If you are searching for a general contractor in Plant City, here is what we do and how we do it. Carapezza Construction & Roofing is a family-owned construction company based at 1605 N Wheeler St in Plant City. We replace and repair roofs, rebuild after storms, take on commercial roofing and construction, remodel existing homes, and restore older houses in and around the historic downtown. Jimmy Carapezza runs the company, and the Carapezza family has been building in the Tampa Bay area for more than 35 years.
One thing to say plainly up front. "General contractor" is what most people type into Google, and it is the category Google lists us under. Our actual license is a Florida CBC. We are a state-licensed building contractor (CBC), which covers the residential and commercial building work described on this page. If you want to see the license in the state database, ask us and we will point you to it.
What a Plant City Construction Company Should Handle
A house in Plant City has a different set of problems than a house in a dry climate. Summer thunderstorms push wind-driven rain under shingles and against flashing most afternoons from June through September. The UV bakes roofing and exterior finishes. Then hurricane season arrives, and Helene and Milton in 2024 reminded everyone across Tampa Bay what a bad one does to a roof.
That is why most of our work starts at the top of the house and works down. Below is each service lane we run, with a link to the page that goes into detail.
Roof replacement and re-roofing
A full roof replacement means tear-off, deck inspection, new underlayment, new flashing, and a new roof covering built to the current Florida Building Code. Our re-roofing page covers the cases where a layover is still an option. Both come with a permit and a county inspection.
Material choice matters more here than in most of the country. We install architectural shingle roofs, standing seam and exposed-fastener metal roofs, concrete and clay tile, and flat and low-slope systems for the additions and porches so many Plant City homes have picked up over the years.
Roof repair
Not every problem is a new roof. Roof repair covers leaks, lifted shingles, soft decking, and the flashing failures that account for a large share of the leaks we trace. Chimney and roof flashing repair gets its own page because it is the single most common source of a mystery ceiling stain. If you are not sure what you have, a roof inspection is the honest place to start.
Storm damage
After a hurricane or a bad hail cell, the order of operations is: stop the water, document everything, then rebuild. Our storm damage team handles the whole sequence. Roof tarping covers the first step. Hurricane roof damage repair covers the permanent fix. If water got inside, mold, fire, and water restoration covers the interior.
On the insurance side, we document the damage and provide the estimate your adjuster needs. We are a contractor, not a public adjuster, and we will not tell you your claim is a sure thing.
Commercial roofing and construction
Commercial roofing in our area is mostly flat and low-slope: TPO, metal, and built-up systems on warehouses, strip retail, churches, and agricultural buildings along the I-4 corridor between Tampa and Lakeland. Commercial construction covers build-outs, additions, and repairs for the businesses that own those buildings.
Renovations and remodeling of existing homes
We remodel the homes people already live in. Renovations is the overview. Kitchen and bathroom remodeling, interior remodeling, and exterior remodeling each get their own page. When the answer is more square footage rather than a rework of what is there, home additions covers room additions, second stories, and in-law suites.
Historical renovation and historic roofs
Plant City's historic downtown still has a stock of 1920s bungalows and older commercial buildings. Working on them means respecting what is there and bringing the structure up to today's wind and water requirements without stripping its character. Historical renovation is the overview. Historic roof replacement and slate roof repair and restoration cover the roofing side of that work.
Mobile home roofing
Manufactured and mobile homes across eastern Hillsborough and into Polk County need roof-overs and metal roof replacements that most roofers will not touch. Mobile home roofing is a regular part of our schedule.
Who You Are Hiring
The Carapezza family has been building in the Tampa Bay area for more than 35 years, and the company is still run by the family. Jimmy Carapezza is the owner. When you call the office you get someone who can answer a real question about your job, and when a crew shows up it is our crew.
We keep our own crews for roofing, framing, and finish work, which is the practical reason we can take a job from a bare deck through to the last piece of trim without you coordinating three companies that have never met. It is also why we can be honest about scope. If a repair is enough, we will say so. If a roof is past saving, we will say that too, and explain why.
You can read what past customers have said on our testimonials page and see finished jobs on our work.
How We Run a Job
Every project follows the same basic sequence, whether it is a shingle roof in Walden Lake or a storefront build-out in Lakeland.
- Site visit and honest assessment. We come out, look at the actual conditions, and tell you what we see. For roofs that means getting on the roof and into the attic, not a drive-by estimate.
- Written scope and proposal. You get a written scope that spells out what is included: materials, underlayment, flashing, ventilation, decking allowances, cleanup, and permit handling. Vague proposals cause disputes later, so ours are not vague.
- Permits and inspections. We pull the Hillsborough County (or Polk or Pasco) permit and schedule the required inspections. You should never be asked to pull your own permit for work a contractor is doing.
- The work. Our crew, on the agreed schedule, with a foreman you can talk to. Weather in this part of Florida changes the schedule sometimes, and we tell you when it does.
- Cleanup and final walkthrough. Magnet sweep for nails, debris hauled off, and a walkthrough with you before we call it done.
Where We Work
We are based in Plant City and do most of our work in Plant City itself, including Walden Lake, Turkey Creek, Cork, Trapnell, and the historic downtown. We also work in Lakeland, Brandon, Valrico, Tampa, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, and Mulberry, across Hillsborough, Polk, and Pasco counties. Our service areas page has the full list.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to find a general contractor in Plant City?
Start with the state license lookup, then check reviews and ask to see recent local work. Any contractor doing structural, roofing, or permitted work in Florida must hold a state license, and you can verify it through the Florida DBPR. Then ask for a written scope, not a one-line quote. A contractor who will not put the details in writing is telling you something.
Are you a licensed general contractor?
We hold a Florida CBC, which is a state building contractor license. That is the license that covers the residential and commercial building and roofing work on this site. We describe ourselves as a state-licensed building contractor (CBC) rather than a general contractor because that is the accurate license type. If you have a project that falls outside what a CBC covers, we will tell you.
What should I not tell my contractor?
Honestly, the better question is what you should tell them. Tell us your real budget range, any past leaks or repairs, and whether insurance is involved. Withholding that just leads to a proposal that does not fit. What you do not need to do is accept pressure to sign the same day, pay a large deposit in cash, or let anyone start work before a permit is pulled.
Do you handle the permit, or do I?
We do. For any permitted work we pull the permit in our name and schedule the inspections. A contractor who asks a homeowner to pull an owner-builder permit for work the contractor is performing is shifting liability onto you.
Do you work with insurance claims?
Yes, in the sense that we document the damage thoroughly and provide the estimate and photos your adjuster needs. We cannot act as your adjuster or negotiate your claim for you; Florida does not allow contractors to do that. Our storm damage page explains how that process works.
How long has Carapezza been in business?
The Carapezza family has been building in the Tampa Bay area for more than 35 years. The company operates out of 1605 N Wheeler St in Plant City.
Talk to Us About Your Project
The first step on any job, from a roof to a storm rebuild to a remodel of the house you already own, is the same: we come look and tell you straight what it needs. Call Carapezza Construction & Roofing at (813) 707-0235 or send us a message through the contact form and we will set up a time to come out.
More construction services from Carapezza
Commercial Construction
Commercial construction is work we handle in-house from foundation to roof, so you are not stitching together separate companies for different stages of the build. Our commercial construction page explains how a full-service approach works for business owners in Plant City and the greater Tampa Bay area, whatever the size or type of building. It also covers how the commercial roofing side ties into the same contract. Read it if you want one team accountable for the whole structure rather than a chain of subcontractors.
Residential and Commercial Solar Installation Services in Plant City, FL
Solar is one of the newer services we offer alongside roofing and construction, and having roofers on the same team matters when panels go on a roof. Our solar page covers residential and commercial installations in Plant City, from system design and paperwork through maintenance and monitoring. It explains why property owners, including hotels and restaurants, are investing in solar energy and how a roof-integrated system protects the roof underneath. Read it to see what a full solar installation from a roofing company looks like.