What contractors and architects were involved in Mar-a-Lago renovation projects and what permits did they file?
Executive summary
Recent reporting and public records show a mix of historic architects and local firms have been involved in Mar-a-Lago renovations: original 1920s architects Joseph Urban and Marion Sims Wyeth are credited with the estate’s design [1] [2] [3], REG Architects’ Rick Gonzalez led the early-2000s ballroom addition and filed for permits in that period [4] [5], and more recent town records list West Palm Beach–based Moroney Construction LLC as the contractor on a 2025–2026 helipad permit with REG Architects designs by Rick Gonzalez also tied to the pad plans [6].
1. The 2025 helipad: who filed what and who will build it
Town permit records published by the Palm Beach Daily News show that a permit issued in December 2025 for construction of a rebuilt helipad at Mar-a-Lago lists the project value at $264,593 and identifies Moroney Construction LLC of West Palm Beach as the contractor [6]. Those same records and reporting state Rick Gonzalez of REG Architects designed both the current and prior helipad plans and that Mar‑a‑Lago paid roughly $7,746 in permit fees for a permit that expires Dec. 12, 2026 [6]. The permit file also indicates the helipad was required to meet Secret Service and White House Military Office standards and will be paid for by Mar‑a‑Lago, according to the project agent [6].
2. The Donald J. Trump Grand Ballroom: architect, approvals and permits
Local reporting of the large early‑2000s ballroom project identifies Rick Gonzalez of REG Architects as the lead designer for the ballroom addition at Mar‑a‑Lago, and accounts note the project received final approval from Palm Beach’s landmarks board in April 2002 with a building permit issued in August 2003 [4] [5]. Contemporary coverage and interviews with those involved describe Gonzalez working closely with Mar‑a‑Lago personnel and the National Trust for Historic Preservation to settle the ballroom’s location and design before construction began [4] [5].
3. Other contractors and specialized work documented in public sources
Beyond the ballroom and helipad, a project portfolio from RYANGOLF Corporation documents work on Mar‑a‑Lago’s croquet course — describing drainage, greens mix and turf installation — showing another firm contracted for landscape and grounds renovation work [7]. Historical summaries and architectural research sources also credit Joseph Urban and Marion Sims Wyeth as the estate’s original architects from the 1920s, and those attributions are consistently cited in archival and research writeups [1] [2] [3].
4. Permits, approvals and preservation oversight
Public reporting and the permit card for the helipad note not only the town’s building permit and fee amounts but also that the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which holds preservation easements on Mar‑a‑Lago, signed off on the helipad because it will not destroy historic materials or features [6]. News outlets reported that Mar‑a‑Lago representatives were to apply for building permits for new work in late 2025 after planning approvals [8], and contemporaneous reporting from 2020 noted construction activity at the estate as reported by national outlets, reflecting periodic permit-driven renovations [9]. The helipad permit record also shows the contractor had not yet filed a required notice of commencement in county records as of Dec. 15, 2025 [6].
5. Limits of the public record and unanswered questions
Available sources document key architects and some named contractors for specific projects (ballroom design by Rick Gonzalez/REG Architects, croquet work by RYANGOLF, helipad construction by Moroney Construction LLC) and list permit approvals, fees and expiration dates for the helipad and historical building permits for the ballroom [4] [5] [7] [6]. However, the reporting and records provided do not supply a comprehensive ledger of every subcontractor, detailed construction-change permits, or full permit histories for every renovation phase; where documents are not present in these sources, that absence is a limit of the cited reporting rather than a claim about nonexistence of records [6] [4] [5] [7].