CUSTOM SMALL SPACES IN ST. PETERSBURG

Built-in cabinetry, custom shelving, banquette seating, outdoor kitchens, mudroom systems, closets, and specialty millwork — the work most volume GCs price out. Our 20+ W-2 carpenters handle the framing, install, and trim in-house out of our 701 37th St shop. For high-spec millwork that needs a finish-grade trim carpenter beyond our staff, we bring in a specialty crew we've worked with for years. Outdoor kitchens are a frequent request in St. Pete because patio life runs nine months a year here.

Small built-ins and bookcase or banquette work typically run $5K-$15K. Mid-sized scope like a full mudroom system, a closet build-out, or a basic outdoor kitchen runs $15K-$50K. Larger outdoor kitchens with structural masonry, gas, plumbing, and electrical can move past $50K. We price on Time & Materials with a 30% markup on labor and materials — you see every invoice and get a weekly budget report. We'll sharpen the pencil once we walk the space.

Permit timing follows Jeremy's interview answer: a small project runs three to five weeks in permitting, larger remodel-scale work one to two months. After permit, simple built-ins finish in two to four weeks of jobsite time. Outdoor kitchens with masonry, gas line, and electrical typically run six to ten weeks once we break ground. Specialty millwork lead time depends on the shop — we'll pin it down before we commit to a schedule.

It depends on scope. Pure cabinetry, shelving, or trim work usually doesn't. Anything that touches structure, gas, plumbing, or electrical does — outdoor kitchens almost always do. We file the application, open the city portal, and file the notice of commencement. Pinellas is the most densely populated county in Florida, so permit volume is steady; we plan around it.

You pay for the time and materials we actually use, with a 30% markup on labor and materials. No padded fixed bid to cover unknowns. You see every invoice in BuilderTrend and you get a weekly budget meeting with your superintendent that covers variances, invoices coming up, and any change-to-scope. For specialty work where we're figuring details out as we go, T&M is the honest way to price it.

Yes. If you have an existing aesthetic — historic trim, modern industrial finishes, a designer's drawing — we can match it. For high-end finish work that needs a designer pairing, we'll connect you with one of the architects or designers we've worked with for years. We're a hybrid: we handle design and charge for it, but we don't keep designers on salary, so your designer's intellectual property stays yours.

Bring photos, a sketch, or a description. We'll walk the space, talk through what's possible, and price it on T&M. Most of these projects start with a napkin drawing and a conversation with one of our superintendents. We'll tell you upfront if we need to adjust the idea to make it work in the space, the budget, or the code.