Almost every conversation I have with a Miami homeowner starts the same way: what is this actually going to cost? Most of what's online is national-average data that doesn't survive contact with Miami-Dade — our High-Velocity Hurricane Zone code, impact-rated openings, and labor market put us in our own category. So here are the ranges we quote in 2026, from our own jobs, plus the costs people forget until it's too late to plan for them.
Key takeaways
A full house remodel in Miami runs roughly $105–$400+ per square foot in 2026. Most mid-range whole-home projects land $148–$225 per square foot.
For a 3,000 sq ft home, that works out to about $315,000–$1,200,000 depending on scope, structural work, and finish level.
Kitchens typically run $20,000–$75,000 and bathrooms $10,000–$35,000.
Budget a 15–20% contingency and plan on 6–12 months for a whole-home remodel; hurricane season can add two to six weeks.
Miami costs run above the Florida average because of High-Velocity Hurricane Zone code and everything it requires — not because contractors here charge more for the same work.
How much does it cost to remodel a house in Miami in 2026?
A full house remodel in Miami runs about $105 to $400+ per square foot in 2026. For a 3,000 sq ft home, that works out to roughly $315,000 to $1,200,000. Where a project lands in that spread comes down to how much of the house you actually touch — and on an older Miami home, that is usually more than the plans suggest.
Those are the ranges we quote as a licensed Miami general contractor — not national averages. The spread is wide for a reason: a "remodel" can mean new paint, flooring, and a kitchen, or it can mean taking a 1960s house down to the studs, re-running every electrical and plumbing line, replacing every window with impact-rated units, and re-engineering the roof-to-wall connection to current code. Those two projects are not the same product, and they should not carry the same number.
Four things drive it, roughly in order of impact: how much of the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing gets replaced; whether walls or structure move; whether the openings (windows and doors) are being brought to HVHZ standards; and the finish level you select.
If you are still choosing who will price the work, read our companion guide on how to hire a licensed general contractor in Miami first. A number is only as good as the license, insurance, and scope behind it.
What does a remodel cost per square foot in Miami?
Most Miami whole-home remodels price out between $148 and $225 per square foot for a mid-range renovation in 2026. Cosmetic refreshes sit below that. Gut renovations that move walls, replace plumbing, and add impact-rated windows push above it, toward the top of the market range.
Broken out by project type, the ranges look like this. Find the row that matches your scope, not the one that matches your budget — that is where most homeowners go wrong before they ever call a contractor.
| Project type | Typical Miami cost (2026) | What moves the number |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-house remodel — mid-range | $148–$225 per sq ft | Finish level, and how much of the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC gets replaced. |
| Whole-house remodel — full range | $105–$400+ per sq ft | Cosmetic refresh at the low end; full gut with structural work, impact openings, and luxury finishes at the top. |
| 3,000 sq ft home — whole-home remodel | $315,000–$1,200,000 | Same drivers, applied to the full square footage. Older homes trend higher once walls open. |
| Kitchen remodel | $20,000–$75,000 | Cabinetry, countertops, and appliances — plus whether the layout moves plumbing or gas. |
| Bathroom remodel | $10,000–$35,000 | Tile and glass selection, fixtures, and whether the plumbing layout changes. |
One caution about per-square-foot math: it is a planning tool, not a pricing method. Two 3,000 sq ft homes on the same street can differ by hundreds of thousands of dollars if one needs a new roof, a panel upgrade, and impact windows and the other does not. We price scope, then check it against the per-square-foot range as a sanity test.
See what a whole-home scope includes on our full house remodeling page.
How much does a kitchen or bathroom remodel cost in Miami?
A kitchen remodel in Miami typically costs $20,000 to $75,000, and a bathroom remodel $10,000 to $35,000, based on what we quote across Miami-Dade in 2026. Cabinetry, countertops, and appliances drive the kitchen number; tile, glass, fixtures, and whether the plumbing layout moves drive the bathroom.
The single biggest cost decision in either room is whether the layout stays put. Keeping the sink, range, and drain lines where they are keeps a kitchen in the lower half of that range. Moving them means opening the slab or the ceiling below, re-routing supply and waste, and a plumbing permit and inspection — and the number climbs fast.
Kitchens: Cabinetry is usually the largest single line. Stock or semi-custom cabinets with quartz counters sit at the low end; full custom millwork, stone slabs with waterfall edges, and professional-grade appliances take you to the top.
Bathrooms: A guest bath with a tub-shower and a standard vanity sits near the bottom of the range. A primary suite with a wet room, frameless glass, a freestanding tub, large-format slabs, and relocated plumbing sits at the top.
Permits: Most full kitchen and bath remodels in Miami-Dade require a permit because they involve plumbing and usually electrical. That is a schedule cost as much as a dollar cost.
We handle both rooms under one license and one schedule — see kitchen and bathroom remodeling.
How long does a full home remodel take in Miami?
A full home remodel in Miami typically takes six to twelve months from permit application to final inspection, depending on size and whether the scope is structural. Design and permitting alone often run two to four months in Miami-Dade, and hurricane season can add two to six weeks to material and inspection timelines.
Homeowners consistently underestimate the front end. The construction itself is the visible part, but design, engineering, and the Miami-Dade permit review usually happen before a single wall comes down. Building that into your plan is the difference between a project that feels on schedule and one that feels late from day one.
Between June and November, expect some drag: material deliveries slow, inspectors get pulled to storm-related work, and any open roof or opening has to be secured ahead of a storm. We still build through the summer. We just build the buffer into the schedule.
We pull the permits and coordinate the inspections ourselves — that is part of the job, not an add-on. More on that under permitting and zoning assistance.
Why is a Miami remodel more expensive than the rest of Florida?
A Miami remodel costs more than the Florida average because Miami-Dade builds to the strictest High-Velocity Hurricane Zone code in the state. Impact-rated openings, engineered connections, and inspected structural work all cost more than their inland equivalents, and the skilled labor qualified to install them is in short supply.
The HVHZ requirement is the biggest driver, and it is not optional. Every window and door in Miami-Dade needs a product approval (an NOA) and has to survive impact and pressure-cycle testing. Those units cost multiples of standard windows, and installing them correctly — with the right fasteners, bucks, and inspections — is skilled labor.
The upside is real: a properly permitted Miami remodel produces a house that is insurable, sellable, and built to take a hurricane.
This applies across the areas we work — Miami, Aventura, North Miami Beach, and the rest of northeast Miami-Dade.
What should I budget beyond the base construction cost?
Beyond the construction contract, budget a 15–20% contingency for what is found once walls open, plus permit and impact fees, design and engineering drawings, structural upgrades, and temporary housing if you cannot live through the work. On older Miami homes, expect part of that contingency to go to structural, electrical, plumbing, or roof surprises.
The five line items that most often blow up a budget are not in the contractor's number at all:
- 1
Contingency: We recommend 15–20% of the construction budget held aside. On a 1950s–1970s Miami house, something behind a wall will need attention — cloth wiring, cast-iron drain lines, or termite damage in the framing.
- 2
Structural upgrades: Once walls are open, older Miami homes often need work the original plans never accounted for — removing a load-bearing wall for an open layout, reinforcing framing with termite or water damage, upgrading roof-to-wall connections, or bringing openings up to current HVHZ standards. These require engineered drawings and inspections, and they are rarely in an initial estimate.
- 3
Permits, fees, and drawings: These come due at the front of the job, so they hit your cash flow first. Impact fees catch people off guard in particular — they scale with the work, and they are paid to the county, not to us.
- 4
Living arrangements: If the kitchen and bathrooms are out simultaneously, most families move out. Budget rent or extended stay for the months you are displaced.
- 5
Furniture, window treatments, and landscaping: The stuff that makes the house finished is almost never in the construction contract, and it adds up quickly at the end when budgets are thinnest.
How do I keep a Miami remodel on budget?
The most effective way to control a Miami remodel budget is to finalize scope and material selections before demolition starts. Mid-project change orders are what push a job from the middle of the per-square-foot range to the high end, and layout changes that move plumbing or structure are the most expensive decisions you can make late.
Second: get a real, itemized estimate rather than a lump sum. If you cannot see what the allowances are for tile, cabinets, and fixtures, you cannot tell whether a low bid is genuinely cheaper or simply less complete. The lowest number almost always wins by leaving something out.
Third: do not chase savings by skipping the permit. Legalizing unpermitted work after the fact routinely costs multiples of doing it right the first time, and it can stall a sale or a refinance for months.
Our guide to hiring and verifying a licensed general contractor covers how to compare bids line by line and what a real construction contract has to include.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to remodel a house in Miami in 2026?
A full house remodel in Miami typically runs about $105 to $400+ per square foot in 2026, with most mid-range whole-home projects landing between $148 and $225 per square foot. For a 3,000 sq ft home that is roughly $315,000 to $1,200,000, depending on scope and finishes. These are the ranges we quote as a licensed Miami general contractor.
How much does a kitchen remodel cost in Miami?
A kitchen remodel in Miami typically costs $20,000 to $75,000, based on what we quote across Miami-Dade in 2026. Cabinetry, countertops, and appliances drive most of the cost, and any layout change that moves plumbing, electrical, or gas adds both money and permitting time to the project.
How much does a bathroom remodel cost in Miami?
A bathroom remodel in Miami generally runs $10,000 to $35,000 in our experience as a licensed Miami general contractor, with primary and spa baths at the top of that range. Tile, glass, fixtures, and whether the plumbing layout changes are the biggest cost drivers. Most full bathroom remodels require a permit.
How long does a full home remodel take in Miami?
Six to twelve months is typical for a whole-home remodel in Miami, measured from permit application to final inspection. Design and Miami-Dade permit review often take two to four months on their own, and hurricane season between June and November can add another two to six weeks.
About the author
Benjamin Blank
Licensed General Contractor & Civil Engineer · FL CGC #1533917 · CGC1533917
Benjamin is the founder of Blank Construction, a licensed Florida general contractor and civil engineer with more than 15 years of construction experience. He builds and remodels homes across Miami-Dade and works to Miami’s High-Velocity Hurricane Zone code every day.
Connect on LinkedIn →Have a project in mind, or want a second opinion on a bid you’ve received? We’re a licensed, local team and happy to walk you through it — no pressure.
Talk to a Licensed GC