Fort Lauderdale kitchens come in two very different shapes. One is the closed galley or U-shaped kitchen in a house built decades ago, tucked behind a wall with a small window over the sink. The other is the condo kitchen, where every pipe, vent and outlet has to work around a building you share with your neighbors. We remodel both, and the planning for each starts in a different place.
Top Construction and Design works across Broward County as a residential remodeling contractor. For a kitchen, that means we handle the layout, the demolition, cabinets, counters, tile, lighting and the finishing work, and we can help with design and permits. You get one team to talk to from the first measurement to the last cabinet pull. See our full kitchen remodeling services for the bigger picture.
Many older Fort Lauderdale houses were built with the kitchen closed off from the living room. Taking down a wall is the most common request we hear, and the first question is always whether that wall carries load. We check before anything is promised. Sometimes the wall comes out completely, sometimes it becomes a wide opening with a beam, and sometimes a pass-through with a counter is the smarter answer for the house.
A condo kitchen remodel lives inside the association’s rules. Most buildings want plans submitted before work starts, set working hours, and protection for hallways and elevators. Plumbing usually has to stay near the existing stack, and a range hood may need to recirculate instead of venting outside. We read your building’s requirements first, then design a kitchen that can actually be approved and built.
Humidity and salt air are hard on kitchens near the water. We talk through cabinet boxes and finishes that hold up to moisture, hardware that will not pit quickly, and counter materials that are easy to live with. Quartz is a popular choice for its low upkeep. On a whole-home renovation we finished in Coral Springs, the kitchen got custom cabinets, quartz counters and a large island, which shows how these pieces come together.
Older kitchens often have one ceiling fixture and a few outlets in odd places. A remodel is the right time to add recessed lighting, under-cabinet lights and outlets where you actually use small appliances. We also replace tired floors so the kitchen meets the rest of the house cleanly. If the floors beyond the kitchen need attention too, our flooring crew can carry the new surface through.
Fort Lauderdale is a city of layers. Victoria Park has homes that date back to the early 1930s, Poinsettia Heights was developed right after World War II, and newer towers rise downtown and along the beach. Each era built kitchens differently. A house from the 1940s or 1950s often has a small, enclosed kitchen and older plumbing and wiring behind the walls, so we plan for what we may find once the cabinets come off. A newer condo usually has a better starting point, but far less freedom to move things.
Water shapes a lot of decisions here too. The city is known for its miles of residential canals, and many kitchens look out over a dock or a backyard on the water. Homeowners want to see that view from the sink or the island, so window placement and island orientation matter more than usual. Salt air near the Intracoastal and the beach also steers us toward finishes and hardware that resist corrosion.
For condo owners, the association is part of the project. Expect paperwork, a certificate of insurance, and rules about noise, debris and elevator use. For houses, the city’s building department reviews permitted work such as structural changes, new circuits and plumbing moves. We help you through both so the work is approved and on record.
We remodel kitchens throughout Fort Lauderdale, including:
It depends on the scope. Swapping cabinet doors or counters on the same layout may not need one, but removing walls, moving plumbing, adding circuits or changing gas lines usually does. We look at your plans and help with the permit process through the city's building department so the work is inspected and on record.
Most associations ask for a written application, a description or drawings of the work, the contractor's insurance certificate and an agreement to follow building rules on hours, noise and debris. Some also limit where plumbing and vents can go. Send us your building's rules early and we will plan the kitchen around them.
Often yes, but it depends on whether the wall carries load and what runs through it. In older houses there may be plumbing, wiring or ductwork inside. We check the structure first, then explain the options, which can include a full removal with a beam or a wide opening that keeps part of the wall.
Most people do. We set up dust protection and keep a clear path through the house. You will be without a working kitchen for part of the project, so many families set up a temporary station with a microwave, coffee maker and the refrigerator in another room. We go over the schedule with you before demolition starts.
Call us to set up a visit. We come out, measure the kitchen, listen to how you cook and use the space, and look at what is behind the walls where we can. From there we talk through layout ideas and materials, and give you a clear written scope before any work begins.
Whether your kitchen sits in a post-war house near the river or on a high floor overlooking the beach, the right plan starts with an honest look at what is there now. Call (954) 318-2322 to set up a visit, or reach us through our contact page. We are available Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
