single-family permit side.

Who Insures the Cabinets in a Florida Condo

This is one of the few kitchen questions Florida answers directly. Section 718.111(11)(f)3. requires the association's property policy to exclude a list of items located within the boundaries of a unit and serving only that unit, and it names "built-in cabinets and countertops" alongside appliances, water heaters, electrical fixtures, and floor, wall and ceiling coverings. The statute puts that property, and any insurance on it, on the unit owner (s. 718.111, F.S.).

In practice, the master policy covers the building and your own unit-owner policy, usually an HO-6, covers your kitchen. For a remodel:

• Update your coverage. New cabinets and a stone countertop can be worth far more than the kitchen the policy was written around. Send your agent the invoice.
• Keep the paperwork. After a leak from upstairs, an adjuster will ask for the quote, the order confirmation and photos.
• Know who pays to rebuild. Owners pay to reconstruct the parts of the unit they must insure (s. 718.111(11)(g)2.), and the association isn't obligated to rebuild owner-installed improvements that benefit only one unit and weren't part of the developer's standard build-out (s. 718.111(11)(n)). An upgraded kitchen is exactly that.
• Your leak can become your bill. Under s. 718.111(11)(j)1., an owner pays for uninsured repairs, including to other owners' property, when the damage comes from negligence or a rules violation by the owner, family, tenants, guests or invitees. A badly connected dishwasher line is the classic case, so check the liability side of your HO-6 too.
• Ask about loss-assessment coverage. Section 718.111(11)(g) requires unit-owner policies to meet s. 627.714, which calls for at least $2,000 of loss-assessment coverage. It applies to association assessments that follow a direct loss of a type your policy covers, not to every special assessment (s. 627.714, F.S.).

After a property loss, the rules tighten. Under s. 718.111(11)(g)1., the association does the reconstruction unless the statute says otherwise. An owner may rebuild portions of the unit with the board's prior written consent, which the board can condition on the repair methods, the contractor's qualifications or the contract, and must have all required permits before starting. If your kitchen is being replaced because of water damage, get that written consent before you place the cabinet order, not after.

Condo Permits: Miami-Dade, Miami Beach and the Rest

A building permit is a separate question from association approval, and condo owners get less help from the 2026 changes than single-family owners. HB 803's exemption for work under $7,500 applies to owners of single-family dwellings; Fort Lauderdale's summary says plainly that multifamily, condominium, apartment and commercial properties are not included (City of Fort Lauderdale, HB 803).

Two South Florida jurisdictions show how far local answers differ:

Cities with their own building departments may differ, so ask the one for your address. Anywhere in Florida, moving plumbing, adding circuits or venting a hood brings in permits and state-licensed trades, and the association will usually want to see those permits before work starts. Our guide to when you need a permit to replace kitchen cabinets in Florida covers the trades, the cabinetry licensing rule and the questions to ask your building department. Check any contractor's license on the DBPR Verify a Licensee search before you put their name on an association application.

Milestone Inspections and Reserve Studies: Budget and Timing

After the 2021 Surfside collapse, Florida passed SB 4-D in 2022 and revised it in 2023, 2024 (HB 1021) and 2025 (HB 913). None of these laws regulates the cabinets in your unit, but they shape the building's finances and schedule, and so your kitchen budget and timing.

Milestone inspections. Under s. 553.899, condo and co-op buildings three or more habitable stories tall need a structural inspection by December 31 of the year the building turns 30, and every 10 years after. The local building department may move that to 25 years where conditions such as proximity to salt water justify it. If the visual phase one finds substantial structural deterioration, a phase two inspection follows, and repairs must begin within 365 days of that report. Owners get the inspector's summary within 45 days (s. 553.899, F.S.).

Structural integrity reserve studies (SIRS). Section 718.112(2)(g) requires a SIRS at least every 10 years for buildings three stories or higher, covering the roof, structure, fire protection, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, windows and exterior doors. Existing associations had until December 31, 2025, or until December 31, 2026 if they do it alongside a milestone inspection due by then. For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, owners generally can't vote to skip or cut reserves for those items (s. 718.112, F.S.).

How this touches your kitchen plans:

• Budget. Read the latest milestone summary, the SIRS and the budget, and ask whether a special assessment is planned. A mid-range line beats financing a kitchen and an assessment in the same year.
• Timing. Concrete restoration or facade work can tie up the service elevator or the loading area. Ask what's scheduled before you set an install date.
• Plumbing. Plumbing is a SIRS item. If riser replacement is planned, time your sink connection around it.

Elevator and Loading Dock: Getting Cabinets Into the Building

Delivery is where condo projects lose the most time. Our standard freight delivery is curbside: the carrier brings the cartons to the curb or the end of the driveway, and the driver won't carry them inside. A liftgate, which lowers pallets from the truck to the ground, can be included if you request it in advance. The carrier calls 24–48 hours ahead to set an appointment, and someone 18 or older has to be there to receive and inspect the shipment (shipping policy).

So the trip from the loading area to your unit is up to you and your installer, inside the building's rules. That short appointment notice is the catch in a tower: most buildings want the service elevator booked days ahead, but the truck's exact day isn't fixed until the carrier calls. Ask the manager how they handle that before you order. Some buildings will hold a flexible block or let you rebook at short notice; others need the date first, in which case plan to have the cartons received somewhere else and brought over by your installer.

What to settle with the building before you book:

Count and size the cartons before you call. Plan on at least one carton per cabinet in the itemized quote, plus separate cartons or bundles for panels, fillers and molding. Then find the longest piece. Fabuwood's tall pantry cabinets come 84, 90 or 96 inches tall, and a carton that length may not stand up in a small cab. Measure the elevator's door width and height, the interior depth and the diagonal, and ask your designer to check the tall pieces against them before you order. If the elevator is the limit, our comparison of RTA and pre-assembled cabinets explains the trade-off: RTA cabinets ship as flat cartons that ride any elevator, while pre-assembled cabinets arrive built and bulky but are ready to set. Splitting one tall pantry into a base cabinet with a wall cabinet above is another way to get the storage up a small elevator.

Line up people and a dolly. Your installer's crew is the natural choice, if the building's insurance and hours rules cover them that day.

When the cartons arrive, count them against the delivery receipt before you sign, note visible damage on it, unpack and inspect within 48 hours, and report all damage, including concealed damage found when unboxing, with photos within 5 days of delivery and before installation (within 48 hours for Modernform orders). Keep them in the air-conditioned unit, not a garage storage cage (improper-storage damage isn't covered under warranty), and let them acclimate for 48 hours before installation (shipping FAQ). Lead times set how long you'll store them: stocked US Cabinet Depot items ship in about 3 business days flat-pack (about 5 assembled), stocked Modernform items in typically 3–5 business days, KCD, Tribeca and J&K in 7–10 days, Mantra and Fabuwood stock series typically in about 2 weeks, built-to-order Diamond and Decorá typically take 4–6 weeks, and transit typically adds 1–7 business days. Time the order so the cabinets land after the approvals and shortly before the installer starts.

Materials for Humid Units and AC-Off Summers

Many Florida condos sit empty for months, and a unit with the AC off drifts toward outdoor conditions, which cabinet warranties don't allow for. J&K's warranty treats humidity outside 30–55% or temperatures outside 50–85°F as extreme, and Fabuwood's warranty doesn't apply to products in locations without year-round environmental controls. If you're a seasonal owner, keep the AC running, or add a dehumidifier, while you're away.

Two choices help in any Florida unit. Put a plywood box under the sink at minimum, where leaks reach the sink base cabinet; our furniture board vs plywood guide explains why. And keep thermofoil doors away from the range and oven. Lines with plywood boxes as standard include Fabuwood Allure and J&K Cabinetry. Our guide to the best kitchen cabinets for Florida humidity covers the warranty band, AC and dehumidifier targets and what to set up before you leave for the summer.

Add a leak sensor under the sink. In a condo, a slow drip becomes the downstairs owner's ceiling, and under s. 718.111(11)(j) a negligent leak can become your bill. Ground-floor and garden units in a flood zone have one more layer; our guide to replacing flood-damaged kitchen cabinets in Florida covers the FEMA rules and what to choose below flood level.

Step-by-Step Approval Checklist

The order we'd follow, from first idea to install day:

1. Get and read the documents. Declaration, bylaws, rules, renovation policy and the alteration application. Mark anything on unit boundaries, plumbing, walls, flooring, sound control, hours or deposits; ask an attorney if the language is unclear.
2. Read the building's finances. Milestone summary, SIRS, budget and any planned assessment or restoration project.
3. Settle the scope. Will the sink, range, hood vent or any wall move? That decision sets both the association route and the permit answer.
4. Get the design and quote. Most alteration applications want a layout drawing and an itemized cabinet list.
5. Hire your installer and any licensed trades. Verify licenses with DBPR and collect the certificate of insurance the building requires.
6. Submit the alteration application with drawings, the contractor's documents, the deposit and the proposed schedule, before the board's meeting cutoff. Wait for written approval.
7. Pull permits if the work needs them, and give the association copies if its rules ask.
8. Call your HO-6 agent with the new kitchen's value.
9. Place the cabinet order once approvals are in hand, timed to the lead time and the installer's start date.
10. Book the delivery logistics: loading dock, elevator block and pads, the COI for whoever carries the cartons in, and debris removal. Then receive, count and store the cartons in the conditioned unit, as described above.

Our five steps to ordering cabinets online fill in step 5, and our kitchen dimensions guide covers the measurements. For a budget range before you start, see how much kitchen cabinets cost.

For other Florida questions, our Florida cabinet buyer's guide collects the state's rules and our Florida guides, including buying RTA and wholesale cabinets in Florida. We ship to condo buildings across the state, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Naples, by curbside freight; we don't have a Florida store or showroom.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need condo association approval to replace my kitchen cabinets in Florida?

It depends on your declaration and rules. No statute sets one approval rule for interior cabinet work, but many associations require an alteration application for any renovation. After a property loss, Florida law does require the board's prior written consent before an owner does the reconstruction work.

Does my HOA have to approve a kitchen remodel?

If it's a homeowners' association under Chapter 720 and the work isn't visible from outside, usually not: s. 720.3035(1)(b)1. bars HOA rules that limit or place requirements on interior work that can't be seen from the frontage, an adjacent parcel, an adjacent common area or a community golf course. A condo association is different and can require an alteration application. Check which kind of association your declaration creates.

How long does condo association approval take?

It depends on your documents and the board's schedule. Many boards or architectural committees review alteration applications at a monthly meeting, so a complete application filed before the cutoff is the fastest route. Ask the manager for the deadline and the next meeting date, and don't place a made-to-order cabinet order until you have written approval.

Does Florida's $7,500 permit exemption cover condo kitchens?

No. HB 803's exemption, in effect since July 1, 2026, covers single-family dwellings, and Fort Lauderdale's guidance lists condominiums among the properties it doesn't cover. Ask your building department whether your cabinet work needs a permit.

A leak from the unit above ruined my cabinets. Whose insurance pays?

Start with your own unit-owner policy. Florida law keeps built-in cabinets and countertops inside a unit off the association's master policy, so the claim for them normally runs through your HO-6, and your insurer decides whether to pursue anyone else. Check your policy and ask your agent.

Will the cabinets be delivered to my unit?

Not by us. Standard freight is curbside, with a liftgate if you request it in advance, and the driver doesn't bring cartons inside. Your installer or a mover takes them from the loading area to the unit on the service elevator you've booked, under the building's insurance and hours rules.

Do you install cabinets or handle condo approvals?

No. We design, quote and ship cabinets; you hire your own installer and licensed trades and deal with the association. We can give you an itemized cabinet list with every cabinet's size and 3D drawings for your application and elevator booking.

Bring Your Building's Rules to the Design

Send us your measurements, a few photos and anything your building's rules say about the work: keep the sink wall, no venting through the facade, a small service elevator. Within 24–48 hours our free 3D design service sends back renderings and an itemized quote drawn to those limits, with drawings for your alteration application and a cabinet list sized for the elevator booking. Contractors renovating units across Florida can apply for Captivating Pro trade pricing.

Have a question about your building or layout? Use the contact page or call 609-900-3358.

Sources: Florida Statutes ss. 718.111, 718.112 and 553.899 (2026 editions), ss. 718.104, 718.113 and 720.3035 (2025 editions) and 627.714 (2024 edition), with history notes citing Chapters 2022-269 (SB 4-D), 2023-203 (SB 154), 2024-244 (HB 1021) and 2025-175 (HB 913), Laws of Florida; City of Fort Lauderdale HB 803 summary; Miami-Dade County Permit Exemptions guide (updated 12/26/18); City of Miami Beach no-permit-required work list; J&K and Fabuwood warranty terms; our shipping policy and FAQ. Typical association requirements come from Florida renovation guides and vary by building. Checked October 2026. Nothing here is legal advice: check your declaration and rules, and ask your association or an attorney about your unit.