What people ask us about building a custom home in South Tampa, Riverside Heights, Tampa Heights, and Seminole Heights, and about remodeling across Tampa Bay. If your question is not here, call the office at (813) 421-9932.
QuestionsThe company and our licenses
Who founded Middle Bay Homes?
Cory Frier and Will Daniel. They started Middle Bay because they kept seeing Tampa families pay luxury prices for homes that were not built with care. Both founders put their names and licenses on every build. Middle Bay is part of Building Easier® Construction Group, the Tampa-based parent company that also runs Bay Area Exteriors.
How much experience do you have?
50 years combined. Cory Frier has 30 years in the industry and Will Daniel has 20. Before Middle Bay, Will spent 9 years working at James Hardie and Cory spent 4, so 13 years between them at the company that makes the siding we install.
Who is the licensed contractor on my job?
Cory Frier is the licensed qualifier behind every Middle Bay build. He holds Florida’s Certified General Contractor license (CGC1539414) and Certified Roofing Contractor license (CCC1337297). Will Daniel holds a Florida Residential Contractor license (CRC1332115). The same licensed team runs the job from architecture to keys.
How can I verify your contractor licenses?
Search the license numbers on the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s license lookup at myfloridalicense.com. Our numbers are CGC1539414 and CCC1337297 (Cory Frier) and CRC1332115 (Will Daniel).
Do you live in the neighborhoods you build in?
Yes. Will built his own family’s home in Seminole Heights, and it is on our About page. We build where we live, lot by lot and street by street.
What does Building Easier® mean?
It is the idea behind the company. Construction is harder than it needs to be, for homeowners and for the people doing the work. We make it easier with one team from architecture to keys, exact specifications, weekly walk-throughs, and a schedule we actually keep.
Where is your office, and how do I reach you?
Our office is at 3411 N 29th St., Tampa, FL 33605. Call (813) 421-9932 or email Office@BuildingEasier.com. You can also send the form on any page and we will call you back.
QuestionsCustom homes
Can you help me find a lot?
Yes. We look at flood elevation, setbacks, lot coverage, protected trees, and where the utility taps sit before you buy, so you know what a parcel will actually build. If you are deciding between two lots, we will walk both.
What neighborhoods do you build in?
South Tampa, Riverside Heights, Tampa Heights, and Seminole Heights. We live in these neighborhoods and have built in them, which is why we know what the lots do before we get there.
Are you licensed?
Yes. Middle Bay Homes builds under Florida licenses CGC1539414 (Certified General Contractor), CCC1337297 (Certified Roofing Contractor), and CRC1332115 (Residential Contractor). Cory Frier is the licensed qualifier behind every build.
What warranty comes with a Middle Bay home?
A 1-year builder’s warranty. If something we built is not right in that first year, call us and we come back and make it right. It is also the part of the paperwork we hope you never need. Both founders put their names and licenses on every build, and our office is on N 29th St. in Tampa, so we are easy to find.
Do you offer financing?
We do not lend, but we can help you arrange it. A construction loan works differently from a regular mortgage, since the money goes out in stages as the house goes up. We will walk you through how that works and put you in touch with lenders who do it well. Already have a lender you like? Bring them along.
How many homes do you build a year?
5 to 10, and that is on purpose. It is a small enough number that the same licensed team runs every job from architecture to keys, and the weekly walk-throughs actually happen. We would rather build 8 houses we are proud of than 40 we have to explain.
How soon can you start?
Ready when you are. Most of a start date is set by design and permitting rather than by our calendar, so the sooner we walk your lot, the sooner there is a real date on the schedule. Hurricane season opens June 1 every year, and we plan the build around it.
What homes have you built?
Six are in our portfolio, each named for its street. The Woodlawn in Riverside Heights. The San Rafael, The San Jose, and The Azeele in South Tampa. The Powhatan and The Kenneth in Seminole Heights. Each one has its own page with the full photo gallery.
Do you design the house, or do I need my own architect?
We handle it. Architecture, engineering, and selections run under one team, then through Tampa permitting, and the same team builds what it drew. That is what we mean by one team from architecture to keys.
Can I start from an existing house plan?
Yes. Our Plan Finder takes your lot dimensions and the size of home you want and shows the plans that fit your buildable area, down to the setbacks. The same page has the Tampa Luxury Collection from our plan partner, Architectural Designs, and we will adapt any of those plans to your lot.
What is your building process?
Walk the lot, then feasibility and budget, then design and permit, then build and deliver. We tell you what the lot allows before anyone draws anything, give you a real number for the house on that lot, and then build with weekly walk-throughs and exact specifications.
How will I know what is happening during construction?
Weekly walk-throughs, and a schedule with real dates that we update every week. We would rather tell you a date moved and why than quote a best case and let it slip quietly.
How do you build for hurricanes and flooding?
The flood map is a design input, not a disclaimer. Where the map asks for it, the first floor sits above grade, detailed so it reads as architecture, like the stone-clad entry piers on The San Rafael. Roofs are detailed at the edges, flashing is handled where the roof meets a wall, and windows are specified to the design pressure the wall sees. Hurricane season opens June 1 every year, and we build to that calendar.
Do you work with real estate agents?
Yes. We work with Tampa agents to bring new homes to life. If you and your agent have a lot in front of you, we will walk it with you before you close so you know what it will build.
QuestionsBuilding on your lot, teardowns, and permitting
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, start to finish. Where you land in that range comes down to three things: the size of the house, how long we spend getting the design right, and 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.
What is the 50 percent rule?
In a flood zone, once improvements pass half of the structure’s value, the whole house has to meet current flood requirements. On an older house that usually means it makes more sense to rebuild than to fight the existing structure. We work out which side of the line a property is on before design starts.
Who handles demolition, the asbestos survey, and permits on a teardown?
We do. Demolition is priced as part of the project, and we handle the asbestos survey and the permits rather than handing you a list of things to go arrange yourself.
Why do trees matter so much on a Tampa lot?
In South Tampa, Riverside Heights, and Seminole Heights, grand trees and protected canopy often decide where the house can sit. We plan around them from the first walk. On The Kenneth, the live oak out back was there before the house, and it stayed.
What do you check before anything is drawn?
Six things: flood zone and base flood elevation; setbacks, lot coverage, and height for the zoning; grand trees and protected canopy; where the water, sewer, and power taps are and what it costs to reach them; soil and grade, and whether the lot needs fill or a different foundation; and the demolition scope if there is an existing structure. We check all six up front, in writing.
QuestionsRemodeling
What is Middle Bay Remodeling?
It is Middle Bay’s remodeling work, done by the same licensed team behind our custom homes. We decide the whole scope up front, run one dedicated crew, and hold the date, the same way we build a new house.
What kinds of remodeling do you do?
Kitchens and bathrooms, whole-home renovations including layout and structural changes, custom cabinetry and millwork, flooring, tile and finish carpentry, and on the outside of the house, James Hardie siding replacement and window replacement.
Where do you take on remodeling work?
Across Tampa Bay, in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Our new custom homes are built in South Tampa, Riverside Heights, Tampa Heights, and Seminole Heights.
Can you open up walls or change the layout?
Yes. Whole-home renovations include layout and structural changes and open-concept conversions, carried through with one design language in every room.
How does a remodel work with you?
Consultation, then design and selections, then the build, then the reveal. We walk your space first. Layouts, materials, and a fixed scope are decided before demo day. One dedicated crew does the work, with weekly walk-throughs and a site kept clean, and we walk every detail with you before we call it done.
How is a remodel priced?
Against a fixed scope. The layout, materials, and selections are decided before demo day, so the price you approve is for the job we actually do. Most remodels go sideways on scope and schedule, and deciding the scope up front is how we keep both.
QuestionsSiding, windows, and exteriors
Do you take on exterior work by itself?
Yes. Siding replacement and window replacement are projects we sell on their own, not only as part of a renovation. Call us with the address and what the exterior is doing and we will tell you straight whether we are the right fit.
What is HZ10, and why does it matter in Florida?
James Hardie builds two climate lines. HZ10 is the one engineered for hot, humid, coastal conditions, and it is the only one approved for use in Florida. HZ5 on a Florida wall voids the warranty. Every board we hang is HZ10.
What does James Hardie Alliance SELECT mean?
It is the tier James Hardie gives contractors it has vetted on how they install the product, not just on how much of it they buy. It matters because fiber cement fails at the details — fastener depth, clearances, joint treatment, flashing — and those are exactly what the Alliance program checks.
Why does the same team doing roofing and siding matter?
Because the leaks happen where they meet. Kickout flashing, step flashing, and the detail where a roof dies into a wall are the usual failure points, and they are exactly the spots that get argued about when two different contractors own them. Cory holds Florida’s Certified General Contractor and Certified Roofing Contractor licenses, so that detail is ours.
Do you do repairs or a single wall?
That is usually better served by a smaller shop, and we will happily say so. We are set up for whole-envelope work where the siding, trim, flashing, roof, and often the windows are handled together.
Should I replace my windows at the same time as my siding?
If the windows are due, yes. It is the right sequence and the cheap one. With the siding off, each opening gets panned and flashed from the outside in instead of caulked after the fact, and the new units are specified to the design pressure the wall actually sees.
Do you install impact windows?
Yes, where code or your insurance carrier asks for impact-rated glass. Every window and door we install is specified to design pressure and gets a pan and flashing at the opening.
Why James Hardie fiber cement in Tampa?
Fiber cement holds paint through the UV, does not warp in August, and does not feed anything that wants to eat a wall. Paired with correct flashing and a proper weather barrier, it is the assembly we trust on the Gulf Coast, and it is what we hang on our own custom homes.
What happens when you tear off old siding?
We look at the sheathing underneath. Rot and old repairs surface at tear-off or they surface later, so we repair what the wall needs while it is open. Then the wall goes back together as one system: weather-resistive barrier, kickout flashing where a roof dies into a wall, pans at every opening, then HZ10 with trim, soffit, and fascia to match.
QuestionsGetting started
How do I start a project with Middle Bay?
Call the office at (813) 421-9932 or send the form, and we will call you. For a new home, send us the address of the lot and what you want to build on it, and we will walk it with you. For a remodel or exterior job, tell us the address and what the house is doing.
Do you build new homes and remodel, or only one?
Both. Middle Bay Homes builds luxury custom homes, and Middle Bay Remodeling handles kitchens, baths, whole-home renovations, siding, and windows. It is one licensed team either way, so the finish standard on a remodel matches our custom homes.
I am a subcontractor. How do I work with Middle Bay?
Apply on our vendor page. You read and sign the vendor pack online, including the Master Subcontract Agreement and Safety Commitment, attach your W-9 and insurance, and submit it in one sitting. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes, and no purchase order is released until your packet is on file.
Ask us about your house
Send the address and what you have in mind. We’ll tell you straight whether we’re the right fit.
ContactAsk us directly
Call the office, or send the form and we'll call you.
(813) 421-9932
Office@BuildingEasier.com
3411 N. 29th St., Tampa, FL 33605
Middle Bay Homes · CGC1539414 · CCC1337297 · CRC1332115 · A Building Easier® company
