/ 01ROGO
The Rate of Growth Ordinance
Monroe County limits new residential building permits through ROGO. Understanding the allocation system, the waitlist, and how existing tear-downs change the math is the first conversation.
Read the article →Build · Monroe County
ROGO · FEMA · HVHZ · DEP
ROGO · FEMA · HVHZ · DEP
Written, vetted, and updated
by Kate Baldwin
by Kate Baldwin
The field guide
Build in
the Keys.
Building in the Keys isn't like building anywhere else. Permits are limited, zones are real, and the home you sketch on a napkin won't always be the home the county lets you build. Here's the straight version.
What you need to understand
Six conversations before you break ground.
/ 02FEMA
Flood zones: VE, AE, X
Every lot has a zone — and that zone determines your base flood elevation, your foundation, and your insurance for the life of the home.
Read the article →/ 03Elevation
How high you must build
Base flood elevation plus Monroe County freeboard. What that means for ceiling heights, ground-level use, and views from the main floor.
Read the article →/ 04Hurricane code
Building for the wind
Miami-Dade HVHZ-grade impact glass, tie-downs, and roof systems. The right build now is the lowest insurance premium forever.
Read the article →/ 05Cost
What it actually costs
Per-square-foot ranges for the Lower, Middle, and Upper Keys — with the soft costs nobody quotes you up front.
Read the article →/ 06Docks
Dock permits & DEP
What’s permissible in your canal or open-water zone, which reviews trigger FDEP, and how to shape the build for the boat you want.
Read the article →The network
Architects, engineers, general contractors, surveyors, marine builders, insurance brokers — the right team is the difference between a two-year build and a five-year build.
I’ll introduce you to the professionals who know how to build in the Keys, not the ones who just say yes.
Let’s talk