Garage Conversion and ADU Construction in Orlando, FL
Convert your garage into a livable space or build an ADU in Orlando. Fully permitted and code-compliant garage conversions with functional, custom designs.
Unlock the hidden potential of your property with a professionally designed garage conversion or Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). Whether you’re looking to generate rental income, accommodate extended family, or create a dedicated workspace, ALFE Contracting Services offers turn-key conversion solutions tailored to your needs.
Our Orlando-based team transforms underutilized garages into fully functional living spaces, all while ensuring compliance with local zoning and building codes. We also design and build detached ADUs from the ground up.
Our services include:
Structural assessment and foundation modifications
Complete interior build-outs (walls, insulation, flooring)
Kitchenette and bathroom installation
HVAC integration and electrical rewiring
Water and sewer line connections
Windows, doors, and soundproofing
Permits, plans, and zoning approval
Garage conversions and ADUs are smart, cost-effective ways to increase your home’s usable square footage and long-term value. We handle everything—from concept to final inspection—with precision, professionalism, and a deep understanding of Florida’s regulatory landscape.
Do I need a permit to convert my garage into a living area?
Yes, and it is the most involved residential permit on this list, because it is a change of use. An unconditioned garage becomes habitable space, and habitable space is held to the same standard as the rest of the house.
The package shows existing and proposed floor plans with every room’s use labeled, and identifies existing and proposed egress from any adjacent sleeping room, marked on the plan. Then comes insulation and the energy code, electrical designed for a room rather than a garage, heating and cooling your current system may not be sized to carry, and plumbing if a bathroom or laundry is part of it. The slab usually has to come up to level and the garage door opening has to be framed and finished as a wall.
There is also a zoning question that has nothing to do with the building code: some jurisdictions and most HOAs require a minimum amount of covered or off-street parking, and removing a garage can put you below it. We confirm that for your actual address before design starts. Full detail in our job-by-job permit guide for Central Florida.
Conversion or ADU: not the same permit
Turning a garage into a room and turning a garage into a legal dwelling are two different projects on two different permit paths. A bonus room, office or gym only has to meet habitable room requirements. An accessory dwelling unit is a second residence on the lot, and that brings in zoning, utilities, fire separation and parking.
Which one you can build depends on where the parcel sits. Orange County, the City of Orlando, Osceola County, Kissimmee and St. Cloud do not share one rulebook, so the first thing we do is check the actual address.
Orange County ADU rules
Orange County permits an ADU only on property that qualifies as homestead. The core requirements:
- The main home and the ADU stay under the same ownership
- The owner has to live in one of the two units at all times
- A building permit is required, with construction plans sealed by a Florida-licensed engineer or architect
- The submittal includes a site plan, a lot grading and drainage plan with finished floor elevation, and a county product approval specification sheet
- Fire separation between the units is required
- HVAC work brings in energy calculations, ACCA Manual J, S and D, and an EPL display card. Duct changes need a duct layout, and trusses need truss engineering
- A licensed contractor has to accept the permit, unless the owner qualifies for the owner-builder exemption
Size, parking and zoning district limits live in the county code, and we confirm those against the specific parcel before design starts.
City of Orlando ADU rules
Inside city limits the standards are different again:
- Up to 500 square feet, or up to 1,000 square feet on oversized lots. In a historic district an ADU of up to 700 square feet can be approved with a Certificate of Appropriateness
- Allowed in all R and MXD districts and in O-1 and O-2, subject to minimum lot size. One ADU per lot, and not on duplex or tandem lots
- It has to sit at the side or rear of the main house, never the front
- The main house keeps at least one parking space behind the front setback. An ADU of 500 square feet or less needs no additional parking; above 500 square feet, one more independently accessible space is required
- Setbacks, impervious surface limits and floor area ratio can all cut the allowed size below the maximum
Rental under a standard residential lease is allowed, but short-term rental below 30 days is restricted. If rental income is the point of the project, settle that before design rather than after.
What we handle
- Zoning and feasibility check on the real parcel before you spend money on design
- Design and sealed engineering
- Permit submittal and plan review responses
- Framing, insulation, drywall and finishes
- Electrical, mechanical and plumbing coordination, including the separate HVAC system an ADU usually needs
- Fire separation assemblies between the units
- Inspections through final
Service area. Orlando, Kissimmee, St. Cloud, Clermont, Winter Garden, Apopka, Sanford, Celebration, Davenport, Poinciana, Windermere and the rest of Central Florida.
