More and more New Yorkers and their businesses are packing up and moving South. Statistics from StreetLight Data suggest that the New York-to-Miami migration ranked as the fifth-most-popular moving pair between metro areas in 2020.

If your business is considering a headquarters relocation to the Sunshine State, there are a couple important things you need to know before taking on a commercial development project for your office here in SoFla. Namely:

1. Building codes in South Florida are entirely different than they are in New York.

Our geography and climate pose unique construction challenges, and our buildings must be constructed to withstand the threats from Mother Nature. They must also meet important safety codes governed by local and state regulators.

Each municipality and county in Florida has its own set of rules and regulations for construction projects. You need a local contractor who is familiar with these various requirements in the area and who has significant professional experience with your type of project.

2. Be wary of hiring GCs who don’t know the area.

As mentioned, building in Florida is not like building elsewhere in the country. The permitting process is unique to each municipality and hiring a contractor who is not intimately familiar with the local processes and regulations can significantly set back your project.

Bottom line: If you are taking on new construction in SoFla, you need a GC who lives and works in SoFla.

Before you seek out the appropriate space for your headquarter building, come talk to us at Seacoast Construction for a local perspective on your construction needs. South Florida is rapidly developing offices, warehouses, and infrastructure to support our growing community. We look forward to welcoming you, too.