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CGI Home Additions & ADU: The Fort Lauderdale Owner’s Guide
A full CGI home addition or ADU in Fort Lauderdale typically runs $45,000 to $130,000 installed, depending on square footage, foundation work, and whether you’re building up or out. We’re a CGI-compatible general contractor, not a CGI dealer, and we handle everything from permit drawings to the final coat of paint. Most homeowners call us when their existing structure has a failed header, a cracked tie-down, or floor joists that have started to sag under South Florida humidity.
The symptom picture usually looks like this: a door that won’t close square anymore, drywall cracks spreading from a corner, or a floor that bounces when you walk across it. By the time you notice those signs, the framing or connector hardware has usually been working against itself for months.
Which CGI Models This Applies To
CGI home additions and ADUs cover a range of structural configurations, from single-story bump-outs to detached accessory dwelling units with their own electrical subpanels. The compatibility question isn’t about a model number stamped on a plate. It’s about the connection points: how the new roofline ties into the existing trusses, what gauge hurricane strap was used at the wall-to-foundation joint, and whether the slab was poured to CGI’s uplift specs for Broward County wind loads.
Here’s the compatibility gotcha most owners don’t know: CGI-specified tie-down hardware is sized to the wall height and roof pitch of the original structure. If your addition changes the roof pitch by even two degrees, the same strap that passed inspection on the original build may not meet the engineering calc for the new span. We check the stamped engineering drawings before we quote, not after we open the wall. For OEM versus aftermarket, CGI-branded connector plates and anchor bolts are worth the premium on load-bearing points. For non-structural items like sill gaskets and flashing, a quality aftermarket equivalent from a Florida-rated supplier does the job at roughly 30% less.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your CGI Home Additions & ADU Is Failing
- Doors and windows stick or won’t latch. This usually means the header above the opening has deflected or the jamb has twisted out of plane. In a CGI-built addition, that often traces back to a tie-down that loosened over time, not the door itself.
- Drywall cracks running diagonally from window corners. Diagonal cracking is a shear issue. The wall is racking slightly under wind load, which means the structural sheathing or a connector has lost grip.
- A floor that bounces or feels soft underfoot. In South Florida, this is frequently joist rot where the addition meets the original slab, or undersized joists that were never meant for the span they’re carrying.
- Gaps opening between the addition and the main house at the roofline. The two structures settle differently. If the connection detail wasn’t properly flashed and fastened, water gets in and the gap widens every wet season.
- Rust staining on anchor bolts or connector plates in the crawlspace or at the foundation line. Salt air in Fort Lauderdale accelerates corrosion on uncoated hardware. Once a connector rusts through, it’s no longer doing its structural job.
See the difference
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After
Before
After
Before
AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
For a full home addition in Fort Lauderdale, you’re looking at $45,000 to $130,000 installed. An ADU runs higher, $90,000 to $220,000, because it typically includes a separate electrical service, its own HVAC, and a full kitchen or bath. A garage conversion lands between those at $30,000 to $80,000.
What drives the range: square footage, how much foundation work the lot requires, whether you’re tying into an existing roof or framing a new one, and the finish level inside. Every quote from us includes the full line item breakdown, parts and labor separated, with manufacturer spec sheets for the structural hardware we’ll use. We don’t change the number once work starts unless you change the scope. The workmanship warranty covers the framing and connection hardware for a full year under our 365-Day Done Right Promise.
DIY or Call Us?
You can safely check a few things yourself: look for visible rust on exposed connector plates, run a level across door headers, and note where cracks are growing. What you shouldn’t do is start removing drywall to inspect framing or attempt to re-tension any tie-down hardware. The loads involved in a CGI structure are serious. A strap under tension or a beam under load can release suddenly, and that’s a hospital visit, not a Saturday project.
The real value of calling us isn’t just the repair. It’s knowing whether the failure is a one-off part or a sign that the whole connection system was under-spec from the beginning. Luca Romano has walked enough Fort Lauderdale additions to know the difference in about twenty minutes. Call (754) 354-7423 and we’ll come take a look. The work either holds up or it doesn’t, we make sure it does.
FAQs
With proper flashing and corrosion-resistant connectors, the structural frame of a CGI addition should last 50 years or more, but the hardware at connection points usually needs inspection every 10 to 15 years in Fort Lauderdale’s salt air. Call (754) 354-7423 and we’ll do a structural hardware inspection for a flat rate.
Yes, most failed tie-downs, headers, and sill connections can be repaired in place by a qualified contractor, as long as the surrounding framing hasn’t rotted or split. We’ll tell you honestly if a repair buys you another decade or just delays a replacement by a year.
A typical home addition runs 3 to 6 months from permit approval to final inspection; an ADU usually runs 4 to 8 months. We keep you posted with photo updates before and after each phase, so you see progress without having to stop by the site.
We keep common connector plates, hurricane straps, anchor bolts, and sill gaskets on our trucks for Fort Lauderdale jobs, and we order CGI-spec specialty hardware from local suppliers, usually with a 2 to 4 day lead time. We also work with KraftMaid and Cambria for interior finish work and Silestone for countertops if you’re finishing out an ADU kitchen.
If your CGI addition or ADU is showing signs of structural trouble, don’t wait for the next big storm. Call (754) 354-7423 to schedule a free estimate. We’ll walk the structure, tell you exactly what’s failing, and put the repair price in writing before any tools come off the truck.
Written by Luca Romano, Owner & Lead Contractor, Sawyer Remodel Fort Lauderdale at Sawyer Remodel Fort Lauderdale, serving Fort Lauderdale and nearby areas.
