Kitchen Remodeling in Treasure Island, FL

Gulf Boulevard Cottages, Canal Homes and Helene's Water Line

Treasure Island is a 6,584-resident barrier island city (2020) running from John's Pass at the north end to Blind Pass at the south, with finger-canal neighborhoods such as Isle of Capri, Paradise Island and Isle of Palms on the bay side. Much of the older housing is single-story block or frame built at grade, mixed with newer homes raised on pilings. When surge enters a slab-on-grade house, base cabinets soak up salt water from the toe kick upward; particleboard swells within hours and even plywood boxes can delaminate. Salt residue and mold behind cabinets mean drywall usually comes out with them. Raised homes fared better, but many had ground-level storage, laundry or bar areas that need rebuilding with materials that tolerate getting wet.

Treasure Island sets its flood standard above the federal minimum: the city requires a building to be elevated to base flood elevation plus two feet, and base flood elevations can be looked up on the city's GIS map. For a substantially damaged house, that number decides where the new kitchen ends up. Under NFIP rules, enclosed space below the required elevation may be used only for parking, building access and storage, so a wet bar or second kitchen that once sat at grade has to move upstairs, and any cabinets left below are storage built from materials that tolerate getting wet.

The Substantial-Damage Rule and Treasure Island's Floodplain Manager

Under FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program rules, when repair costs on a building in a special flood hazard area reach 50 percent of its market value, the structure must be brought up to current floodplain standards, which can mean elevation. In Treasure Island, those determinations are made by the city's floodplain manager, not by us or your insurer. Ask for your determination before finalizing a kitchen scope. Our explainer on the FEMA 50% rule and kitchen rebuilds covers what counts toward that number. We also serve Madeira Beach and South Pasadena.

The value behind the 50 percent test comes from a specific document. The city's October 2024 guidance points owners to the Pinellas County Property Appraiser's FEMA/WLM letter, which states the structure's value with land excluded and half of it as the improvement limit; a private appraisal that follows FEMA's actual cash value checklist is the alternative. Until a non-compliant building has its determination, the city issues permits only for life-safety work and remediation such as removing wet drywall and flooring, which is why we draw while you wait and build after the letter arrives.

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Rebuild Sequence: From Measure to Installed Cabinets

We measure once the room is dried out and walls are back to studs or new drywall is planned, and we photograph and document what was lost for your insurance file. Working drawings and a 3D model follow, which can double as a scope your contractor and adjuster can read. Cabinets are built and finished in our Sarasota shop while other trades work, then installed in one scheduled run. Electrical and plumbing go to licensed trades under permits from the City of Treasure Island.