Custom Home Builders on Snell Isle
Snell Isle is our home turf. Alexander² Construction is headquartered in St. Petersburg, minutes from the Snell Isle bridge, and the island's mix of open-bay estates, bayou canal lots, and teardown-ready mid-century homes is exactly the work we built this company to do. Owner-led by Collin and Tyler Alexander. Florida GC CBC1266523.
Building on Snell Isle Is Its Own Discipline
Snell Isle was laid out in the 1920s by C. Perry Snell as St. Petersburg's showpiece neighborhood, and a century later it still is: an island of brick streets, Mediterranean Revival heritage, the Vinoy Golf Club, and some of the most valuable waterfront in Pinellas County. Almost everything that makes it special also makes it demanding to build on.
Most of the island sits in FEMA AE flood zones. Waterfront lots carry seawalls that must be evaluated before design begins. New construction must meet current base flood elevation and Florida wind code, and permits run through the City of St. Petersburg with its own review process. A builder who works here regularly designs for all of it from day one instead of discovering it at permitting.
The Lots We Build On
Brightwaters Boulevard
The island's marquee address: open-bay frontage with long water views and full exposure. Builds here are engineered for wind and surge first, with elevated foundations and impact-rated openings as the baseline, not the upgrade.
Coffee Pot Bayou & Canal Lots
Protected water, docks, and seawalls. We evaluate seawall condition before design, coordinate dock permitting, and plan the home around the frontage so the water is the point of the house, not an afterthought.
Golf-Course & Interior Estate Lots
Lots along the Vinoy Golf Club and the island's interior streets trade open water for space and privacy. Elevation and drainage still rule the design, and the 1920s streetscape deserves architecture that belongs on it.
Teardown Candidates
Much of Snell Isle's housing stock is mid-century and sits below today's flood elevation. When the lot is worth more than the house, demolishing and building new to current code is usually the smartest money on the island.
Elevation Is the Whole Game Here
Recent storm seasons made the case better than any brochure could: on low-lying Pinellas waterfront, the homes that stayed dry were the ones built at or above current base flood elevation. On Snell Isle that means elevated foundations, flood-vented lower enclosures where the zone requires them, impact-rated windows and doors, and a continuous load path from roof to foundation.
Building this way protects the home, cuts flood and wind insurance costs, and is the single biggest reason owners of older slab homes on great lots call us about a teardown and rebuild instead of another renovation.
Three Ways We Work on Snell Isle
Custom Waterfront Homes
Ground-up custom homes designed to the specific lot, frontage, and flood zone. Custom home building →
Teardown & Rebuild
Demolition and new construction on established Snell Isle lots, built to current flood and wind code. Teardown & rebuild →
Whole-Home Renovation
For structurally sound homes worth keeping, full renovation of structure, systems, and finishes. Whole-home renovation →
Also serving the neighborhoods around the island: St. Petersburg · Old Northeast · Shore Acres · Venetian Isles · all of Tampa Bay. Read our field notes: Building a Custom Home on Snell Isle.
Snell Isle, Frequently Asked
Who builds custom homes on Snell Isle?
Alexander² Construction is an owner-led boutique builder headquartered in St. Petersburg. Collin and Tyler Alexander personally lead every build, capped at fewer than ten homes a year, with waterfront, elevated, and teardown-rebuild experience on Snell Isle and across Pinellas County. Florida GC license CBC1266523.
How much does it cost to build a custom home on Snell Isle?
Most Snell Isle custom builds run roughly $400 to $800 or more per square foot for construction, excluding land. Open-bay estates on Brightwaters Boulevard and fully elevated waterfront builds sit above that range. Lot conditions, flood zone, seawall condition, and finish level drive the final number, so we prepare a detailed pre-construction budget for your specific lot before any commitment.
Do new homes on Snell Isle have to be elevated?
Most of the island sits in FEMA AE flood zones, so new construction must place the finished floor at or above base flood elevation, and recent storm seasons showed why building higher than the minimum is worth it. Elevated construction also lowers flood insurance costs and is a major reason owners tear down older slab homes and rebuild to current code.
Can you build on a canal or bayou lot?
Yes. Coffee Pot Bayou and canal-front lots are core Snell Isle work: seawall evaluation and coordination, dock permitting, and designs built around the frontage. We handle the full scope from City of St. Petersburg permitting through completion.
Is teardown and rebuild common on Snell Isle?
Very. Many of the island's best lots carry mid-century homes that sit below current flood elevation and no longer match what the lot is worth. Demolishing and building new to current flood and wind code is often the smartest path to a modern home here.
Building on Snell Isle?
Send us the address. We will walk the lot, check the flood zone and seawall, and tell you honestly whether to build, rebuild, or renovate. Both brothers read every inquiry.