Construction Tips When Building or Remodeling Your Home in Florida

Building or remodeling a home in Florida comes with some challenges unlike other areas of the country. From summer rainstorms and hurricanes to blistering hot temperatures many months out of the year, construction in the Sunshine State is not always smooth sailing. Not to mention the heavily regulated Florida construction law.

So, what do you need to know to properly navigate the ins and outs of a Tampa Bay Home Remodel?  Check out these helpful construction tips when building or remodeling your Florida home.

Know whether or not you’re in a flood zone

Before your project begins, you should know if you’re in a flood zone because according to FEMA, the number of improvements cannot exceed 50% of the value of the structure, or you may need to raise it above the floodplain.

Use Timbor, a non-toxic salt treatment, to protect the wood from termites

Timbor is an insecticide used to treat wood and wood products to prevent termites, powder post beetles, and wood decay fungus. To protect the wood from insect and water damage, Timbor is applied to indoor and outdoor wood surfaces. It won’t stain wood surfaces and poses little to no threat due to its low toxicity and being nearly odorless. Timbor has to be applied when the wood is exposed, therefore the obvious time to treat the wood is during a remodel or new construction.

Schedule a moisture test on concrete slabs

Before installing new flooring, it’s a good idea to moisture test the concrete slab base to detect any existing moisture which could later lead to mold and mildew issues and premature flooring damage or warping. Depending on your home’s location, moisture could pose a real threat, so take the time to safeguard your floors.

Add a mold treatment of all materials before drywall

Similar to the point above, niche companies that conduct mold treatments will often offer a warranty. Do your research to find a reputable one to treat your wood frames, in particular, to prevent possible mold growth later on.

Test for Radon

Did you know the radioactive gas Radon is emitted through the ground? Specifically, radon rises through the soil before getting trapped just below a building’s foundation. The trapped gases accumulate pressure, which forces them up into the building through the walls and floors. Before a remodel project, it’s recommended to test for radon and have a pipe system installed to deter radon from entering your home. Since radon exposure has been linked to cancer, you can never be too careful.

Only purchase materials for the home’s exterior that have a Florida product approval number

This is to ensure they can stand up to Category 5 hurricane winds and debris. Windows, doors, siding, and roofing with Florida product approval numbers have all been tested with low-missile impact procedures.

 Keep energy efficiency in mind

Include proper insulation, HVAC cooling equipment, and other amenities such as “mini-splits” or air ducts that fit with the design of your home.  Mini-splits are loved for being non-invasive and easy to install. Because it alleviates running ductwork, these devices can oftentimes be found in historic homes as a substitute for a traditional central heat and air system. Contact your power company to see if you qualify for credit reimbursements for new windows, doors, insulation, AC – anything that saves on energy consumption.

Schedule your construction project for the cooler months

If you can somewhat control the timeline of your project, attempt to have your home remodeling project take place during the cooler months. Not only will it be more comfortable for the construction crew temperature-wise, but you’ll also avoid the inevitable rainy season delays.

Make sure your contractor is licensed and insured! 

Florida law heavily regulates the construction industry, so you must do your research and hire a reputable, licensed and insured contractor with ample experience in Florida construction. Have your contractor provide a portfolio of projects as references and ask your family and friends for referrals.

Contact Us Today

Rossi Construction has had the pleasure of serving the Tampa Bay area for over 20 years and we take Florida construction law very seriously. Ready to get started on your Tampa Bay new home construction or remodeling project? Contact us at 813.436.0177 for your free in-home estimate or if you have any questions about any of the information above and how it relates to your home!

Online Reviews

Bob Meier
Bob Meier
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They were very professional. Quoted us a time frame and they were exact on the time frame. The were very clean as they cleaned up every night. Any questions I had they were very helpful. Overall a great experience. We plan on using them again if we decide to redo our bathrooms. The kitchen came out very nice and we are very happy with it.
Missy P.
Missy P.
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This company is great. They did an awesome job on our remodel. The quality of work surpasses everything. All project hiccups were professionally handled and solutions came out better than planned. Jason Rossi and his lead foreman on our job Brian Smith are very professional. Brian provided a wealth of knowledge in regards to our entire first floor remodel project. Brian Smith is trustworthy and the quality of his work is impeccable. Job well done JRossi Construction!!
Ed M.
Ed M.
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The work quality was outstanding, the crew friendly and a delight to work with, and they cleaned up after themselves and left the place in great shape! When I remodel my other unit, there is no doubt that Rossi Construction will be doing the work there also. I had an issue with the door quality of the cabinets and Rossi and his crew met with myself, and the Cabinet Representative immediately, and the issue was resolved to My Satisfaction. You can easily tell that Customer Satisfaction is what everyone in the organization is focused on. Great Job and thanks again, Ed.
Beth Lawson
Beth Lawson
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Rossi just remodeled our hall bathroom and kitchen. They are incredibly skilled craftsmen who use the best products. We had two different men lead each project and they were both wonderfully skilled (cabinetry, tile, hardware installation, electric, plumbing, painting, etc.). They are honest, hardworking, on schedule, clean up after themselves, and fix problems. We highly recommend them.
Jeff S.
Jeff S.
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Rossi Construction just finished renovating our veterinary hospital. The entire process from start to finish was flawless. Jason was the only contractor who looked at our space and was able to get a rough quote to us within 24 hours. Everything ran on schedule and within budget, and the final product was beautiful. Our project supervisor was incredibly knowledgeable and easy to work with. I highly recommend this company to anyone looking for construction work in the Tampa area.
Scott N.
Scott N.@username
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The guys from Rossi do great work. We did a complete remodel of two levels of our house (we have a split level). The work included a full redesign of the master suite (took space from the bedroom to make a bigger bathroom and add a walk-in closet, also changed configuration of some windows), full redesign of main level (kitchen, living, and dining space) that included floating a sunken floor and removing walls to open the space, and cosmetic updates to the rest of the bedrooms (new doors, trim, paint, etc.). Only small issues were due to subcontractors, and Rossi made sure everything was brought up to expectation. We're super happy with the result and would not hesitate to use them on future projects.
Adrien Tenor
Adrien Tenor
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I would highly recommend Rossi construction. Jason and his employees were very professional, very conscientious, and definitely went the extra mile to make sure I was happy with the project. If I emailed questions, they were promptly answered. I believe the pricing on the project was very fair. I am recommending them to all my friends. It was a great experience working with this contractor. I would hire them again in a heartbeat.
Jen H.
Jen H.
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Rossi Construction just finished renovating our veterinary hospital. The entire process from start to finish was flawless. Jason was the only contractor who looked at our space and was able to get a rough quote to us within 24 hours. Everything ran on schedule and within budget, and the final product was beautiful. Our project supervisor was incredibly knowledgeable and easy to work with. I highly recommend this company to anyone looking for construction work in the Tampa area.
William D.
William D.@username
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Overall, the remodel went quite well. The workmanship is very good.The crew was very punctual and professional. I found some minor issues that I pointed out to them, and they resolved them to our satisfaction. They could have done a better job with drop cloths in the hallways. There was a fair amount of joint compound that got tracked around on the carpet, and some of the dirt & debris got ground into the carpet. However, I consider this to be a minor issue, and would definitely consider using them again.
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