Working With the Coral Gables Board of Architects

The city's review is concerned with how a building looks and how it sits among its neighbours. In general terms, that means attention to roof form and materials, the proportion and placement of windows and doors, wall finishes and colours, additions, garden walls and other visible changes. Homes with a historic designation can face additional review, and the exact requirements for any property are confirmed by the city and your architect.

For a Mediterranean Revival home, the themes are familiar. Barrel tile rather than flat substitutes. Stucco with an appropriate texture. Openings that keep their arches and depth. Additions that read as part of the original composition rather than something bolted on. A licensed general contractor who has built within these expectations understands why they matter and can spot early when a design idea is likely to need rethinking.

None of this rules out modern living. Many approved projects add space, light and contemporary interiors. The review simply asks that what is seen from outside respects the character of the house and the street. Understanding that intent makes it far easier to shape a design that the board can support.

Your architect leads the design and the submission. Our job as builder is to make sure the design holds up once it leaves the drawing board. We review drawings for details that look right on paper but would be difficult or costly to build, and we suggest alternatives that keep the same appearance.

Products are a large part of this. A window or door must suit the arch and proportions the design shows, and it must also carry the product approvals required in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. Roof tile must match the intended profile and colour range while working with a roofing system that meets current requirements. Checking these points before the submission avoids having to return to the board later because a selected product turned out to be unavailable or unapproved.

• Window and door profiles checked against HVHZ product approvals
• Tile, stucco and paint samples gathered early for review
• Details at arches, eaves and trim confirmed as buildable
• Pricing updated quickly when review comments lead to revisions

When comments come back, we help the team respond. A change in trim, tile or window style has cost and schedule effects, and owners deserve to know them before agreeing to the revision.

Approval is only half the job. The house then has to be built the way the board saw it. On site, small substitutions can creep in: a different window grille, a smoother stucco finish, a gutter in the wrong place. Each seems minor, but together they change the look the review was meant to protect, and they can raise problems at final inspection.

We keep the approved set on site and treat it as the reference for anything visible from outside. Trades are briefed on which details were specifically approved. When a field condition forces a change, the question goes back to your architect, who decides whether the revision needs further review. Nothing visible is improvised. We also photograph exterior details as they are completed, so there is a clear record that the finished work matches what was approved, and any question at inspection can be answered with evidence rather than recollection.

This discipline also protects your investment. A house finished to its approved design looks right, fits its street and avoids awkward corrections after the scaffolding comes down. If you are preparing for exterior review on a Coral Gables home, we would be glad to join your team early.