Hurricane Protection and Remodeling Services on Anna Maria Island

Protect Your Island Home

Anna Maria Island is seven miles of Old Florida, split between three small cities. Anna Maria sits at the north end with Pine Avenue, the City Pier and its two story height limit. Holmes Beach fills the middle, and Bradenton Beach runs down to Longboat Pass. Each city has its own building department and its own rules, but they share the same exposure. In September 2024, Helene pushed several feet of storm surge across the island, filling ground floors with water and sand from one end to the other. Milton followed two weeks later with hurricane force wind.

West Shore Construction has worked along the Manatee County coast since 1985. We install impact windows, hurricane shutters, motorized hurricane screens and hurricane fabric, and we take on remodeling and rebuild work. This page covers the island as a whole and the City of Anna Maria in particular. If your home is in Holmes Beach or Bradenton Beach, we have pages written for those cities too.

What Island Homes Need

Almost every lot on the island sits in a flood zone, and many are in coastal high hazard areas where the living floor has to be raised above the flood elevation. That changes how protection works. On an elevated home, every window is a story or more off the ground, so manual panels and ladders become a real problem the day before a storm. Impact windows and motorized systems make far more sense here than they do inland.

The area under an elevated home has its own rules. In the highest risk zones, ground level enclosures generally have to be built to break away in a surge rather than resist it, so we protect the living levels and leave the lower level the way the flood code expects. Gulf front lots seaward of the state’s Coastal Construction Control Line can also need state review for some exterior work. We check where your property sits before we design anything.

Complete Coastal Home Protection

Protection for Vacation Rentals

A large share of homes on Anna Maria Island are rentals, and the owners often live somewhere else. That makes the choice simple for a lot of them. Impact windows protect the house with no one on site. Motorized rolling shutters and motorized hurricane screens can be closed by a property manager in minutes, or remotely through our automated hurricane protection. Either way, you are not counting on a guest or a neighbor to put up panels in a hurry, and you are not losing bookings to storm damage that could have been avoided.

Impact Windows and Doors

Laminated impact glass stays in the frame when debris hits it, which keeps the house sealed and pressure from building inside. On the island, salt air is as much of a factor as wind, so we specify frames and hardware made for direct coastal exposure. Impact glass also cuts the heat and glare off the Gulf and quiets Gulf Drive traffic in high season.

Shutters, Screens and Fabric

Not every owner is ready to replace every opening. Bahama shutters suit the cottage style the City of Anna Maria is known for and give shade year round. Accordion shutters stay on the house and close by hand. Motorized hurricane screens protect the decks and screened porches that wrap so many raised homes, and they double as sun screens. Hurricane fabric such as astroGuard is the lightest option, a good fit for owners who are on the island full time and prefer to put up their own protection. Compare every style on our shutters page.

Rebuilding and Remodeling

Two years after Helene, many island homes are still being repaired, and many owners are deciding whether to renovate or rebuild. On Anna Maria Island the FEMA substantial improvement rule shapes that decision. When the cost of work on a home in a flood zone reaches half its structure value, the whole house has to meet current flood standards, which can mean elevation. As a state certified building contractor, West Shore handles whole home remodeling, kitchens and bathrooms, and we look at that threshold with you before scope is set.

Flood Barriers

Wind is only half the threat here. For ground level doors on homes that are not elevated, flood barrier systems can slow water entry during smaller surge events and pair well with any of the wind protection options above.

Getting It Paid For

Protected openings earn one of the largest wind mitigation credits on a Florida homeowners policy, documented by an inspection after installation. West Shore is an eligible My Safe Florida Home contractor, a state program offering matching grants to qualifying homesteaded owners, and financing is available.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hurricane Protection on Anna Maria Island

Which building department handles my permit on Anna Maria Island?

It depends on which of the three cities your home is in. Anna Maria, Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach each run their own building department. We handle the application with whichever one applies.

What is the best hurricane protection for an island vacation rental?

Impact windows need no action before a storm. Motorized shutters and screens are a close second because a property manager can close them in minutes or they can be automated.

Can you install hurricane protection on an elevated home?

Yes. We protect the living levels and design around the flood rules for the area below the house. Motorized systems are especially practical because every opening is well off the ground.

Nearby Areas We Serve

West Shore also serves homeowners in Holmes Beach, Bradenton Beach and Bradenton.

Request a Quote on Anna Maria Island

West Shore is a state certified building contractor (CBC044653) with more than 40 years of experience. We handle permits with the City of Anna Maria, Holmes Beach or Bradenton Beach, and we coordinate with owners who are out of town.