Adding on to a finger island.

Las Olas Isles lots are long and narrow by design. The dredge cut them that way in the 1920s to maximize water frontage, which is wonderful for dockage and unforgiving for square footage. So additions on Coral Way, Riviera Isles or Royal Palm Drive tend to go up rather than out: a second story over a 1950s ranch, a primary suite above the garage, a rear extension squeezed between the side setbacks. Multigenerational households add ground-floor suites. Owners who love the street and the water build instead of moving.

Fort Lauderdale's Unified Land Development Regulations get specific about additions: setbacks, lot coverage, height and yard requirements for your zoning district, all reviewed by Development Services before the building permit issues. Structural engineering is not optional, since a second story means proving the existing block walls and footings can take it, and everything new must meet High-Velocity Hurricane Zone requirements under the Broward amendments to the Florida Building Code. Flood elevation matters too: an addition in a special flood hazard area has its own elevation and substantial-improvement math.

Twenty-plus years in South Florida and 150-plus remodels and additions have taught us where the money and the schedule hide: tying a new foundation to an old one on fill, matching stucco and roof so the seam disappears, and keeping half a house livable while the other half is scaffolded. Access on an isle is a project of its own, since a crane, a concrete pump and a lumber delivery all have to fit on one lane without blocking your neighbors. We plan that before we mobilize.