About
A family company that builds for families.
Since 1989, Jimmy Carapezza and an in-house, Florida-licensed team have been designing and building custom homes across Greater Tampa Bay — one referral at a time.
We started in Plant City in 1989, and three and a half decades later we're still here — still family-run, still answering our own phones, still walking the job sites we put our name on. Most of the families we build for came to us because someone they trust told them to. That word-of-mouth is the whole business, and it's the thing we protect above everything else.
Our Story
Thirty-five years, one name on the door.
Carapezza has been a Plant City fixture since 1989. What began as a small family construction outfit has grown into a full design-build company serving Greater Tampa Bay — but the part that matters most never changed. Jimmy Carapezza, the owner, still oversees the projects personally. When you hire us, you're not handed off to a project manager you'll never meet again. You get the owner, and you get a team that has worked together long enough to read each other across a job site.
Over those years we've done a little of everything that goes into making a house a home: ground-up custom builds, gut renovations, kitchens and baths, additions, historic restorations, commercial buildouts, and — after the last few hurricane seasons — a great deal of storm and flood restoration for our neighbors. The common thread is that we treat every project like it has our family's name attached to it. Because it does.
The proof is in who calls us. The majority of our work comes from referrals and repeat clients — people we built for years ago who came back for the next project, and the friends and family they sent our way. In this trade, that's the only review that counts.
What We Stand On
Three foundations under everything we build.
The work changes from project to project. These three things don't.
Unparalleled customer service
You'll always know who to call, and that person will actually call you back. We answer questions in plain English, show up when we say we will, and treat your home and your time with respect from the first conversation to the final walkthrough.
Transparency
No surprises buried in the fine print. We're straight with you about scope, schedule, and cost up front, and if something changes mid-project — as it sometimes does in construction — you hear it from us early, not at the end.
High-quality workmanship
We build things to last and to look right when they're done. Our reputation rides on the quality of the finished work, and after 35 years it's the standard the whole team holds itself to without being asked.
The Carapezza Difference
Design and build under one roof.
Most building projects ask the homeowner to play general contractor: hire an architect over here, find a designer over there, then go shopping for a builder and hope all three agree once the work starts. That's where budgets blow up and timelines slip — in the gaps between people who've never worked together.
We do it differently. Carapezza is a true design-build practice with an in-house, State-of-Florida-licensed building team and an onsite design architect. That means you work directly with the architects, designers, and the crew who will actually build your project — all under one roof, all on the same team, all accountable to the same person. There's no third party to juggle, no finger-pointing when a drawing meets reality, and no translation lost between the people who design your home and the people who build it.
The practical payoff is simple: fewer surprises, tighter coordination, and a finished project that matches what you pictured at the start — because the people who pictured it with you are the same ones who built it.
What We Build
From a blank lot to a finished room.
Our work spans the full arc of building and caring for a home. We design and build custom homes from concept through move-in. We handle remodeling and renovations — kitchens, baths, additions, whole-home transformations, and historic restoration. We bring rooms to life with interiors and finishes, from custom cabinetry to luxury detail work. We take on commercial buildoutsfor restaurants, offices, and retail. And when a storm does its worst, we're here for storm damage restoration, including the reconstruction and home elevation that flood-damaged properties need.
Different projects, one team and one standard. Wherever you are in Greater Tampa Bay — across Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Hernando, Citrus, Manatee, and Sarasota counties — we'd be glad to talk through what you have in mind.
In Their Words
Three decades of homes, and the families who keep them.
During the past 15 years, we have relied on Carapezza for two home remodels and two roof replacements. Each project was completed to our complete satisfaction and within budget.
Jimmy and his crew are awesome! The attention to detail and his promptness is unfailing. I have never loved a barn more than I do this one!
Jim and Annie did a great job on both my office and our home. Very professional and everything went smoothly. We would strongly recommend them for your next project.
Irma did extensive damage to my home and Carapezza did a great job of repairing it. Now, years later, after over 100 mph winds from Ian, it held up beautifully.
What We Build
How We Work
Start a Conversation
Carapezza Custom Homes
Let's talk about what you want to build.
Whether it's a custom home, a remodel you've been putting off, or a storm-damaged property that needs to come back better — start with a conversation. No pressure, no juggling third parties.