Lake Nona is one of Orlando's newest large-scale communities — a master-planned development by the Tavistock Group anchored by Medical City, the 650-acre health and life-sciences hub that brought the UCF medical school, Nemours Children's Hospital, and the VA Medical Center to southeast Orlando. Most of the housing stock is new, which makes renovating here a very different job than working on an older Orlando home. There's far less surprise behind the walls — and a different set of things to get right instead.
A newer home is a different kind of remodel
Newer production homes in Lake Nona are typically slab-on-grade with engineered roof trusses, modern PEX plumbing, and hurricane strapping and connectors built to current Florida Building Code. That's good news: compared with a pre-war home, there's much less structural uncertainty and far fewer surprises once a wall is opened. The work here is less about fixing what's broken and more about taking a house that was built to base spec and making it feel like yours — finishing out the details the standard package left out.
ARB approval and the building permit are two different things
This is the single most common point of confusion for new Lake Nona homeowners. There are two separate approvals for many projects, and you may need both:
- ARB (Architectural Review Board) approval — your HOA signing off on how an exterior change looks. Most Lake Nona communities require it before exterior work: additions, screen and pool enclosures, pools, and elevation or paint changes.
- The building permit — the government authorizing the construction itself, through City of Orlando Permitting Services.
Neither one substitutes for the other, and the order matters: starting exterior work without ARB approval can be ordered undone, fines and all — regardless of whether you had a valid permit. We handle both tracks: the ARB documentation, drawings, and material spec, plus the permit in our name. (More on the permit side in our Orlando permit guide.)
Protect your builder warranty
Most Florida new builds come with a 1-2-10 warranty: roughly one year of workmanship coverage, two years on the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems, and ten years on major structural components. Two things worth knowing before you renovate a recent build:
- Homeowner modifications are a standard exclusion. A change you make can void warranty coverage on the area you touch — so we're careful about what we open up and when.
- Timing can matter. For some projects it's worth doing the work now; for others it's smarter to wait until a systems or workmanship window passes so you keep the builder's coverage on the original installation. We'll walk through the trade-off with you.
Warranty terms vary by builder — check yours, and we'll plan the work around it.
What Lake Nona homeowners actually remodel
Because these homes are new, the projects are about going past base spec rather than gutting and rebuilding:
- Kitchens — replacing flat-panel cabinet fronts, stepping up from entry-level quartz to a better stone, and adding the island or walk-in pantry the standard floor plan skipped. (See our kitchen cost guide.)
- Primary baths — custom vanities, a freestanding tub, a curbless walk-in shower, and heated tile in place of builder-grade flooring.
- Custom closets and built-ins — finishing out wire-shelf closets, mudroom drop-zones, and bare pantries with millwork sized to the actual space.
- Screen enclosures and lanais — screening the open pool decks and covered lanais of newer homes, engineered and permitted for Central Florida wind load. (See pool enclosure vs. screened lanai.)
- Whole-home personalization of a resale Lake Nona home — making a recent build feel custom without waiting on new construction.
Ready to personalize your Lake Nona home?
We'll handle the ARB submission and the permit, and give you a fixed-price plan. Call (407) 634-4099 for a free consultation with a licensed Orlando contractor.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need HOA / ARB approval to remodel in Lake Nona?
For exterior work, almost always. Most Lake Nona communities — Laureate Park, Eagle Creek, VillageWalk, Storey Park and others — have an Architectural Review Board (ARB) that must approve exterior changes such as additions, screen enclosures, pools, and elevation or paint changes before work begins. We prepare the drawings and material specs for the submission and adjust to board feedback.
Is ARB approval the same as a building permit?
No — they are two separate approvals, and you may need both. ARB approval is your HOA signing off on how the change looks; the building permit is the government authorizing the construction itself. One does not substitute for the other. Starting exterior work without ARB approval can be ordered undone, so we secure it in addition to the permit.
Will remodeling void my new-home warranty?
It can affect it. Most Florida new builds carry a 1-2-10 warranty — roughly one year on workmanship, two years on systems (electrical, plumbing, HVAC), and ten years on structural — and homeowner modifications are a standard exclusion, meaning a change you make can void coverage on the area you touch. It rarely means 'don't remodel'; it means we talk through what's worth doing now versus what's better to wait on until a warranty window passes. Check your builder's specific warranty terms.
Who issues building permits in Lake Nona — the city or the county?
The City of Orlando. Lake Nona sits inside Orlando city limits, so permits run through City of Orlando Permitting Services, not Orange County. We pull every required permit in our name.
Related reading
- Home remodeling in Lake Nona
- Do I need a permit to remodel in Orlando?
- What Orlando remodels cost in 2026
- Pool enclosure vs. screened lanai
Sources: Lake Nona / Medical City development history (Tavistock Group; Lake Nona Medical City); City of Orlando Permitting Services (jurisdiction); typical Florida new-home 1-2-10 builder-warranty structure. General guidance only — HOA/ARB rules and warranty terms vary by community and builder; confirm specifics for your home.