Expertly crafted waterfront homes and renovations: how Sun Bay Builders redesigns Tampa Bay
Homeowners in and around the Tampa Bay area have benefited from Sun Bay Builders’ (Sun Bay) expertise in providing quality residential new construction, design, and renovation services since 1987. Its experience and reputation, combined with a cost-conscious project management approach, allows Sun Bay to deliver fully custom homes of exceptional and long-lasting value. With services spanning from ground-up custom home construction to custom renovations and waterfront home design/build, the company caters to customers in multiple locations, namely St. Pete, Gulf Beaches, Belleair, Tierra Verde and beyond. We sat with Mike Miano, Owner, who enthusiastically tells us all about Sun Bay’s history.
“My father, whose name also happens to be Michael Miano, founded Sun Bay in 1987. Prior to that, he began his career in home building with a company called Lehman Development Corp (Lehman), which specialized in building new construction and coastal style homes. Shortly after leaving Lehman, he launched Sun Bay with a core focus on remodeling St. Petersburg, where there was a high demand. The business rapidly expanded into various neighboring areas. From the late 90s and into the 2000s, we completed a lot of remodeling projects before delving into more new construction through investment spec building and custom homes clients. Still, we continued to maintain our remodeling operation in full swing though have a great passion for new custom homes,” he begins.
Continuing this trajectory, Mike describes his own journey within the family-owned business. “I grew up on the job sites, working many summers when I was out of school. In the early 2000s, I officially became an employee of Sun Bay and worked in the field, learning all the trades, management, client relations, and overall gaining tremendous hands-on experience. By 2015, I received my General Contractor (GC) license and started taking on a larger role within the company, thereby sparking more growth. Upon my father’s retirement in 2020, my wife and I took over and continue running the company. We uphold the values and focus on customer satisfaction that Sun Bay was built on and which have been key to our continued success,” he reveals.
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Alongside these values, Sun Bay’s core proposition has heavily contributed to its prosperity and legacy. Mike provides an overview of the company’s services. “As a full-service construction management firm, our primary focus is on construction management, with design consultation coming in second. We like to be a part of every project from its inception to ensure that our clients can make the most of the design process, which is critical in beginning and successfully completing a new project. By being involved from the outset, we can collaborate with the design team and provide input during the design stages, which helps the project run more smoothly. Additionally, we have a team of skilled tradesmen on staff, allowing us to self-perform a significant portion of our carpentry work,” he informs.
Skilled in a variety of homebuilding styles and trends, Sun Bay applies this approach across all projects it undertakes. Mike shares with us some of his favorite design elements and projects he has worked on. “It is nearly impossible for me to single out a favorite project whether they are built for family, friends, or new clients, though there are a few that rank especially high on my list. Each project has its unique highlights, but if I had to pick a select few, I would choose those that
feature my preferred style, which is modern coastal. I particularly enjoy working on custom builds that overlook waterfronts, as they allow us to create expansive views of Tampa Bay – and at Sun Bay, we love to build houses with a view. These homes are often large in scale and many of them feature panoramic views on the water side, as well as significant wood features on the ceilings and walls. I also like to incorporate details such as standing seam metal roofs, which are a common feature of modern coastal construction,” he expresses.
Mike goes on to discuss a more recent project that is currently underway. “We are building a modern contemporary home spanning a little over 12,000 square feet under roof. Located on the southern tip of Pinellas County in one of Saint Petersburg’s most exclusive sites (Bahama Shores), this home sits on more than three quarters of an acre and overlooks southern Tampa Bay. For this endeavor, we have partnered with Roney Design Group and Michelle Miller Design to create a masterpiece featuring high-end custom finishes, a semi-covered pool, and large bifold doors that open up to wide balconies overlooking Tampa Bay. The house boasts amenities that are a chef’s dream, with a large commercial grade luxury kitchen and an adjoining prep kitchen with direct access to the elevator. This project is tailored to the lifestyle of the specific client, and we expect to complete it in early 2026.”
Sun Bay is a proud member of the National Association of the Home Builders (NAHB) and the Tampa Bay Builders Association (TBBA), memberships that bring along numerous benefits. “NAHB and TBBA are valuable resources for us because they provide networking opportunities with other businesses. They have been particularly helpful in enabling me to consult with other contractors about the evolving changes that we encounter in the industry. Moreover, these associations have a strong code of ethics that requires all members to uphold and seek high standards of honesty, integrity, and responsibility when conducting their business. These are the same values that Sun Bay was built on, which is why we find the associations to be a consistent fit with how we think and the kind of organization we enjoy being a part of,” Mike elaborates.