Luxury homes · Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach
Luxury homes on the water in Miami, built with a price cap and four stage payments
Waterfront, island and oceanfront homes in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. You pay the actual cost plus a fixed fee, the contract sets the maximum price, and each of four payments follows a stage you approve.
Luxury homes
Luxury home builders in Miami for waterfront, island and oceanfront estates
Florida Home Build builds luxury homes on waterfront, island and oceanfront lots in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. If you are comparing luxury home builders in Miami, the water is where the work differs most: a shoreline to protect or rebuild, wind rules that change by county, and permits that depend on the city. In South Florida we plan for all three from the first visit.
A line-by-line estimate comes before the contract, and the contract itself, with its price cap and four stage payments, is set out in the section below.
A build on the water adds four things to plan:
- The lot.The type of lot, whether on a bay, an island or the ocean, sets the price range, the permits and the shoreline work, so we walk the lot before any design starts.
- The shoreline.Seawalls and docks for waterfront properties are part of a turnkey project, priced once we see the site.
- The wind.Homes in Miami-Dade and Broward are designed and built to high-velocity hurricane zone requirements, and the permits and inspections follow them.
- The paperwork.City and county permits, inspections and homeowners association submissions are part of our work.
Your money
How a Miami home build works when you're not paying ahead
4 payments, not a big deposit
At signing, at the start of work, at the midpoint and at about 99% completion. Each payment is for a stage you have approved.
A price cap in the contract
Cost plus a fixed fee, with a maximum price. Savings stay with you. Anything above the cap is paid by the builder.
Every bid and invoice in view
A shared budget tracker shows each subcontractor bid, each change and each invoice.
One contractor, one contract
The same permanent subcontractors on every job, and one company answering for all of them.
3-year warranty, exclusions in writing
The warranty term is a number in your contract, and so is the list of what it does not cover.
An answer in under 24 hours
By phone, WhatsApp, text or email, in English, Spanish or Russian.
Cost by lot
What a luxury home costs in Miami by lot, and what to check on the water
Construction of a luxury home in Miami runs $900–1,300 per square foot on the water or on an island, and $1,300–1,800+ on the ocean. The lot sets the range first, and your exact number comes after we see the lot and the plans.
Lot
Mainland lot
Prices for a house on a mainland lot and the full cost list are on our page for custom home builders in Miami.
Lot
Waterfront or island lot
Construction, per sq ft
$900–1,300What to check before design
The seawall and the dock. In Miami-Dade, a new or replaced seawall or dock in tidal water typically goes through a Class I permit from DERM, and if the work touches state-owned land under the water, the county may ask for state approval first.
Lot
Oceanfront lot
Construction, per sq ft
$1,300–1,800+What to check before design
The coastal construction control line. Work on the sea side of that line generally needs a permit from Florida DEP.
City rules
Rules change from city to city. Miami Beach adopted a seawall ordinance in 2021 that set a minimum top elevation of 5.7 feet NAVD for new seawalls (4 feet if the wall is designed to be raised later), and the city has revised its rules since, so we confirm the current text for your address. In Coral Gables, a new house typically needs Board of Architects approval before the permit is issued.
Not in the ranges
The ranges cover construction only. The lot, architect and designer fees, permit fees, surveys, impact fees, furniture and landscaping come on top. Seawall costs by material are in our guide to seawall cost in Florida.
Start my estimateAfter the keys
A 3-year home builder warranty and a full handover
- 01
3-year warranty on the work
The term and the list of exclusions are written in your contract, not explained later.
- 02
Handover package
As-built drawings, manuals, a maintenance schedule and manufacturer warranties registered in your name.
- 03
A walkthrough of every system
We walk the house with you and show how each system works before you move in.
- 04
Care after move-in
Home maintenance by arrangement, with the same team that built it.
Design
How wind rules and glass shape a luxury home design in Miami
In a luxury residence on the Miami coast, wind speed depends on the county, the glazing has to come from county-approved products, and the architect, designer and builder work to one budget with a ceiling. Each of the three cards below changes what the final plans look like.
Wind load depends on the county
Miami-Dade and Broward make up the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, and Palm Beach County sits outside it. For a typical single-family house (Risk Category II), the code puts the design wind speed at around 175 mph in Miami-Dade and 170 mph in Broward. The structural engineer designs the frame, the roof and the openings against that load. The 9th edition of the Florida Building Code takes effect on December 31, 2026, and these figures can change with it. More in our guide to storm-resistant houses in Florida.
Glass walls start with approved products
In Miami-Dade, windows, doors, shutters and other parts of the building envelope need a county product approval. A house with floor-to-ceiling glass and wide sliding doors puts more of these products on the plans, so the architect and designer pick the glazing while they draw.
Architect, designer and builder collaborate on one budget
We build from the plans of the architect and designer you choose. Their plans and selections stay tied to the budget and the price cap, and design usually takes 6–9 months on a new home. Architect and designer fees sit outside the construction price.
Out of state
Building a house in Miami while you live somewhere else
- A client portal with the schedule, selections, photos, inspections and invoices
- Video at every stage and drone footage of the site
- Cameras on site, so you can look in any day
- A weekly confirmation of next steps from your superintendent
- A project manager who speaks English, Spanish or Russian
FAQ
Questions about building a luxury home in Miami
How much does it cost to build a luxury home in Miami?
Construction runs $900–1,300 per square foot on the water or on an island and $1,300–1,800+ on the ocean. The lot, design fees, permits, surveys, impact fees, furniture and landscaping come on top. The exact figure follows the lot and the plans. Mainland pricing is on our page for custom home builders in Miami.
How long does it take to build a luxury home in Miami?
Usually 28–36 months from the first meeting to move-in, and construction takes 16–22 of them. These are estimates, not promises: permit queues and inspections move dates. The phase-by-phase breakdown is on our page for new home builders in Miami.
Do you work with my architect and designer on a luxury home?
Yes. A line-by-line estimate comes before the contract, and it is built on the plans and selections of your architect and designer. Their fees are billed separately from the construction price.
How do I compare luxury home builders in Miami?
In the Miami market, put the contracts side by side. Ask each builder how the price is set, whether it has a maximum, how payments follow the work, and what the warranty excludes in writing. Ours is cost plus a fixed fee with a maximum price, four payments for approved stages, and a 3-year warranty with exclusions in the contract.
Do you build on islands and on the ocean?
Yes, the price ranges above cover both. We look at the lot first, because work on the sea side of the coastal construction control line generally needs a Florida DEP permit. Miami Beach and Star Island have their own pages: Miami Beach and Star Island.
Do you build the seawall and dock with the house?
Yes. We price the seawall and dock once we see the site, as part of the same turnkey project. In Miami-Dade, a new seawall or dock in tidal water typically goes through a DERM Class I permit. More on the work itself: waterfront construction in Miami.
Can I manage a luxury build from another city or country?
Yes. Your superintendent confirms next steps every week, and the portal and site video show each stage, so on average the build takes 2–4 hours of your time per week. Communication with the project manager runs in English, Spanish or Russian, and the full list of tools is in the Out of state section above.
Are luxury homes in Miami built to withstand hurricanes?
Yes, to the code. In Miami-Dade the design wind speed is around 175 mph, and the windows and doors carry county product approval. No builder can promise a house that nothing damages; the guide to storm-resistant houses in Florida has the details.