A Year After the Storms
A year ago, Hurricanes Helene and Milton left their mark across Florida’s Gulf Coast. High winds and flooding caused widespread damage, especially to older homes that were not built to today’s standards. But homes designed and built with hurricane resiliency in mind told a very different story. LaBram Homes projects built to code, regardless of age, fared exceptionally well. While some reported minor wind damage, the overall impact was minimal compared to neighboring properties.
The lesson is clear: when it comes to living on the coast, how you build matters.
What Buyers Are Prioritizing Today
One year later, demand for custom homes in the Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater area remains strong, but buyers are approaching the process more cautiously and with greater attention to detail. Conversations are no longer just about square footage or finishes. They are centered on safety, security, and long-term peace of mind.
Buyers today are prioritizing features like all-block construction for strength and durability, pilings and breakaway walls for flood protection, hurricane-impact windows and doors, concrete patios and lanais that resist storm damage, and elevated designs that sit above the flood zone. Many are also seeking the assurance of backup power through generators or solar integration. This shift reflects a new reality: coastal living in Tampa Bay is as much about resiliency as it is about lifestyle.
Insurance, Value, and Peace of Mind
Insurance premiums highlight the difference. Homes built out of flood zones often qualify for significantly lower rates, while older or less resilient properties face rising costs. For homeowners, building a hurricane-safe home is more than smart planning. It is a financial strategy.
Investing in resiliency provides peace of mind for your family, helps lower ongoing costs through reduced insurance premiums, and increases resale value as future buyers continue to prioritize safety and durability when choosing a coastal home in St. Petersburg, Clearwater, or across the Tampa Bay region.
Why Now Is the Right Time to Build
Now is the right time to build. In the year since Helene and Milton, Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater has continued to refine codes and strengthen requirements. That is good news for homeowners, because building today means your home benefits from the latest standards, smarter engineering, and resilient materials designed to withstand tomorrow’s storms. Just as importantly, starting fresh allows homeowners to avoid the expense and disruption of retrofitting an older property.
The LaBram Advantage
At LaBram Homes, we believe building your dream home should never mean compromising safety. With a comprehensive design-and-build team, weekly check-ins, and daily project updates through a customized portal, we make the process transparent and seamless. Our expertise in value engineering ensures your budget, vision, and resiliency goals align, all while delivering a personalized, family-style experience from start to finish.
We have seen firsthand that hurricane-safe homes are not just stronger, they are smarter investments. Hurricanes are inevitable, but devastation does not have to be. If you are considering building in Tampa, St. Petersburg, or Clearwater, now is the time to design a home that blends coastal beauty with coastal strength. Contact LaBram Homes today to set up a meeting and start planning your hurricane-safe custom home.
