Build On Your Lot

You own the land. Let’s find out what it will build.

Your Lot, Your HouseThe lot decides more than the floor plan does

Most builders will price a house off a plan and a square-foot number, then discover the lot on the way to permit. That is where budgets break. Flood elevation, a grand oak in the wrong place, or a sewer tap three lots down can move a project by six figures after you have already committed.

We start at the property. Before you pay for a single drawing, we walk your lot and tell you what it allows, what it will cost to build there, and what we would do differently if it were ours. If the answer is that the lot is wrong for the house you want, you will hear that too.

South TampaRiverside HeightsTampa HeightsSeminole Heights

Before Anything Is DrawnWhat we walk your lot for

Six things determine whether a lot builds the house you have in mind. We check all of them up front, in writing.

  • Flood zone and base flood elevation, and what that does to your finished floor height
  • Setbacks, lot coverage, and building height for the parcel’s zoning
  • Grand trees and protected canopy, which in these neighborhoods often decide where the house can sit
  • Water, sewer, and power taps — where they are, and what it costs to reach them
  • Soil and grade, and whether the lot needs fill or a different foundation approach
  • Demolition scope if there’s an existing structure, including asbestos survey

Teardown & RebuildIf there’s already a house on it

Half the good lots left in South Tampa and Seminole Heights have something on them already. The question is whether you are renovating or rebuilding, and in a flood zone that is not entirely your choice. The 50 percent rule governs it: once improvements pass half the structure’s value, the whole house has to meet current flood requirements, which usually means it makes more sense to rebuild than to fight the existing structure.

We work that out before design starts, price demolition as part of the project, and handle the asbestos survey and permits rather than handing you a list of things to go arrange yourself.

The ProcessFrom your lot to your keys

  1. 01Walk the lotWe meet you on the property and tell you what it will allow before anyone draws anything.
  2. 02Feasibility and budgetA real number for the house you described on the lot you own, with everything the lot itself adds already inside it.
  3. 03Design and permitArchitecture, engineering, and selections under one team, then through Tampa permitting.
  4. 04Build and deliverWeekly walk-throughs, exact specifications, and a schedule we hold you to as well.

Built For The Gulf CoastWe build for the weather that’s actually here

Cory is the licensed qualifier on Middle Bay’s Certified General Contractor license. Will spent 20 years in siding, roofing, and window systems built for wind, water, and sun. Between them, the envelope of your house is not something we subcontract and hope about.

That shows up in specifications, not adjectives: how the roof is detailed at the edges, how flashing is handled where the roof meets a wall, which windows we specify and to what design pressure, and how the whole assembly is expected to behave in August. Hurricane season opens June 1 every year. We build to that calendar.

QuestionsWhat people ask us first

Do you build on a lot I already own?

Yes. That is most of what we do. You own the land, we design and build the house on it. If you are still deciding between two lots, we will walk both before you close on either one.

How do I know if my lot is actually buildable?

We walk it and check flood zone and base flood elevation, setbacks, lot coverage, height limits, protected trees, and where the utility taps sit. In South Tampa and Seminole Heights, grand trees and flood elevation are the two that most often change the plan. You get the answer before you spend money on design.

What if there is already a house on the lot?

Teardown and rebuild is common in these neighborhoods. If the property is in a flood zone, the 50 percent rule decides whether you are allowed to renovate or effectively required to rebuild, and that answer changes the entire budget. We sort that out first, then price demolition as part of the project rather than as a surprise.

What does it cost to build a custom home in Tampa?

Our homes start around $250 per heated square foot and go up from there with the finishes you pick. That number is all-in per heated foot, with the garage, lanai and covered porch already inside it rather than added underneath. What it cannot do is price your lot: two identical floor plans can differ by six figures based on flood elevation, fill, tree protection, and how far the utility taps are. Take $250 as the floor, not the quote. Then we walk your lot and give you a real budget.

How long does it take?

Usually 10 to 14 months of building, once we have the lot, the plans, and the permit. The size of the house moves it within that range. Design and permitting come before that clock starts: how long they take depends on how long we spend getting the design right and on the permit office, which runs on its own clock and a different one in every municipality. We give you a schedule with real dates and update it weekly instead of quoting a best case and letting it slip quietly.

More questions and answers

Send us the address

Tell us where the lot is and what you want to build on it. We’ll walk it with you.

Start the Conversation(813) 421-9932

ContactLet’s talk about your lot

Call us directly at

(813) 421-9932

[email protected]

3411 N. 29th St., Tampa, FL 33605

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