Your budget is absolutely irrelevant to what the GC you want charges. He's charging what the market will bear. You will pay what the market will bear or you'll not get an experienced GC or the GC you want. I don't make the laws of economics, but I know what they are.

As long as you're home isn't over three stories high, I could build it with my Florida Building Contractor's license. Unfortunately, I don't do general contracting and don't have any recommendations.

8 bedrooms in 4500 sq.ft? Are you building a special community/medical type housing?

Dan A said:

"that is reasonably affordable (many have taken advantage of the surging demand by raising prices by a lot but that unfortunately won't fit in my budget)."

If the current quotes from Miami contractors isn't in your budget, maybe you need to reduce the scope of the project or wait out the market. Contractors in FL got "killed" during the last RE bust, so they are making up for those losses the last 3 years and taking whatever profits the current hot RE market will allow. You don't have to build now and pay current rates ... you can wait for the next RE bust and take "advantage" of a builder!

Thanks guys! Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all of the life coaching and design advice, but the purpose of this thread was to see if anyone has recommendations about someone that they've worked with before. If you do, I'd love to hear from you! If you don't have specific recommendations of contractors to share but want to share advice, please do me a favor and message me privately or share the comments on a new thread to avoid distracting from the main topic.

Thanks!

I've been following Miami-area construction discussions for a while, and for a project like your 4,500 sqft new custom home build—especially with permitting underway and a focus on experience plus reasonable pricing, Trusst Construction (trusstconstruction.com) stands out as a strong local option worth considering.

They're a Miami-based general contractor (licensed CBC1269717) specializing in custom new home construction, luxury builds, and large-scale residential projects across South Florida.

They use a design-build approach with transparent upfront pricing, no hidden costs, reliable timelines, and a real emphasis on quality craftsmanship and clean job sites. From what I've seen in client feedback, they handle complex homes well, keep communication open throughout, and deliver high-end results without the typical surprises that drive up budgets.

Many reviews praise their professionalism on full builds and remodels in the Miami area, noting stress-free processes and outcomes that match or exceed expectations.

Since you're looking for someone with solid experience on similar-scale homes and affordability in this market, I'd suggest reaching out to them for a consultation—they seem to align well with what you're after. Good luck with the permitting and build!