For 46 years, Perrone Construction has shaped Sarasota waterfront homes through connections, process, and craft
The stories repeat themselves across Sarasota. A homeowner returns to Perrone Construction (Perrone) for a second project. Then a third. An architect recommends the firm again. A subcontractor stays involved for decades. Clients who have built multiple homes describe the experience as their easiest. Others recall riding out hurricanes in Perrone-built houses, confident in the construction beneath them. The details vary, but the message remains consistent: relationships endure long after construction ends.
Trust sits at the center of Perrone, the Sarasota-based custom builder Richard Perrone founded in 1980. More than four decades later, the firm continues to focus on architect-led waterfront residences along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Today, Ricky Perrone, Perrone’s President, builds on that trust by balancing continuity with a steady focus on process, technology, and the evolving demands of custom homebuilding, specializing in luxury waterfront construction.
Ricky’s perspective comes from learning every stage of the business firsthand. He started as a laborer, then worked as a framer, trim carpenter, superintendent, and project manager. This hands-on experience gave him a bird’s-eye view of the leadership principles that built Perrone’s reputation. “There’s no doubt the success of our company came from my father’s vision and his incredible commitment to our clients. I’ve never seen anyone as dedicated to a client as he is. He’s always thinking about how to benefit a project, whether that’s a cost benefit, a design benefit, or simply something the client might enjoy.”
Preserving that culture is one responsibility. Preparing Perrone for its next chapter is another. “What’s really special about my father is that he’s passed that sense of responsibility on to the entire organization, not just to me. You get that sense anytime you talk with one of our people. The client always comes first.”
Technical sophistication
With the foundation already in place, Ricky focuses on refinement rather than reinvention. “We’re always looking at technology improvements. We have many proprietary systems and processes, and I’m always searching for ways to improve them. I’m not trying to reinvent what’s made our company successful. It’s about carrying that torch forward, embracing the tools that can help us, and continually refining our systems and our relationship with clients.”
That need for balance stands out when Ricky reflects on how much homebuilding has changed during his career. Homes Perrone builds today include systems and capabilities no one imagined when the company started. “We’ve seen technical sophistication increase dramatically. Home automation, lighting, window and door systems, mechanical systems, renewable energy, solar – all of that has changed. We’ve also seen major shifts in project management, preconstruction, 3D modeling, and digital project management.” Yet for all the advances in technology, he believes the fundamentals remain unchanged. “Building is still a hands-on process. At the end of the day, it is skilled tradespeople doing the work, and while technology has changed nearly everything about the craft, it hasn’t replaced it.”
Sarasota’s waterfront demands more than simply adapting a custom home to a waterfront lot. Environmental conditions, regulations, engineering requirements, and site-specific considerations all shape the final outcome. “We have regulations that protect homes and the environment, along with engineering requirements driven by Florida’s storm events.” Beyond those requirements, the coastal environment brings its own challenges. “The airborne salts and the sun can really break down some products over time. After decades building in these conditions, we understand the materials, the regulatory landscape, and what it takes to create homes that perform well over the long term.”
Protecting the home matters. So does making the most of the property. Perrone brings that mindset to both architecture and planning. “These waterfront properties are significant investments, so we work with clients to maximize every view and minimize anything that detracts from it. We work hard to create a sense of timelessness. Our goal is to design homes that feel enduring and relevant, no matter how much time passes.”
Building a legacy
One project that illustrates that philosophy is the Cascade House, the Grand Aurora Award-winning residence that has become one of the firm’s most recognized builds. For Ricky, however, the significance of the project lies less in the award and more in the process that produced it.
The Cascade House began before construction, when the future homeowner sought guidance on a Sarasota property and the group who would design it. Perrone got involved during site evaluation, helping the client bring the right partners on board. “We helped guide him through due diligence, connected him with architects and interior designers, then brought together the best team for the project.” That early coordination reflects a role Perrone often plays on custom waterfront projects. “A project like this involves architects, interior designers, landscape architects, structural engineers, and MEP engineers.”
Bringing those disciplines together takes leadership as much as construction expertise. “Someone has to coordinate those efforts, and we see ourselves as the quarterback of that group.” Coordinating designers, engineers, consultants, and clients starts long before construction begins. “The owner communicated his vision to us and to the rest of the group, and everyone understood what he wanted to achieve. Through a series of meetings, we refined that vision into a conceptual design he really loved. After that, while he stayed involved, he stepped back and trusted the professionals he had brought together to do their best work.”
As new projects prepare to break ground and others move toward completion, Ricky remains focused on the experience clients have throughout the building process itself. He’s always a little bit sad to see these projects close out because it’s a tight working relationship. One of his philosophies is that a home’s character is built while you’re building it. That interaction with clients, the enjoyment and excitement of seeing a home come together, is something Perrone works hard to nurture.
While several homes are approaching completion, the next wave of projects is already underway. “We have a couple of really exciting projects starting up, and I think there’s some really notable stuff coming out of the ground for 2027.”
Sarasota’s waterfront continues to change. Storm requirements evolve, technology advances, and clients arrive with different ideas about how they want to live. Yet Ricky sees a constant thread: the responsibility that comes with building a home designed to remain in a family for generations. “These are legacy homes. The last thing any of us want is to come back 20 years later and feel like the home was built 20 years ago,” Ricky concludes.
