New Construction Homes on Sanibel and Captiva: Builders, Rebuilds and How to Buy

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McGreevy and Comisar lead Domain Realty Group, the #1 real estate team in Southwest Florida. Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008. Over $900 million in personal sales, and over $2.5 Billion sold with their Domain Realty Group team.

Is Sanibel rebuilt? Mostly it has been repaired, and the new construction is narrower than the word suggests. Of the 93 properties in Sanibel’s Resort Housing District, the City counts 74 that came back under emergency repair permits and 19 that were demolished, and the Lee County roll shows 101 Sanibel single-family homes with a 2023 to 2026 build year. This page sits under our Sanibel and Captiva guide, and our Lee County guide covers the county around the islands. What follows is what a buyer needs before building, rebuilding or buying a new home here: which government permits it, whether new homes reach the MLS, which condominiums are going back up, what the elevation, height and 50 percent rules do to a lot, what the Captiva court cases settled, and what Florida law says about deposits and warranties. By Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar, with county figures computed from the Lee County Property Appraiser sale file and parcel roll indexed October 27, 2026. Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072 before your first sales-center or developer visit, or Marc at (239) 287-5873. Updated October 2026.

Key Takeaways

Each point is sourced further down the page, and each one corrects something a Sanibel or Captiva new-construction buyer is likely to have been told. The figures come from the county’s recorded sales and parcel roll, the City of Sanibel’s own permit and resort tables, Lee County’s ordinances and the Florida Statutes.

• New homes on these islands sell through the MLS, not a builder’s sales center. Our county estimate finds 0 builder-direct sales among 451 qualified recorded sales in ZIP codes 33957 and 33924 in the 12 months to September 15, 2026, while island MLS statistics counted 502 closings in the same two ZIP codes.
• “New construction” here usually means an owner rebuilding one lot. The county roll shows 20, 27 and 54 Sanibel single-family homes with a 2023, 2024 and 2025 build year, and 6 on Captiva across 2023 to 2025. There are no tract subdivisions on either island.
• The new houses are much bigger than the ones they replace. The median new Sanibel house built 2023 to 2026 has 2,829 heated square feet, against 1,797 for houses built before 2000.
• New houses have sold for more per square foot, on a thin sample. Seven Sanibel houses built 2023 to 2026 sold in the last 12 months at a median of $721 per heated square foot, against $534 for 186 houses built before 2000.
• Ground-up condominium construction is limited to demolished sites. The county roll shows no condominium unit on either island with a build year after 2016, and the City counts 19 demolished resort properties, of which 11 with 263 units were still vacant land in September 2026.
• Sanibel adds its own condominium inspection layer to state law. Ordinance 24-006 (2024) created a local milestone inspection program and Ordinance 26-002 (2026) adopted the state’s “three habitable stories” test.
• The South Seas rezoning stands at the trial court level. On October 21, 2026 Circuit Judge James Shenko denied the petition challenging Lee County’s 2025 rezoning of about 120 acres at South Seas Island Resort.
• Florida cut the outer deadline for construction-defect suits from 10 years to 7. Chapter 2023-22 starts the clock at the earliest certificate of occupancy or completion, not at your closing.
• The new-home deposit statute does not reach every builder. Section 501.1375 lets a buyer escrow deposits up to 10 percent, waivable in writing, but its definition of developer excludes anyone who sells or builds fewer than 10 units a year statewide.
• No Community Development District was found on either island. The five special districts with Sanibel or Captiva in their names are fire, library and erosion districts.
• Sanibel’s single-family permits ran well above the pre-Ian pace in fiscal 2024. The City’s Building Department counted 52, against an average of 21 a year in fiscal 2017 to 2022.

Table of Contents

Jump to any section of this guide.

• Why McGreevy and Comisar Are the Best Realtor for Buying New Construction on Sanibel and Captiva
• Your Local Real Estate Experts
• Is Sanibel Rebuilt After Hurricane Ian, and What Is Actually Being Built?
• Where Is New Construction Being Built on Sanibel and Captiva?
• Do New Homes on Sanibel and Captiva Sell Through the MLS?
• Which Builders and Projects Are Building on the Islands?
• Which Sanibel and Captiva Condos Were Demolished, Repaired or Rebuilt?
• What Changed on Captiva: South Seas, the Captiva Plan and the Courts
• Do You Need Your Own Agent to Buy or Build New on Sanibel and Captiva?
• How Are New-Construction Deposits Protected in Florida?
• What Do the Rules Add: Elevation, the 50 Percent Rule, Height and Fees?
• What Does It Cost to Build or Rebuild on Sanibel and Captiva?
• How Do Elevation and Build Year Change Insurance on the Islands?
• How Do Florida’s Condo Safety Laws Apply to New and Rebuilt Island Condos?
• Are Builder Incentives and Preferred-Lender Rates Worth It?
• What Warranty Comes With a New Home in Florida?
• Should You Get Independent Inspections on a New or Rebuilt Island Home?
• How Long Does It Take to Build on Sanibel and Captiva?
• New Construction or Resale on Sanibel and Captiva: Which Should You Buy?
• How We Represent New-Construction Buyers on the Islands
• Selling a Home to Buy New on Sanibel or Captiva?
• Get Your Sanibel and Captiva New Construction Consultation
• Reviews From Southwest Florida Buyers Who Worked With Us
• What We Could Not Verify, and Exactly Where You Get It
• Frequently Asked Questions, Sanibel and Captiva New Construction Buyer Edition
• Downloadable Documents
• Sources
• McGreevy and Comisar, Southwest Florida

Why McGreevy and Comisar Are the Best Realtor for Buying New Construction on Sanibel and Captiva

McGreevy and Comisar are the Sanibel and Captiva new-construction buyer’s agents who read the county roll, the City and County flood and height rules, the condominium documents and the builder’s contract before your first sales-center or developer visit, because on these islands the costly decisions are made at the lot line, the flood elevation and the declaration. They are Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008.

What a buyer’s agent is actually for on an island rebuild

A developer of a rebuilt condominium or a seller of a new house brings a sales team, a contract written by its own lawyer and often a preferred lender and title agent. A buyer brings none of those. Our job is to be the one person at the table whose duty runs to you: to compare an asking price with the county’s recorded sales on the same street or in the same building, to read the elevation certificate and the flood zone before you fall for the view, to read the declaration, the budget and the structural reports rather than the sales sheet, and to write independent inspections into the contract before you sign. On Sanibel and Captiva that work has a local twist, because the two islands share a causeway and a ZIP code boundary but not a government: Sanibel is a city with its own Land Development Code, and Captiva is unincorporated Lee County under the Captiva Code.

How we compare with other island agents

If you are weighing us against other agents, our side-by-side look at the best real estate agents in Sanibel and Captiva sets out the yardsticks we think a buyer should use: verified production, years in the market, reviews you can read yourself, and whether the agent who walks the lot with you is the agent who negotiates the contract. For the resale side of the same decision, our guide to buying a home in Sanibel and Captiva covers closing costs, insurance, rental rules and the resale contract.

The accolades, and what they are evidence of

Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar hold the Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008 distinction, the Gulfshore Life Magazine 5 Star Award for Customer Satisfaction for 21 Straight Years, an award only 5 out of more than 21,000 licensees have held, and the #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012 position. McGreevy and Comisar are also ranked the #5 real estate team in Florida (RealTrends 2026). Between Jesse and Marc there are over $900 million in personal sales and over 45 years of combined direct experience, which is how a person knows, without guessing, when a rebuilt building is priced against its own recorded sales and when it is priced against hope.

Who you actually work with

Jesse and Marc handle their own buyers. The person who walks the lot or the building with you is the person who reads the contract and negotiates it. Jesse’s direct line is (239) 898-6072 and Marc’s is (239) 287-5873. Our office is at 24031 S Tamiami Trl #101, Bonita Springs, FL 34134, and we meet buyers on the islands.

Your Local Real Estate Experts

McGreevy and Comisar are Southwest Florida real estate experts who have represented buyers and sellers from Naples to Charlotte Harbor for more than two decades, and whose home office is in Bonita Springs. The credentials below are the locked, verifiable record we publish on every page, stated exactly as awarded, and they apply to every island buyer we represent.

• Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008
• 5 Star Award for Customer Satisfaction for 21 Straight Years. Only 5 out of 21k+ Licensees (Gulfshore Life Magazine)
• #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012
• McGreevy and Comisar and their Domain Realty Group team have sold over $2.5 Billion in Real Estate
• McGreevy and Comisar alone have over $900 million in Sales
• Nationally Recognized Top Producing Realtors
• Platinum Sales Production Award Winners

Licensed, and where to check

Jesse McGreevy holds Florida license SL3101296 and Marc Comisar holds BK3060671, both issued under Chapter 475, Florida Statutes, and both can be verified on the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation licensee search. The same search is how you check a builder or contractor’s license before you sign a construction contract. McGreevy and Comisar is brokered by Domain Realty.

Is Sanibel Rebuilt After Hurricane Ian, and What Is Actually Being Built?

Sanibel is mostly repaired rather than rebuilt. The City’s Building Department issued 6,536 permits in fiscal 2023, mostly repairs, and 52 single-family permits in fiscal 2024, about two and a half times the pre-Ian pace. Of 93 resort properties, 74 were repaired and 19 demolished; ground-up construction is concentrated on those demolished sites and on single rebuilt lots.

Data updated: October 2026 (City of Sanibel Building Department permit statistics and City Council packet of October 6, 2026; US Census Building Permits Survey place files, retrieved 27 Oct 2026).

What the City’s own permit counts show

The City’s Building Department chart, attached to the 2025 fee ordinance, counts every permit it issued by fiscal year and, separately, the single-family permits. The two rows are different measures: the total includes roofs, electrical, repairs and every other permit type, so it is never a count of homes built.

In the six fiscal years before Ian the City issued 126 single-family permits, about 21 a year. Fiscal 2023 was dominated by repair work, and only 13 single-family permits were issued. Fiscal 2024’s 52 is the first full year in which new-home permits clearly outran the old pace. The chart ends at fiscal 2024; a City budget page gives different totals for the same years, but it could not be re-read, so we print the Building Department chart.

What the Census permit survey shows

The US Census Building Permits Survey place file for the City of Sanibel shows 12 one-unit buildings in 2021, 20 in 2022, 28 in 2023, 46 in 2024 and 32 in 2025, and 17 for January to August 2026 (the file reports 8 months). The 2025 file also shows 4 buildings of five or more units containing 43 units and 4 two-unit buildings with 8 units. The declared construction value of the 32 one-unit permits in 2025 was $48,501,356, an average of about $1.52 million per house before land. Captiva has no Census series of its own because it is unincorporated; its permits sit inside Lee County’s total of 9,962 one-unit permits in 2025.

What the Planning Department sees each month

Permits and plans that pass through the City’s Planning Department, a narrower count than the Building Department’s, fell from 2,211 in 2024 to 1,305 in 2025 and 857 in January to September 2026. The September 2026 report lists 76 such permits and plans, of which 4 were new single-family homes (at Par View Drive, Seaspray Lane, Wulfert Road and one unaddressed parcel), 1 was new commercial and 1 was a demolition.

The City’s scoreboard of demolished and repaired resort properties

The City Council packet of October 6, 2026 carries the Planning Department’s table of every property in the Resort Housing District, the roughly 400-acre band of condominiums, hotels, timeshares and cottages along the Gulf. Its totals: 93 properties and 3,521 units, 74 properties repaired under emergency repair permits (about 3,188 units), and 19 demolished. Of the 19 demolished properties, three have reopened (Shalimar, the single-family home at 1153 Shell Basket Lane and Beachview), three have permits and are under construction (White Caps South, the Island Inn cottages relocated into the main building, and Kimball Lodge), Waterside Inn has a redevelopment application, Gulf Beach has a build-back application, and 11 properties with 263 units remained vacant land. The table also counts 353 units as unavailable.

What has reopened, building by building

The repaired complexes came back in stages over two and a half years, which is the pace a buyer of a “renovated” unit should expect for the buildings around it.

• Sanibel Moorings reopened for bookings in mid-December 2023 and cut its ribbon on January 9, 2024, after a renovation rather than a rebuild.
• Loggerhead Cay cut its ribbon on February 5, 2024 with 75 rental units available, after all first-floor units, the office and nine second-floor units were gutted.
• Sanibel Siesta on the Beach reopened to bookings April 1, 2024 with 54 of its 62 units open; the eight ground-level units and the office needed total demolition.
• Blind Pass Condominium cut its ribbon June 3, 2024 with 58 second-floor units back, while 49 first-floor units remained under renovation.
• Ocean’s Reach welcomed guests back in December 2024 and cut its ribbon on January 14, 2025.
• Sundial Beach Resort and Spa officially reopened on February 1, 2025 after a 28-month recovery; in November 2025 its general manager told the City that 25 units were still under construction.
• Sandalfoot cut its ribbon on March 27, 2025 with about 50 of its 60 units reopened.
• Pointe Santo de Sanibel held its grand opening on January 9, 2026; all first-floor units had been destroyed and the clubhouse washed away.
• Sanibel Beach Club II cut its ribbon on June 18, 2026 after its buildings were gutted to the block and rebuilt inside.

The single-family picture on the county roll

The Lee County Property Appraiser records an effective year built for each parcel, and a house rebuilt on an old lot shows the new year. On the roll indexed October 27, 2026, ZIP 33957 (Sanibel) has 3,832 single-family parcels, of which 101 show a 2023 to 2026 build year, about 2.6 percent. ZIP 33924 (Captiva) has 389 single-family parcels, of which 6 show a 2023 to 2026 build year. A house repaired or lifted in place usually keeps its old year, so the roll understates reconstruction and never counts a repair as new.

Where Is New Construction Being Built on Sanibel and Captiva?

New construction on the islands is built under two governments: the City of Sanibel, under the Sanibel Plan and the City’s Land Development Code, and unincorporated Lee County on Captiva, under the Lee Plan’s Captiva goal and the Captiva Code in Chapter 33 of the county code. On Sanibel, new houses cluster in older golf, canal and Gulf-side subdivisions.

Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County Property Appraiser parcel roll and sale file, index built 27 Oct 2026; Lee County Ordinance 23-22; DOAH Final Order 24-1951GM, retrieved 27 to 28 Oct 2026).

The jurisdiction test

The government that permits a house is set by where the parcel sits, not by its mailing address. Sanibel is the City of Sanibel. Captiva is never a town or city: it is unincorporated Lee County, and its rules are Goal 23 of the Lee Plan (the Captiva Community Plan) and Article IX of Chapter 33 of the Lee County Land Development Code, which applies to Captiva Island and excludes Upper Captiva, Cayo Costa, Useppa, Buck Key and Cabbage Key. Our Sanibel Island guide and Captiva Island guide describe each island as a place to live.

The ZIP trap

A ZIP code is a postal route. The county roll assigns some parcels near the Captiva end to ZIP 33957, so a search for “33957 new construction” can mix City of Sanibel parcels with county parcels. Ask for the parcel’s taxing district and the permitting agency before you ask about the builder, because the height rule, the 50 percent rule and the impact fees all change at that line.

Where the new houses are on Sanibel

The county roll’s subdivision strings show where the 2023 to 2026 single-family homes sit. Most subdivisions have a handful; the metes-and-bounds parcels outside any plat hold the largest group.

On Captiva (ZIP 33924) four of the six new single-family parcels are unplatted, and the other two sit in very small recorded subdivisions. A share of a few percent means a rebuilt house is usually next door to houses from the 1970s and 1980s, which matters for resale comparisons and for what the street will look like in ten years.

How much buildable land is left

The roll counts 408 vacant residential parcels in ZIP 33957 and 48 in ZIP 33924. Not every one is buildable: the county’s vacant residential code includes slivers, wetland parcels and lots held as open space, and Sanibel’s code lets a single-family house go on a qualifying vacant parcel only if it meets the zone’s minimum lot area, from 10,000 square feet in the mid-island ridge and altered land zones to 20,000 square feet in the Gulf beach ridge, lowland wetlands and Blind Pass zones, and five acres in the mangrove forest zone.

The new houses on the roll, by size

The pattern is the same on both islands: the replacement house is about one and a half times the size of the older stock on Sanibel, and nearly three times on Captiva.

Do New Homes on Sanibel and Captiva Sell Through the MLS?

Yes. On these islands new homes are rebuilt or custom houses sold by owners and agents, not builder inventory sold from a sales center. Our estimate from the county record finds 0 builder-direct sales among 451 qualified recorded sales in ZIP codes 33957 and 33924 in the 12 months to September 15, 2026, and island MLS statistics counted 502 closings.

Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County Property Appraiser sale file and parcel roll, index built 27 Oct 2026, newest recorded sale 15 Sep 2026; island MLS closing count for October 2025 to September 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026).

Why this is the opposite of a builder-direct market

In a master-planned town, a national builder sells most of its homes from its own sales center, and many of those sales never appear in the MLS. Sanibel and Captiva have no such communities. New homes here are elevated replacement houses built one lot at a time, a few custom houses on vacant lots, and rebuilt condominium buildings paid for by their existing owners, as at Gulf Beach, where each owner is paying about $464,285 toward the rebuild. When those homes sell, they sell like resale homes, through listing agents. The kit line we use on mainland pages, that most new homes sell direct from the builder and never reach the MLS, is false on these islands, so we do not print it here.

The numbers behind the answer

We tracked every recorded sale on both islands for this page: the county’s sales engine counted 451 qualified recorded sales in the two island ZIP codes in the 12 months from October 2025 to the newest recorded sale on September 15, 2026, at a median of $925,000 and a range of $200,000 to $10,000,000. It estimated 0 of them as builder-direct. The island MLS statistics counted 502 closings in the same two ZIP codes over October 2025 to September 2026, more than the county’s qualified count, which tells us the MLS sees essentially the whole island market. The builder-direct figure is an estimate: the engine treats a sale as builder-direct when it is the first qualified improved sale within about a year of the year built.

Builder-direct estimates by year and ZIP

Before Ian, between 11 and 34 first sales a year on Sanibel looked builder-direct, at yearly medians between $269,000 and $669,250 from 2016 to 2021. Since 2024 the estimate is 0 on both islands, which fits a market where new houses are built for owners who keep them, or sold later by those owners.

Why 2022 and 2024 look small, and why we draw no trend from them

After Ian, the Property Appraiser coded many island sales as “physical characteristics changed” (transfer code 03), which drops them out of the qualified set we count. The qualified share of all recorded sales in the two ZIP codes fell to 25 percent in 2022 and 18 percent in 2024, against 59 percent in 2021 and 50 percent in 2026. Calendar 2022 and 2024 counts are therefore undercounts, and we make no trend claim from either year.

What the test cannot see

The county record cannot see a house built for the owner’s own use and never sold, a sale that has not recorded yet, or a rebuild that kept the old year built. It also cannot tell you who built a house: the roll names owners, not contractors. So the 0 is a statement about recorded sales, not a claim that no one on the islands has ever bought from a builder, and every new-home figure on this page is a floor.

Which Builders and Projects Are Building on the Islands?

The multi-unit rebuilds on Sanibel are led by two Fort Myers-area general contractors, Benchmark General Contractors and Stevens Construction, while single-family rebuilds are permitted one lot at a time to many contractors. On Captiva, South Seas holds development orders for 219 hotel units and 84 condominium units, with no building permit issued as of May 27, 2026.

Data updated: October 2026 (City of Sanibel Council packet of 6 Oct 2026 and Planning Commission packet of 13 Oct 2026; builder and issuer releases and island news as dated in each row, retrieved 27 to 28 Oct 2026).

The project comparison table

Status words are “as of” the date shown. Unit counts are the City of Sanibel’s Attachment F figures where the City lists the property, and the builder or news figure otherwise. Costs are as reported by the builder, the association or the news source named; none is a price list, and none of these projects publishes unit prices to us.

The 84 condominium units under the South Seas development order are marketed as Timbers Captiva Club and Residences; Business Observer reported on October 1, 2026 that crews had started clearing the site with no groundbreaking date set, and the developer’s own release says groundbreaking is expected in early 2027. We describe South Seas only from the public zoning and court record (see the Captiva section below).

Talk to Us Before the First Developer Visit on Sanibel or Captiva

On Sanibel and Captiva our county estimate finds 0 builder-direct sales among 451 qualified recorded sales in the last 12 months, so nearly every new home and rebuilt condominium is sold through a listing agent or a developer’s sales team that works for the seller. Call before your first sales-center or developer visit, because that is when your representation is won or lost. Read how we represent buyers in Southwest Florida, then book your Sanibel and Captiva new construction consultation, or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072. You will be working with Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008. If you own a home to sell first, get a Sanibel and Captiva home valuation and we will time the sale to your closing.

Benchmark General Contractors

Benchmark, a Fort Myers general contractor founded in 1984, holds the contracts for Gulf Beach, Kimball Lodge and By the Sea and is the applicant on Waterside Inn. Its own release calls Gulf Beach “our 160th project on the island since Hurricane Ian”, a figure we attribute to Benchmark rather than verify. Its announcements say the Gulf Beach and Kimball Lodge rebuilds will be “built to the latest standards for flood elevations and hurricane wind codes”, and gave each a 12-month build.

Stevens Construction

Stevens Construction built Beachview Villas, which took about 17 months on several hundred concrete pilings (reported as 275 and as about 300) and opened over Memorial Day weekend 2026, and is building the Captiva Island Inn, two elevated buildings of 8,454 square feet in total on 208 concrete pilings. Reported Beachview costs range from about $14 million to about $16 million depending on the report, so we print the range.

A. Vernon Allen Builder

A. Vernon Allen Builder, a Naples custom builder founded in 1951, opened a Sanibel office at 1504 Periwinkle Way. At its SanCap Chamber ribbon cutting in March 2026 it reported three contracts on Sanibel and four more planned across Sanibel and Captiva. It named no project addresses, so we list none.

Alair Sanibel

Alair Sanibel, a franchise of Alair Homes, lists its service area on its own page as “Sanibel and Captiva, plus the surrounding Southwest Florida islands” and offers custom homes, renovations and condominium renovations. The two projects its page names are labelled with a Fort Myers location, so we cite it only for what it says about itself.

Checked, and not found

We looked for the items below and did not find them in a primary source. A missing item means “not published”, not “does not exist”.

Which Sanibel and Captiva Condos Were Demolished, Repaired or Rebuilt?

Almost every Sanibel condominium was repaired in place under the City’s emergency repair permits; only the 19 demolished resort-district properties are being or could be rebuilt from the ground. Gulf Beach, Kimball Lodge, By the Sea and White Caps South are the rebuilt condominiums, and 11 demolished properties with 263 units were still vacant land in September 2026.

Data updated: October 2026 (City of Sanibel Attachment F, Resort Housing District status of properties as of August 2026, Council meeting of 6 Oct 2026; Florida DBPR condominium extract, retrieved 27 Oct 2026).

Repaired versus rebuilt, and why it matters to a buyer

In the City’s table every named condominium that was not demolished carries an “emergency repairs” flag, meaning it was repaired under the City’s post-Ian repair policy rather than rebuilt. A repaired building keeps its original certificate of occupancy, its age, its milestone inspection schedule and its reserve history. A building demolished and rebuilt is permitted as new construction and gets a new certificate of occupancy. Two units with the same view can therefore sit in buildings that are 50 years apart in structural age.

The rebuilt condominiums

• Gulf Beach Condominium, 527 East Gulf Drive: 14 units on the same footprint, raised about 5 additional feet on about 200 pilings driven about 20 to 30 feet. The original building sat about 10 feet above ground against a 12- to 13-foot surge. The project costs about $6.5 million, about $464,285 per owner for about 1,100 square feet of living space, with cabinetry, flooring and fixtures paid by each owner on top. It broke ground on September 4, 2026, and completion is expected in late 2027. The City’s table marks Gulf Beach as the one resort property “substantially damaged”.
• By the Sea, 2611 West Gulf Drive: 18 units in three identical 19,477 square foot buildings rising 45 feet, with living space elevated about 14 feet above grade. The project is reported at about $22 million, with about $8 million of insurance proceeds. It topped out on October 21, 2026; Benchmark’s release of October 27, 2026 says it is expected to be complete by March 2027.
• Kimball Lodge, 3111 West Gulf Drive: 31 units in the City’s table, a single building of 26,982 square feet, rebuilt under build-back permit PRMU202500094.
• White Caps South, 2877 and 2907 West Gulf Drive: 9 units being rebuilt as four duplexes and one single-family house. Nothing of the old buildings remains, so the City treats it as new construction.

The White Caps South lesson: a rebuilt condo meets today’s code

When White Caps South’s association asked the City to remove accessibility and fire-sprinkler requirements from its rebuild permits, the Chief Building Official and Fire Marshal said no, and on December 2, 2025 the City Council, sitting as the construction board of adjustment and appeals, upheld them by Resolution 25-072. A buyer of a unit in a rebuilt building should expect current accessibility, fire and flood rules to apply, and should price the association’s budget accordingly.

The demolished sites that were still vacant

At the Captiva Community Panel on September 8, 2026, the chairman of Sanibel Captiva Beach Resorts said West Wind Inn, Beachview Villas and both Castaways properties were for sale. A buyer interested in one of these sites is buying a right to rebuild, not a building.

Can a demolished resort be rebuilt with the same number of units?

Under the City Charter and the Sanibel Plan, owners may rebuild up to the number of dwelling units that existed on May 4, 2004 without a referendum, and City staff wrote in May 2026 that this allowance “does not expire”. The same memo says 91 of the 93 Resort Housing District properties (98 percent) are developed above the density the City’s Development Intensity Map would allow: the district holds 3,521 units against 1,835 the map would permit today. Raising density above the 2004 count needs voter approval, so rebuilding is the only path to new units, and a voluntary density-transfer framework was still under discussion at City Council, which deferred it to its December 1, 2026 meeting.

The DBPR registry, and what it can and cannot tell you

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation publishes an extract of every registered condominium. Filtering it for Sanibel and Captiva addresses returned 123 project rows. The registry date is the declaration’s recording date, a proxy for age rather than the certificate of occupancy date, and the registry and the City sometimes disagree on unit counts, so we use the City’s figure for buildings in its table and name the source beside any other number. The newest Gulf-front declaration in the island rows is Sedgemoor, recorded in 2002 with 12 units.

Captiva condominiums outside South Seas

The registry lists Captiva Shores (21 units), Ventura Captiva (10), Sunset Captiva (10), Captiva Hide-A-Way (8), Captiva Cove (7), Captiva Bay Villas (5) and Captiva Beach Villas (4) outside the resort. Benchmark names Captiva Shores among its projects since Ian, but no scope or completion date is public. The county roll shows no Captiva condominium unit with a build year of 2017 or later.

What Changed on Captiva: South Seas, the Captiva Plan and the Courts

Captiva’s building rules changed in 2023, when Lee County changed how height is measured for flood-elevated buildings and exempted South Seas Island Resort from Captiva’s density and height limits. The county rezoned about 120 acres at South Seas in 2025, and on October 21, 2026 a circuit judge denied the last trial-level challenge to that rezoning.

Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County Ordinances 23-22 and 23-33; DOAH Final Order 24-1951GM; Sixth District Court of Appeal opinion 6D2025-0335; WGCU and WINK reports of 27 Oct 2026, retrieved 27 to 28 Oct 2026).

The public-record timeline

What Ordinance 23-22 changed for every Captiva lot

Outside South Seas, Captiva’s height rule still reads 35 feet above the lot’s average grade or 42 feet above mean sea level, whichever is lower, and the code says no variance or deviation from it may be granted. Two changes sit on top of that rule. Height in the coastal building zone is now measured from the lowest minimum habitable floor elevation for which a permit may be issued, and a building in a V zone or a Coastal A zone may raise that floor by up to 4 feet and exceed the height limit proportionally without a variance. The administrative law judge found that the combined change “allows for a third habitable floor in dwellings located in Captiva, both in South Seas and elsewhere.”

What it changed at South Seas

The ordinance exempted South Seas from the Captiva density and height limits in the county code. The judge found that, after the ordinance, the county could permit buildings at South Seas at 49 feet above base flood elevation without a rezoning, and that “there is no applicable density standard in the LDC” for the resort. Hotel and motel density elsewhere on Captiva remains capped at three units per gross acre. South Seas covers about 300 acres at the north end of an island of about 725 acres; the 2025 rezoning covers about 120 of them.

Unit counts: different numbers for different things

The 912 figure is the historic cap for the whole resort. The 2023 application asked for 272 condominiums and 435 hotel units (707 in total) on the rezoned area; the approval allows 193 multifamily and 435 hotel units (628). Other published totals use different bases, such as counting existing units too. Each figure is correct for what it counts, and none should be compared with another without its definition.

Captiva’s plan may be folded into the county plan

Lee County’s proposed amendment CPA2026-00005 would delete community plans, including the Captiva Plan (Goal 23). The Local Planning Agency voted 4 to 2 in favor on August 31, 2026; the Board of County Commissioners paused the schedule on September 15, 2026, and it is expected to return. County staff have said density and intensity would not change; a buyer should watch for the return date.

Septic, sewer and the beach on Captiva

South Seas has central sewer from a Florida Governmental Utility Authority plant inside the resort. Outside it, a 2018 engineering study counted 378 developed properties on onsite systems and priced a system replacement at up to $36,000 to $38,000; a 2021 central-sewer design was estimated at about $18 million, and no funded sewer program was found. Gulf beaches are maintained by the Captiva Erosion Prevention District: its 2025 renourishment placed about 1 million cubic yards of sand at an estimated cost of $26.67 million (a state funding request had listed a $33 million total project cost), and on August 31, 2026 its board voted 4 to 0 to approve the apportionment for a $10 million non-ad valorem assessment, with amounts varying by beach zone and use.

Do You Need Your Own Agent to Buy or Build New on Sanibel and Captiva?

You are free to buy without one, but every person on the other side of a new-home or rebuilt-condo sale works for the seller. Florida presumes a licensee is a transaction broker unless a single-agent relationship is set up in writing, and a builder’s own sales staff may be exempt from the licensing law altogether.

Data updated: October 2026 (Florida Statutes sections 475.278, 475.011 and 489.103, retrieved 27 Oct 2026).

What the Florida presumption means

Section 475.278 states: “It shall be presumed that all licensees are operating as transaction brokers unless a single agent or no brokerage relationship is established, in writing, with a customer.” A transaction broker “provides a limited form of representation to a buyer, a seller, or both in a real estate transaction but does not represent either in a fiduciary capacity or as a single agent.” Our buyers sign a written agreement that sets out the relationship, the term and how we are paid, because a written single-agent relationship is the only one with full fiduciary duties.

The builder’s sales office is the seller’s office

Section 475.278(5)(b)1 switches off the licensee disclosure rules “when an owner is selling new residential units built by the owner and the circumstances or setting should reasonably inform the potential buyer that the owner’s employee or single agent is acting on behalf of the owner”. Section 475.011(2) lets an owner, including a builder or developer entity, sell its own property without a real estate license, unless it pays salespeople a commission strictly per transaction. Put plainly: the friendly person at the model or the developer’s table works for the developer.

Registration rules for buyer’s agents

On the mainland, national builders publish rules about when a buyer’s agent must register, often requiring the agent at the buyer’s first visit. We found no such published policy for any builder or developer active on Sanibel or Captiva, so we print none. Because a first visit without your agent can end your ability to have one paid by the seller, we ask every developer for its cooperation policy in writing before a buyer goes, and we tell you what it says.

Building your own house: the owner-builder route

Florida lets an owner act as their own builder on a one- or two-family residence built for the owner’s own use, and the City of Sanibel’s repair policy notes the same option. The statute adds a catch: a sale or offer to sell within one year of completion creates a presumption that the house was built for sale. An owner-builder takes on the permits, the inspections and the contractor risk that a licensed general contractor would otherwise carry.

How Are New-Construction Deposits Protected in Florida?

A deposit on a new one- or two-family home is protected by section 501.1375, which lets the buyer escrow deposits up to 10 percent of the price unless the buyer waives that in writing, but only when the builder sells or builds 10 or more units a year statewide. A new condominium deposit follows chapter 718.

Data updated: October 2026 (Florida Statutes sections 501.1375, 718.202, 718.503, 718.504, 489.126, 489.1425 and 713.13, retrieved 27 Oct 2026).

The single-family rule, and who it misses

Section 501.1375(2) requires the builder or developer to tell the buyer that “any deposit (up to 10 percent of the purchase price) made by the buyer to the building contractor or developer shall, unless waived in writing by the buyer, be deposited in an escrow account”. The contract must carry, in capitals, that the buyer “HAS THE RIGHT TO HAVE ALL DEPOSIT FUNDS (UP TO 10 PERCENT OF THE PURCHASE PRICE) DEPOSITED IN AN ESCROW ACCOUNT. THIS RIGHT MAY BE WAIVED, IN WRITING, BY THE BUYER.” The catch on the islands is the definition: a “developer” excludes “a person who sells or constructs less than 10 units per year statewide”. Many island custom builders and owners selling one rebuilt house may sit below that line, so ask, and if the statute does not apply, write the escrow into the contract.

When the builder wants to spend the deposit

If escrowed funds are to be used for construction, the builder must first post a surety bond payable to the buyer in the amount of the deposit, where one is readily available. A developer who willfully fails to escrow commits a third-degree felony, and failure to place the funds in escrow within 10 days of receipt is prima facie evidence of a violation.

The condominium rule

For a new condominium unit, section 718.202 requires the developer to escrow all payments up to 10 percent of the sale price. Section 718.503 gives the buyer a right to cancel within 15 days after signing and receiving all the documents the developer must deliver, states that “ANY PURPORTED WAIVER OF THESE VOIDABILITY RIGHTS SHALL BE OF NO EFFECT”, and bars the developer from closing inside those 15 days unless the buyer agrees. A developer of a condominium with more than 20 residential units must also file a prospectus with the state’s condominium division before taking enforceable contracts (section 718.504).

When you hire a builder for your own lot

A buyer who owns a lot and hires a contractor is protected by chapter 489 instead. A contractor who takes more than 10 percent of the price up front must apply for permits within 30 days and start work within 90 days after the permits issue (section 489.126). Every residential construction contract over $2,500 must explain the Homeowners’ Construction Recovery Fund (section 489.1425), and the owner records a notice of commencement with the Lee County Clerk before work begins (section 713.13). On a barrier island, where permit review and pile design take time, expect a written extension of those deadlines in the contract and read it.

What Do the Rules Add: Elevation, the 50 Percent Rule, Height and Fees?

A new island house must lift its lowest floor, or in a V zone its lowest structural member, at least one foot above base flood elevation, meet a height limit measured differently on each island, and pay permit and impact fees. Sanibel applies the 50 percent rule per project; Captiva adds it up over five years.

Data updated: October 2026 (Florida Building Code 8th Edition flood provisions; FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer queried 27 Oct 2026; City of Sanibel Code Chapters 14, 86, 90, 94 and 126; Lee County Ordinances 22-30, 23-22 and 26-01; Lee County fee update effective 15 Apr 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026).

Flood zones and base flood elevations

Both islands are mapped on Lee County’s flood insurance rate maps effective November 17, 2022. A FEMA flood hazard layer check over Sanibel found AE zones with base flood elevations of 6 to 12 feet and VE zones of 9 to 15 feet (NAVD88); over Captiva, AE zones of 6 to 9 feet and VE zones of 8 to 13 feet. The City’s own outreach strategy put roughly 99.96 percent of Sanibel inside the special flood hazard area. Your lot’s elevation certificate, not the island average, settles what you are buying.

What the building code requires of a new house

Sanibel adds its own limits: a non-elevated garage in Zone A or AE may be one story and 600 square feet, a storage building 150 square feet in Zone AE and 100 square feet in Zone VE. A buyer shown a finished “ground-level suite” under a V-zone house is being shown something the rules do not allow.

The 50 percent rule on each island

On Sanibel, “substantial improvement” means work costing 50 percent or more of the building’s market value before the work starts, and once a building is substantially damaged any repair counts as substantial improvement. The City’s emergency repair policy takes market value from the Property Appraiser’s building value or a licensed appraiser’s depreciated replacement cost. On Captiva, Lee County Ordinance 22-30 adds up “any combination of repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvement” over a five-year period, so a phased renovation can cross the line without any single large project. Crossing it means the whole building must meet current flood rules, usually by elevation. A flood policy’s Increased Cost of Compliance coverage can pay up to $30,000 toward that work after a substantial damage determination.

Sanibel’s elevation exception and build-back clock

Ordinance 26-009, adopted June 2, 2026, lets a structure that is below the minimum design flood elevation or substantially damaged be raised up to 10 feet above predevelopment grade or highest adjacent grade, whichever is higher, even past the height and angle-of-light limits. A nonconforming structure destroyed or substantially damaged may be built back within its pre-disaster footprint, habitable area, square footage and unit count, if the application is filed within two years of the damage (three years if the declared emergency runs past six months, four if past a year).

Height on Sanibel

In Sanibel’s residential zones no structure may exceed 45 feet NAVD, no new building may exceed three stories above base flood elevation, and the building must stay inside a 45-degree angle of light measured from the setback lines at 30 feet NAVD or 20 feet above predevelopment grade, whichever is less restrictive. In the Resort Housing District, Ordinance 24-020 (2024) raised the limit from 33 to 37 feet above base flood elevation, removed the 49.8-foot NAVD cap and the sloped-roof requirement, and let elevator enclosures rise 8 feet higher.

Height on Captiva

Outside South Seas, a Captiva building’s peak may not exceed 35 feet above average grade or 42 feet above mean sea level, whichever is lower, with no variance, plus the up-to-4-foot resiliency allowance in V and Coastal A zones described in the Captiva section above.

Permit fees on Sanibel

Ordinance 25-002 (March 18, 2025) moved Sanibel to square-foot fees. A new one- or two-family building pays $1.00 per square foot for the building permit and $0.20 per square foot each for electrical, plumbing and mechanical, with a $150 minimum per permit, plan review at 10 percent of the permit fee, and a 15 percent discount when a private provider is used. Separately, Chapter 90 charges a development permit for a new house of $2,881 for the first 2,000 square feet of living area plus $0.81 per additional square foot; those printed amounts date from 2016 and the chapter authorizes annual CPI increases, so the current charge may be higher.

Permit fees on Captiva

Lee County’s building fee update took effect April 15, 2026: an application fee of $50, a technology fee of $35, plan review of $75, residential review of $35, and inspections at $0.15 per square foot structural ($500 minimum), $0.04 electrical ($150 minimum), $0.035 mechanical ($125 minimum), $0.04 plumbing ($150 minimum) and $100 roofing. An operational support fee starts at 0 percent and may rise by up to 2 percent a quarter, capped at 5 percent a fiscal year.

Impact fees and utility connections

Road and park fees apply in unincorporated Captiva; whether and at what rate the City of Sanibel collects them could not be confirmed, so ask the City before you budget. Island Water Association rates rise 18 percent in each of 2026, 2027 and 2028 under the adjustment the Sanibel City Council adopted on March 3, 2026, effective June 1, 2026.

Gulf-front lots: the coastal construction control line

Work seaward of Florida’s coastal construction control line needs a state permit, and section 161.053 bars a permit for most structures projected to be seaward of the seasonal high-water line within 30 years, with a narrow single-family exception for older parcels where the house sits landward of the frontal dune and as far landward as practicable. The state’s permit criteria rule, 62B-33.005, was amended effective July 7, 2026, so any beachfront plan drawn before then should be rechecked. Sanibel also keeps its own 1974 coastal construction setback line.

The code edition and wind design

Permits applied for now are reviewed under the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023). The Florida Building Commission’s workplan lists the 9th Edition (2026) as effective December 31, 2026, so an application filed near that date sits on an edition boundary. Sanibel’s framing inspection requires a truss engineer’s certification at a 170 mph design wind speed.

What Does It Cost to Build or Rebuild on Sanibel and Captiva?

No government or research source publishes a per-square-foot cost for a new Sanibel or Captiva house. What exists is evidence: Census permit valuations averaging about $1.52 million per new Sanibel house in 2025, island homeowners’ reported elevation costs, condominium rebuild budgets, county lot sales, and the prices new houses have sold for.

Data updated: October 2026 (US Census Building Permits Survey; SanCap Resilience case studies, August 2024; Lee County Property Appraiser sale file, index built 27 Oct 2026; project figures as reported, retrieved 27 to 28 Oct 2026).

What the permit valuations say

Census permit valuations are the construction values builders declare when they apply, not sale prices and not land. For the City of Sanibel the average per new one-unit building was about $1.18 million in 2021, $1.22 million in 2022, $1.41 million in 2023, $1.26 million in 2024, $1.52 million in 2025 and $1.34 million for January to August 2026. Sanibel’s fee code separately assigns $275 per square foot of living area and $138 per square foot of non-living area to value a new house for permit purposes; that is a fee yardstick, not a construction estimate.

What island homeowners reported for elevation and rebuilds

A volunteer working group, SanCap Resilience, published three Sanibel case studies in 2024. Owners reported $70 to $75 per square foot to lift a house 5 feet and $100 to $110 per square foot to lift it 10 feet, before finishes, permits and utility reconnection; one owner who lifted 10 feet said a rebuild would have cost three to five times as much, and another estimated a teardown and rebuild at over $500 per square foot. These are homeowner reports, not bids. At the reported rate, lifting a 2,200 square foot house 10 feet would be about $220,000 to $242,000 before those extras (our arithmetic). For context only, the National Association of Home Builders’ 2024 survey put the national average construction cost at about $162 per finished square foot; that is a national figure, not a coastal one.

What the condominium rebuilds cost

What vacant lots have sold for

The county records qualified sales of vacant residential parcels, which include slivers and unbuildable lots, so read the median rather than the low. A lot sold vacant and since built on now carries a house code and drops out, so these counts are floors.

Captiva’s lot sales have run at one to seven a year since 2016, too few for a median that means anything; we list two recent years so you can see the spread.

What new houses have sold for

Seven sales are a thin sample, so read the first row as a direction, not a premium. No house in ZIP 33924 built after 1999 recorded a qualified sale in the window.

A worked example: fees on a 3,000 square foot Sanibel rebuild

Using the City’s printed rates only, a 3,000 square foot one- or two-family structure pays $3,000 for the building permit and $600 each for electrical, plumbing and mechanical, which is $4,800 before plan review, plus a Chapter 90 development permit of $3,691 at the 2016 printed base for 3,000 square feet of living area. Add the Lee County impact fees above, the Island Water Association connection, the septic or sewer permit and the survey, engineering and elevation certificate costs. This is arithmetic on published rates, not a quote; the City’s current schedule and your builder’s bid settle it.

How Do Elevation and Build Year Change Insurance on the Islands?

A newly built elevated house usually rates better for flood insurance than an older ground-level one, because FEMA prices each building on its own height and features. Both islands also carry a 25 percent flood premium discount through the Community Rating System. We quote no island premium, because none is published at the ZIP level.

Data updated: October 2026 (FEMA NFIP fact sheets and Community Rating System list of April 1, 2026; Citizens Property Insurance 2026 approved rates; FEMA Hurricane Ian claims analysis, retrieved 27 Oct 2026).

What elevation does to a flood premium

FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0 materials show a first-floor height of 4 feet earning a 28.4 percent discount and 8 feet earning 41.7 percent, against 0 percent at grade, and say that elevating a building from 0 to 5 feet saves 34 percent. Most annual increases under Risk Rating 2.0 are capped at 18 percent until the full-risk rate is reached.

What elevation did in Ian

In FEMA’s analysis of Ian flood claims across 12 Fort Myers-area study areas, the average claim on an elevated home was $50,287 against $158,291 on a non-elevated home. FEMA’s Mitigation Assessment Team saw no wind-related structural damage to homes built to the post-2001 Florida Building Code, and found elevation the strongest indicator of how a building performed.

The community discount, and how it is kept

FEMA’s Community Rating System list effective April 1, 2026 shows the City of Sanibel and unincorporated Lee County, which includes Captiva, at Class 5, a 25 percent discount on flood premiums inside the special flood hazard area. In 2024 FEMA moved to strip that discount from several Lee County communities over unpermitted post-Ian repairs, which is why every rebuild on the islands should be permitted and documented.

Citizens and the private market

Citizens Property Insurance writes a new policy only where no private offer exists or private premiums run more than 20 percent above Citizens’. Its 2026 approved rates show the Lee County HO-3 average falling 8.5 percent, from $3,322 to $3,039; that is a county-wide figure, not an island one. Every Citizens wind policy on a home in a special flood hazard area must also carry flood insurance, which on Sanibel means essentially every home. Florida law requires insurers to file discounts for wind-mitigation features (section 627.0629), so ask the builder for the wind mitigation inspection at completion.

How Do Florida’s Condo Safety Laws Apply to New and Rebuilt Island Condos?

A condominium building of three habitable stories or more needs a milestone inspection at 30 years from its certificate of occupancy (25 if the local agency requires it for salt-water exposure) and a structural integrity reserve study every 10 years. A rebuilt building starts those clocks again; a repaired one keeps its old schedule.

Data updated: October 2026 (Florida Statutes sections 553.899, 718.112, 718.203, 718.301 and 718.503; City of Sanibel Ordinances 24-006, 24-013 and 26-002; OPPAGA Report 26-04; DBPR guidance of 13 Jan 2026, retrieved 27 to 28 Oct 2026).

The state rules

Section 553.899 requires the owners of a condominium or cooperative building “that is three habitable stories or more in height as determined by the Florida Building Code” to have a milestone inspection by December 31 of the year the building reaches 30 years of age, then every 10 years, and lets the local enforcement agency set 25 years where “proximity to salt water” warrants. Buildings of one to four family units with three or fewer habitable stories are excluded. Section 718.112 requires a structural integrity reserve study at least every 10 years for buildings three habitable stories or higher, covering the roof, structure, fireproofing and fire protection, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and exterior painting, and windows and exterior doors; associations that existed on or before July 1, 2022 owed their first study by December 31, 2025, and DBPR says a study done with a milestone inspection must be finished by December 31, 2026. For budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024, owners may not vote to waive reserves for the study’s items.

Sanibel’s own milestone ordinance

Sanibel Ordinance 24-006, adopted April 2, 2024, created a local milestone program: a building three stories or more needs its inspection by December 31 of the year it turns 30, the building official may set 25 years for salt-water exposure, the phase one report is due within 180 days of the City’s certified-mail notice, a phase two progress report within 180 days after phase one, repairs within 150 days of the phase two report, and repairs for substantial structural deterioration must begin within 365 days. Penalties run to $500 per violation, each day a separate offense. The City charges $75 to file the report. Ordinance 24-013 (August 20, 2024) followed 2024’s HB 1021 by adding four-family dwellings to the small-building exemption, and Ordinance 26-002 (adopted March 17, 2026, 4 to 0) changed “three stories or more” to “three habitable stories or more” to match 2025’s HB 913. The 2024 text counted ground-level parking as a story; whether that clause survives the 2026 change is unresolved, and many island buildings are two living floors over parking, so ask the Building Department about the specific building.

How old the island condo stock is

On the county roll, 2,011 of Sanibel’s 3,097 condominium units (65 percent) carry a build year before 2000, and 1,498 (48 percent) before 1980, so the inspection and reserve rules reach most of the stock. No Captiva condominium age share appears here: the roll’s build-year field for Captiva condominiums is an effective year that does not reliably show when the buildings were first built.

What a buyer of a new or rebuilt unit gets

Section 718.503 requires a developer to deliver the inspector’s milestone summary or a conspicuous statement that one is not required or not completed, the most recent structural integrity reserve study or a statement that none is required or completed, and the turnover inspection report or a statement that it has not been completed, along with a flood-history statement. At turnover, section 718.301 requires the developer to deliver sealed turnover inspection reports covering structure and reserves and systems including elevators, pools and seawalls. Section 718.203 deems the developer to warrant each unit for 3 years from the building’s completion, and the roof, structure and common mechanical, electrical and plumbing for 3 years or 1 year after owners take control, whichever is later, but never more than 5.

What the first statewide results show

OPPAGA Report 26-04 (July 2026) counted 8,736 completed phase one and 1,575 phase two milestone inspections reported for 2024 and 2025, 1,587 deadline extensions of which 94 percent went to coastal jurisdictions, and 30 buildings in 2024 and 24 in 2025 found unsafe or uninhabitable. The report gives no Sanibel or Lee County figure. No new condominium law was enacted in the 2026 session.

Are Builder Incentives and Preferred-Lender Rates Worth It?

On Sanibel and Captiva the usual incentive is a negotiated price, credit or closing date, because we found no builder or developer here publishing a standing incentive program. Where a seller offers a rate buydown through its own lender, compare a competing loan estimate first; federal law polices how such arrangements are disclosed.

Data updated: October 2026 (12 U.S.C. 2607; 12 CFR 1024.15; Fannie Mae Selling Guide B2-1.4-04 and B3-4.1-02, retrieved 27 Oct 2026).

RESPA and affiliated lenders

Section 8 of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act says: “No person shall give and no person shall accept any fee, kickback, or thing of value pursuant to any agreement or understanding, oral or otherwise, that business incident to or a part of a real estate settlement service involving a federally related mortgage loan shall be referred to any person.” Violations carry fines up to $10,000 or a year in prison and liability for three times the charge. A builder may own a lender or title agent and recommend it only under 12 CFR 1024.15: a written disclosure of the relationship and an estimated charge, given no later than the referral, no required use, and no payment other than a return on ownership.

Temporary buydowns

Under Fannie Mae’s Selling Guide, a temporary buydown may run no longer than 3 years, cut the rate by no more than 3 percentage points, and rise by no more than 1 point a year; the note carries the permanent rate and the lender must qualify you at that rate. A builder or developer is an interested party, so its contributions are capped at 3 percent of the price above 90 percent loan-to-value, 6 percent between 75.01 and 90 percent, 9 percent at 75 percent or less, and 2 percent on an investment property. These are conforming-loan rules; many island purchases use jumbo or portfolio loans, which follow their own investor’s rules.

What we negotiate instead

Price against recorded sales on the same street or in the same building, a credit toward the options you want, the closing date, and on a condominium the treatment of any pending assessment. A concession is part of the price, and we measure it that way.

What Warranty Comes With a New Home in Florida?

A new Florida house carries whatever express warranty the contract gives, plus limited statutory rights; a new condominium carries statutory developer warranties of 3 to 5 years. Florida limits construction claims to 4 years with a 7-year outside bar from the earliest certificate, and chapter 558 requires notice and a chance to repair before any suit.

Data updated: October 2026 (Florida Statutes sections 95.11, 553.835, 558.004, 558.005 and 718.203; Chapter 2023-22, Laws of Florida, retrieved 27 Oct 2026).

The 7-year clock

Section 95.11(3)(b) runs a 4-year period “from the date the authority having jurisdiction issues a temporary certificate of occupancy, a certificate of occupancy, or a certificate of completion, or the date of abandonment of construction if not completed, whichever date is earliest”, and adds: “In any event, the action must be commenced within 7 years after” that date. Chapter 2023-22, signed April 13, 2023, cut the outer limit from 10 years to 7 and moved the start to the earliest of those dates. For a model home the clock starts at the first recorded deed to a buyer, and in a multi-building project each building is its own improvement. A certificate of occupancy dated October 28, 2026 gives an outside date of October 28, 2033. A buyer of a rebuilt house three years after its certificate has about four years left, not seven.

Offsite improvements and the notice step

Section 553.835 provides that “There is no cause of action in law or equity available to a purchaser of a home or to a homeowners’ association based upon the doctrine or theory of implied warranty of fitness and merchantability or habitability for damages to offsite improvements”, while preserving contract, tort and statutory claims. Under section 558.004, a claimant must serve written notice at least 60 days before suing (120 days for an association of more than 20 parcels); the contractor may inspect within 30 days and must respond within 45; and the notice “shall not toll any statute of repose period under chapter 95”, so those days run inside the 7 years. Section 558.005 requires owner-contractor contracts to carry the line “ANY CLAIMS FOR CONSTRUCTION DEFECTS ARE SUBJECT TO THE NOTICE AND CURE PROVISIONS OF CHAPTER 558, FLORIDA STATUTES.”

On a rebuilt condominium

Section 718.203 is the condominium buyer’s floor: 3 years on each unit from the building’s completion, and 3 years or 1 year after owner control on the roof, structure and common systems, never more than 5. Completion means the certificate of occupancy for the entire building. Diary the dates on the day you close.

Should You Get Independent Inspections on a New or Rebuilt Island Home?

Yes. A certificate of occupancy shows a building passed the City’s or County’s inspections, not that it was built well. An independent inspector, the elevation certificates taken during and after construction, a wind mitigation report and, for a condominium, the association’s structural and reserve documents tell you what the permit file does not.

Data updated: October 2026 (City of Sanibel Permitting Information page; Lee County Residential Building Guide; Florida Statutes chapter 489; FEMA and ICC summaries of the Hurricane Ian Mitigation Assessment Team, retrieved 27 Oct 2026).

What the City already checks, and what it does not

At the framing inspection, Sanibel requires a spot survey, a pile report, a FEMA “during construction” elevation certificate and a truss engineer’s certification at a 170 mph design wind speed. A permit needs a structural inspection within 6 months of issue and an approved inspection at least every 6 months, or it expires. On Captiva, Lee County requires a barrier-island vegetation permit and a well or septic final before the certificate of occupancy, which needs the elevation certificate and a blower door test. None of that is a quality inspection on your behalf.

What we order on a new or rebuilt house

A general home inspection at the pre-drywall stage and at completion, a wind mitigation inspection, the final elevation certificate, a survey, a seawall and dock inspection on a canal lot, and on Captiva a septic inspection. We pull the permit history and compare the final inspections with the plans.

What we order on a new or rebuilt condominium unit

The same unit inspection, plus the declaration, the budget, the reserve schedule, the structural integrity reserve study or the statement that none is required, and the developer’s turnover reports when they exist, because the roof, balconies, pilings and structure belong to the association.

Check the contractor before anyone pours a pile

Look up any contractor on the DBPR licensee search. Unlicensed contracting is a first-degree misdemeanor, and a third-degree felony on a repeat offense or during a declared emergency; a contract with an unlicensed contractor is unenforceable by that contractor; and Florida’s Homeowners’ Construction Recovery Fund pays up to $50,000 per Division I claim. Impact windows, doors and shutters should carry a Florida product approval number (section 553.842).

How Long Does It Take to Build on Sanibel and Captiva?

No public agency publishes a permit-to-completion time for a single-family house on either island. Sanibel says it reviews applications in 7 to 10 business days, up to 30 once a package is complete, with Planning review first for new construction; the multi-unit rebuilds we can measure took 12 to 17 months of construction.

Data updated: October 2026 (City of Sanibel Permitting Information; Lee County Residential Building Guide; builder and news reports as dated, retrieved 27 Oct 2026).

The permit stage

On Sanibel, a new house goes to the Planning Department before the Building Department, and the City says reviews usually take 7 to 10 business days and up to 30 business days once a complete package is received. On Captiva, Lee County gives 30 days to resubmit after a rejection and requires an inspection within 180 days of a permit issuing. Neither publishes a median time to a certificate of occupancy.

The construction stage, from projects we can measure

Beachview Villas took about 17 months from the start of construction in December 2024 to opening over Memorial Day weekend 2026. Benchmark gave Gulf Beach and Kimball Lodge 12-month builds. By the Sea broke ground on its third building on March 18, 2026 and topped out on October 21, 2026. A single elevated house is smaller, but the same pile, elevation and inspection sequence applies.

Spec, finished and build-to-order on the islands

A spec house is built before a buyer is found; a build-to-order house is built to your plan after you sign. On these islands most new houses are built for an owner who already holds the lot, so a finished new house reaches the market as a resale listing, often by its first owner. Seven Sanibel houses built 2023 to 2026 sold in the last 12 months. If you want a house built to your plan, you are usually buying a lot or a tear-down first, and the timeline above runs after that closing.

What delays a build here

The pile foundation and its engineering, the flood and coastal review on Gulf-front lots, the Planning stage on Sanibel, the septic design on Captiva and contractor capacity after Ian, Helene and Milton. Ask any contractor for a written schedule and for what happens when it slips.

New Construction or Resale on Sanibel and Captiva: Which Should You Buy?

New construction suits a buyer who wants a house or unit built to today’s flood and wind code, accepts a much higher price per square foot and can find one of the few available. Resale suits a buyer who wants choice, a lower price, a faster closing and a particular street or building.

Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County Property Appraiser parcel roll and sale file, index built 27 Oct 2026; City of Sanibel permit records; Florida Statutes, retrieved 27 Oct 2026).

How the two compare

Read the price rows with care: the new-home figures rest on 7 sales of much larger houses, and size, lot, view and elevation decide price more than build year does. None of this is a premium measured on matched homes.

Who should choose new construction

A buyer who values a house or unit built to the current elevation and wind code, wants the longest possible warranty and inspection runway, is comfortable well above the island’s resale medians, and can wait for a rebuilt condominium or a lot and a build.

Who should choose resale

A buyer who wants the widest choice and a lower price per square foot, a particular canal, street or building, a shorter path to the keys, or a mature condominium with a record of budgets and inspections. A buyer who is willing to lift or renovate and understands the 50 percent rule on each island.

The case for a lot and a build, or a tear-down

A buyer who wants a new house and cannot find one usually buys a lot or a house to replace. The recent Sanibel lot medians run from $590,000 to $1,215,000 a year on 13 to 25 sales, and the rebuild then adds piles, elevation, permits and fees. For an older low house, Florida’s section 553.79(25) gives the owner of a single-family home whose lowest floor is at or below base flood elevation a right to a demolition permit reviewed administratively. We run both paths before you commit, and our Sanibel and Captiva buyer’s guide covers the resale side in depth.

How We Represent New-Construction Buyers on the Islands

McGreevy and Comisar represent a Sanibel or Captiva new-construction buyer by pulling the parcel, the flood line, the permit file and the recorded sales before you see the home, reading the documents the developer or seller hands over, and negotiating the parts of the contract that move. This is the checklist we run at a first builder or developer visit.

Data updated: October 2026 (the checklist reflects the rules and records cited on this page, retrieved 27 to 28 Oct 2026).

The checklist we run at a first visit

1. Confirm whether the parcel is in the City of Sanibel or unincorporated Lee County, and which taxing district the roll shows.
2. Get the elevation certificates (during construction and final) and compare the lowest floor or lowest structural member with base flood elevation plus 1 foot.
3. Pull the county year built, heated area and recorded sales for the address and its neighbors.
4. Ask for the permit history, the final inspections and any substantial damage determination on the lot.
5. For a condominium, ask for the declaration, budget, reserve schedule, structural integrity reserve study or statement, and the developer’s flood-history statement.
6. Ask in writing how the developer treats a buyer’s agent who appears after the first visit.
7. Ask whether section 501.1375 applies to the seller, and if not, write the escrow into the contract.
8. Check the contractor’s license and the contract’s chapter 558 notice and recovery fund statement.
9. Get insurance inputs: wind mitigation form, flood zone, elevation certificate and coastal construction control line status.
10. Compare the asking price with the building’s own recorded sales and the nearest rebuilt houses.

Before you sign

We read the deposit and escrow paragraph and the waiver line, the completion and delay clauses, the inspection-access clause, the financing contingency, the property tax disclosure required by section 689.261 and the flood disclosure required by section 689.302. We get a competing loan estimate, and we negotiate price, credits and the closing date against recorded sales rather than comparables the seller supplies.

Through construction and closing

We attend the stage inspections the contract allows and the final walk-through, check the survey and the final elevation certificate, and diary the warranty and repose dates from the certificate of occupancy. Jesse’s direct line is (239) 898-6072 if you want to run the checklist on a specific address.

Where to browse current listings

For current island listings, including resale and newly built homes on the MLS, start with Domain Realty Group’s home search, then send us the addresses and we will send back the recorded sales, the flood file and the permit history for each.

Buying new construction elsewhere

If your list includes the mainland or another island, our guides to new construction in Fort Myers and new construction in Cape Coral apply the same method to each market.

Selling a Home to Buy New on Sanibel or Captiva?

Most buyers of a new island home are also selling one, and the closing on a rebuilt condominium or a finished house rarely waits for your sale. McGreevy and Comisar list and sell homes across Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties, so one team can time your sale to the closing and negotiate both sides of the move.

Start with the valuation

Before you sign, know what your current home will sell for and how long it will take. Get a Sanibel and Captiva home valuation from us, or read how we sell homes on Sanibel and Captiva. Check whether the contract has a contingency for the sale of your current home; if it does not, the timing is yours to manage.

The two timelines

On a finished house the seller will want to close within weeks, so you need your sale well along. On a condominium under construction you may have a year or more. We map the sale to the closing date before you choose which kind of home to buy.

Get Your Sanibel and Captiva New Construction Consultation

A Sanibel and Captiva new construction consultation is a short call or meeting before you visit any developer or sales office, where we confirm the jurisdiction, flood zone and elevation for the addresses on your list, pull the recorded sales and permit history, and set out what we would negotiate. There is no charge and no obligation.

What you get out of it

A shortlist of lots, houses and buildings that fit your budget once the elevation, fees, insurance and reserves are counted, the recorded sales for each, and a plan for your first visits. If you are also selling, a valuation and a timeline.

How to book it

Use the Sanibel and Captiva new construction consultation form on this page, read how we represent buyers in Southwest Florida, or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072 or Marc at (239) 287-5873. Call before your first sales-center or developer visit and before you sign any inquiry form. You will be working with Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008, and the first conversation costs nothing.

Reviews From Southwest Florida Buyers Who Worked With Us

Marc Comisar and Jesse McGreevy are top-reviewed Southwest Florida buyer’s agents, and every review below is copied word for word from our Google Business Profile, where you can read them all in full. One is about negotiating with a builder; none is presented as a Sanibel or Captiva new-construction transaction.

Michael Gatz, buyer

★★★★★ “Marc has been a great help in securing a great price for our home during its build phase. Negotiated a much better deal from the builder.” Verified Google review

Christopher Dietz, buyer

★★★★★ “Marc’s knowledge of the Southwest Florida real estate market is unmatched. He took the time to understand exactly what I was looking for in a home and quickly identified properties that checked all my boxes.” Verified Google review

Ian Matheson, buyer

★★★★★ “Marc is one of the most down to earth realtors that really listens to your needs and is exceptional at finding the right house.” Verified Google review

Sherry Warga, buyer

★★★★★ “We highly recommend Marc Comisar for your real estate needs. He was very knowledgeable. If he didn’t know an answer, he would do research until he did. Marc is pleasant, timely, and listened to our wants and needs. He went above and beyond to make sure we found our forever home. Thank you, Marc!” Verified Google review

Tim Goff, buyer

★★★★★ “Jesse is the best Realtor I have used. He found us our dream home even though it took months as we were not the easiest to please.” Verified Google review

Jennifer Schnabel Wood, buyer

★★★★★ “We have purchased many properties over the years and Jesse is without a doubt the most knowledgeable, personable and efficient real estate broker we have ever worked with!” Verified Google review

What We Could Not Verify, and Exactly Where You Get It

These are questions a Sanibel or Captiva new-construction buyer will ask that no primary source we could read on October 27 and 28, 2026 answered. We name the gap and the document that closes it rather than print a number from a sales sheet or another agent’s blog.

• A builder’s buyer-agent registration or cooperation policy. None of the builders or developers named here publishes one. Settled by the developer’s written policy, which we request before a first visit.
• Each island condominium’s structural integrity reserve study filing. The state’s database is an interactive dashboard we could not read. Settled by the association’s study and DBPR’s SIRS reporting database.
• Which buildings the City of Sanibel has sent milestone inspection notices. Not published. Settled by a public records request to the City Building Department.
• Whether Sanibel still counts ground-level parking as a story after Ordinance 26-002. Settled by the City Building Department and the codified Section 14-323 on Municode.
• Which Captiva condominiums owe milestone inspections. Settled by the Lee County building official’s milestone list.
• The codified text of Captiva’s rules in Lee County Land Development Code Chapter 33. The online code could not be read. Settled by the county code on Municode or Lee County Zoning.
• The Hearing Examiner’s case number and report for the South Seas rezoning, and Resolution Z-25-005 with its 20 conditions. Settled by Lee County Development Services records.
• The text of Judge Shenko’s October 21, 2026 order, and the rulings on the June 2026 rehearing motions in the Sixth District. Settled by the Lee Clerk and the Sixth District Court of Appeal dockets.
• A flood insurance premium for any island ZIP code or home. Not published at the ZIP level. Settled by a quote on the specific building with its elevation certificate.
• Lee County’s current Community Rating System standing beyond FEMA’s April 2026 list. Settled by Lee County’s floodplain office.
• Whether the City of Sanibel collects Lee County road and park impact fees, and the current Chapter 90 amounts after CPI increases. Settled by the City’s fee resolutions.
• The Island Water Association membership fee actually adopted in 2026. Settled by the Association and the Council resolution.
• The current City of Sanibel sewer connection charge. A 2018 study cited $4,386.21; the current resolution was not found. Settled by the City’s utility billing office.
• A count of new single-family homes completed on either island since Ian, and a Captiva permit count. Settled by public records requests to the City and to Lee County.
• Gulf Beach’s permit status after September 21, 2026 and the Captiva Island Inn’s opening. Settled by the City permit file and the inn.
• Whether a given island builder sells or builds 10 or more units a year statewide (section 501.1375). Settled by asking the builder, in writing.
• Whether the City of Sanibel falls inside the barrier-island exclusion of the Resiliency and Safe Structures Act (section 553.8991). Settled by an attorney with the census count and the flood maps.
• Any per-square-foot construction cost for the islands. Settled by a builder’s written bid on your plans.

Frequently Asked Questions, Sanibel and Captiva New Construction Buyer Edition

These are the questions Sanibel and Captiva buyers ask about building, rebuilding and buying new, answered with the same sources used above. County figures come from the Lee County Property Appraiser record indexed October 27, 2026; legal points cite the Florida Statutes and the island codes. For anything specific to a lot or building, call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072.

Is Sanibel Island rebuilt after Hurricane Ian?

Mostly repaired rather than rebuilt. Of the 93 properties in Sanibel’s Resort Housing District, the City counts 74 repaired under emergency permits and 19 demolished, and 11 demolished sites with 263 units were still vacant in September 2026. The county roll shows 101 Sanibel single-family homes with a 2023 to 2026 build year, about 2.6 percent of 3,832. Our Sanibel and Captiva guide covers daily life on the islands today.

Has Sanibel Island recovered from the hurricane?

The big complexes have largely reopened: Sanibel Moorings in late 2023, Loggerhead Cay, Sanibel Siesta and Blind Pass in 2024, Sundial and Sandalfoot in 2025, and Pointe Santo and Sanibel Beach Club II in 2026. Recovery is uneven by street and building, and four condominium rebuilds were still under construction in October 2026, so check the specific address.

Can you build a new house on Sanibel?

Yes, on a qualifying lot. Sanibel lets a single-family house go on a vacant parcel that meets its zone’s minimum lot area, from 10,000 square feet in the mid-island ridge to 20,000 square feet in the Gulf beach ridge and wetland zones, and the county roll counts 408 vacant residential parcels in ZIP 33957. Not every one is buildable, so we check the zone and the lot before you make an offer.

Can you build a new house on Captiva?

Yes, under Lee County’s Captiva rules: a peak no higher than 35 feet above average grade or 42 feet above mean sea level, whichever is lower, with no variance, plus up to 4 extra feet in V and Coastal A flood zones. Most Captiva lots outside South Seas use septic. The roll counts 48 vacant residential parcels in ZIP 33924.

Are there any new home communities or builders’ sales centers on the islands?

No. We found no tract subdivision or builder sales center on Sanibel or Captiva. New houses are built one lot at a time for owners, and the multi-unit work is the rebuilding of demolished condominiums and resorts.

Who are the builders working on Sanibel and Captiva?

On the multi-unit rebuilds, Benchmark General Contractors (Gulf Beach, Kimball Lodge, By the Sea and the Waterside Inn application) and Stevens Construction (Beachview Villas and the Captiva Island Inn). A. Vernon Allen Builder opened a Sanibel office and reported three Sanibel contracts in March 2026, and Alair Sanibel lists the islands as its service area. Check any builder’s license on the DBPR search before you sign.

Do new homes on Sanibel sell through the MLS?

Yes. Our estimate from the county record finds 0 builder-direct sales among 451 qualified island sales in the 12 months to September 15, 2026, and the island MLS counted 502 closings in the same ZIP codes. A new house here usually reaches the market as a listing by its owner.

How many new homes have been built on Sanibel since Ian?

The county roll shows 20 single-family homes with a 2023 build year, 27 with 2024 and 54 with 2025, for 101 in total with the partial 2026 year. A house repaired or lifted in place keeps its old year, so this is a floor for new construction, not a count of all reconstruction.

How many new homes have been built on Captiva since Ian?

Six single-family parcels in ZIP 33924 show a build year of 2023 to 2025 (1, 2 and 3 a year), with a median of 4,911 heated square feet. No Captiva condominium unit on the roll has a build year after 2016.

How big are the new homes being built on Sanibel?

The median Sanibel house built 2023 to 2026 has 2,829 heated square feet, with a range of 1,300 to 6,303, against a median of 1,797 for houses built before 2000. Most have 3 bedrooms and 3 baths.

Which Sanibel neighborhoods have the most rebuilt homes?

By the county roll, Beachview Country Club Estates has 8 single-family homes built 2023 to 2026, The Rocks, the Sanctuary at Wulfert Point and Tradewinds 4 each, and Tradewinds 1st Addition, Sanibel Center, Sanibel Estates and Shell Harbor 3 each. The largest group, 21, sits on unplatted parcels outside any subdivision.

What does a new home on Sanibel sell for?

Seven Sanibel houses built 2023 to 2026 sold in the 12 months to September 2026 at a median of $2,650,000, $721 per heated square foot and 3,622 square feet. Seven sales are a thin sample; houses built before 2000 sold at a median of $974,000 and $534 per square foot on 186 sales.

What does a vacant lot on Sanibel sell for?

Qualified vacant-lot sales in ZIP 33957 had a median of $650,000 on 25 sales in 2023, $1,215,000 on 19 in 2024, $590,000 on 13 in 2025 and $600,000 on 14 in 2026 through September. The county’s vacant code includes unbuildable slivers, so the median is more useful than the low.

What does a vacant lot on Captiva sell for?

Too few sell for a meaningful median: 4 qualified sales in 2023 (median $519,000, from $135,000 to $6,000,000) and 2 in 2026 through September ($60,000 and $4,875,000). Price each Captiva lot on its own facts: frontage, flood zone, septic and the coastal control line.

How much does it cost to build a house on Sanibel?

No public source publishes a Sanibel cost per square foot. Census permit valuations averaged about $1.52 million per new Sanibel house in 2025, before land, and island homeowners reported $100 to $110 per square foot just to lift an existing house 10 feet. Your builder’s written bid on your plans is the only real number.

How much does it cost to elevate a house on Sanibel?

Homeowners in the 2024 SanCap Resilience case studies reported $70 to $75 per square foot for a 5-foot lift and $100 to $110 for a 10-foot lift, before finishes, permits and utility reconnection. One owner said a rebuild would have cost three to five times as much as the lift.

What is the 50 percent rule on Sanibel?

If the cost of repairs or improvements reaches 50 percent of the building’s market value before the work, the whole building must meet current flood rules, usually by elevation. The City takes market value from the Property Appraiser’s building value or a licensed appraiser. Once a building is substantially damaged, any repair counts.

How does the 50 percent rule work on Captiva?

Captiva follows Lee County Ordinance 22-30, which adds up every repair and improvement over a five-year period. Several smaller projects can therefore cross the line together, so plan a Captiva renovation as one budget.

Can I raise my Sanibel house above the height limit?

Ordinance 26-009, adopted June 2, 2026, lets a structure below the minimum design flood elevation or substantially damaged be raised up to 10 feet above predevelopment grade or highest adjacent grade, whichever is higher, even past the height and angle-of-light limits.

What is the building height limit on Sanibel?

In the residential zones, 45 feet NAVD, no more than three stories above base flood elevation, and inside a 45-degree angle of light from the setback lines. In the Resort Housing District, 37 feet above base flood elevation since Ordinance 24-020.

Did Lee County raise the building height on Captiva?

It changed how height is measured. Ordinance 23-22 (2023) measures height from the lowest habitable floor that can be permitted and allows up to 4 more feet in V and Coastal A zones; the state judge who reviewed it found this “allows for a third habitable floor in dwellings located in Captiva”. South Seas was exempted from Captiva’s height and density limits.

How high does a new house have to be built?

Under the Florida Building Code, the lowest floor in an A or AE zone, or the lowest horizontal structural member in a V zone, must sit at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation. FEMA’s maps show base flood elevations of 6 to 15 feet NAVD88 across the two islands, so the lot’s elevation certificate sets your number.

What can go under an elevated house?

Only parking, building access and storage. In V and Coastal A zones the walls must be open, screened or breakaway walls designed to fail at 10 to 20 pounds per square foot. A finished room below the required elevation is a code problem and an insurance problem.

Do new homes on Sanibel and Captiva pay impact fees?

Yes, Lee County impact fees apply. For a single-family home the fire fee is $766 in the Sanibel district and is rising from $766 to $1,149 in the Captiva Island district under Ordinance 26-01, the EMS fee is rising from $55 to $65, and the county charges road, school and park fees plus a 3 percent administrative fee. Ask the City whether it collects road and park fees on Sanibel.

What are the building permit fees on Sanibel?

Since Ordinance 25-002 (2025), $1.00 per square foot for a new one- or two-family building plus $0.20 per square foot each for electrical, plumbing and mechanical, with plan review at 10 percent of the permit fee. A 3,000 square foot house is $4,800 in those four lines before plan review and the separate development permit.

Does Sanibel or Captiva have a CDD?

No Community Development District was found. The five special districts with Sanibel or Captiva in their names are Captiva Erosion Prevention District, Captiva Island Fire Control District, Sanibel Fire and Rescue District, Sanibel Public Library District and Upper Captiva Fire Protection and Rescue Service District. If a contract mentions a CDD, ask which one.

What is the Captiva beach assessment?

The Captiva Erosion Prevention District maintains the Gulf beaches. On August 31, 2026 its board voted 4 to 0 to approve the apportionment for a $10 million non-ad valorem assessment based on 2025 just values; amounts vary by beach zone and use, so request the parcel’s figure from the District.

Does Captiva have sewer?

South Seas has central sewer from a utility plant inside the resort. Most of the rest of Captiva uses septic or other onsite systems: a 2018 study counted 378 developed properties on them. No funded island-wide sewer program was found, so add a septic inspection and design review to any Captiva purchase.

Are there new condos on Sanibel?

A few rebuilt ones. Gulf Beach (14 units) broke ground on September 4, 2026 with completion expected in late 2027; By the Sea (18 units) topped out on October 21, 2026; Kimball Lodge (31 units) and White Caps South (9 units, rebuilt as duplexes and a house) are under construction. The county roll shows no condominium unit on either island with a build year after 2016.

When will the By the Sea condominiums be finished?

Benchmark General Contractors’ release of October 27, 2026 says the three buildings are expected to be complete by March 2027. That is the builder’s date; an earlier news report had said the end of 2027.

Can a demolished Sanibel resort be rebuilt with the same number of units?

Yes. Owners may rebuild up to the number of units that existed on May 4, 2004 without a referendum, and City staff wrote in May 2026 that this allowance “does not expire”. Adding units beyond that count needs voter approval.

Does a rebuilt condo have to meet today’s code?

Yes. When White Caps South asked to drop accessibility and fire-sprinkler requirements from its rebuild, the City Council upheld its Building Official and Fire Marshal on December 2, 2025. A building rebuilt from the ground is permitted as new construction.

Do Sanibel condos need milestone inspections?

Condominium buildings of three habitable stories or more need one by December 31 of the year they turn 30, and every 10 years after. Sanibel’s Ordinance 24-006 runs the local program, and Ordinance 26-002 adopted the state’s “three habitable stories” test in March 2026. A rebuilt building starts again from its new certificate of occupancy.

Is South Seas Island Resort allowed to rebuild bigger?

Lee County rezoned about 120 acres in 2025 for up to 193 multifamily and 435 hotel units, the appeals court reversed the 912-unit settlement cap on May 22, 2026, and on October 21, 2026 Circuit Judge James Shenko denied the petition challenging the rezoning. Development orders cover 219 hotel units and 84 condominium units.

Will Lee County eliminate the Captiva Plan?

It is proposed, not adopted. Amendment CPA2026-00005 would delete community plans including the Captiva Plan; the Local Planning Agency voted 4 to 2 in favor on August 31, 2026, the County Commission paused the schedule on September 15, 2026, and it is expected to return.

Do I need a realtor to build a house on Sanibel?

You are not required to have one, but the developer’s or seller’s staff work for the seller, and Florida presumes a licensee is a transaction broker unless a single-agent relationship is set up in writing. A buyer’s agent reads the lot, the flood file and the contract for you. Call before your first developer visit, because registration rules can decide whether the seller pays your agent.

Who pays the buyer’s agent on a new island home?

It is a contract term, not a statute. Because new island homes are usually sold through listing agents, the fee is set in our written buyer agreement and in the purchase contract, and we put it in writing before we show you anything.

Is my deposit on a new home protected?

On a one- or two-family home, section 501.1375 lets you escrow deposits up to 10 percent of the price unless you waive it in writing, but only if the builder sells or builds 10 or more units a year statewide. A new condominium deposit up to 10 percent must be escrowed under section 718.202.

Can I cancel a new condo contract?

Yes, within 15 days after you sign and receive all the documents the developer must deliver under section 718.503, and any waiver of that right has no effect. The right applies to a purchase from the developer, not a resale.

How long do I have to sue a builder for defects in Florida?

Four years from the earliest of the temporary certificate of occupancy, certificate of occupancy or certificate of completion, and never more than 7 years from that date, after chapter 2023-22 cut the outer limit from 10 years. Chapter 558 requires written notice at least 60 days before suit, and the notice does not stop the 7-year clock.

Do new elevated homes get cheaper flood insurance?

Usually. FEMA’s materials show a 4-foot first-floor height earning a 28.4 percent discount and 8 feet earning 41.7 percent, and both islands carry a 25 percent Community Rating System discount. In FEMA’s Ian claims analysis, elevated homes averaged $50,287 per claim against $158,291 for non-elevated ones.

How long does it take to build on Sanibel?

No agency publishes a single-family time. The City reviews permits in 7 to 10 business days and up to 30 once complete, after Planning review for new construction; the multi-unit rebuilds we can measure took 12 to 17 months of construction.

Should I buy new construction or resale on Sanibel?

New if you want today’s elevation and wind code and the longest warranty runway and can pay a much higher price per square foot; resale if you want choice, a lower price and a faster close. See the decision table above, and our buyer’s guide to Sanibel and Captiva for the resale side.

Can I sell my home and buy a new one on the islands?

Yes, and the timing is the work. Get a Sanibel and Captiva home valuation first, then we map your sale to the closing date. A contract with no sale contingency leaves the timing to you.

How do I start?

Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072 or Marc at (239) 287-5873 before you visit a developer or sign anything, or use the consultation form. Send us the addresses on your list and we will send back the recorded sales, the flood file and the permit history for each.

Downloadable Documents

Every document below is hosted by the government, court or utility that issued it. We link to the source rather than re-host it, so you always read the current version, and each row says what it settles for a Sanibel or Captiva new-construction buyer.

Sources

Every source below was read on the date shown, and the county figures on this page were computed by us from the Lee County Property Appraiser records named in the provenance line at the foot of the page. Party court filings and builder releases are cited only for what their authors say, and are labelled as such in the text.

Sanibel and Captiva county and market records

• US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, place file 2025 (City of Sanibel), retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, place file 2024, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, place file 2023, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, place file 2022, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, place file 2021, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, place file year to date August 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, county file 2025 (Lee County), retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida DBPR, condominium project extract, Central West region, retrieved 27 Oct 2026

City of Sanibel

• City of Sanibel, Attachment F, Resort Housing District status of properties (Council, 6 Oct 2026), retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, Status of the Resort Housing District post Hurricane Ian, 21 Sep 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, Planning Commission agenda memorandum on resort redevelopment, May 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, agenda memorandum, transfer of development rights discussion, Sep 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, City Council meeting agenda packet, 6 Oct 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, Planning Commission agenda packet, 13 Oct 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, permits applied 1 to 30 Sep 2026, Planning Permit Review Report, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, 2024 to 2026 permit review totals by month, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel Building Department, permitting statistics attached to Ordinance 25-002, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, Planning Commission action on Waterside Inn (Resolution 26-26), retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, staff report PRNC202500382, Waterside Inn, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, City Attorney memorandum on the White Caps South appeal, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, Council action on Resolution 25-072, 2 Dec 2025, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Sundial Beach Resort and Spa, letter to the Sanibel City Council, 10 Nov 2025, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, Ordinance 24-006, mandatory inspection of aging condominium buildings, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, agenda memorandum for Ordinance 24-006, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, agenda memorandum for Ordinance 24-013, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, Ordinance 26-002, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, Council action on Ordinance 26-002, 17 Mar 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, Ordinance 26-009, limited exemption for height for an existing structure, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, business impact estimate for Ordinance 24-020, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, business impact estimate for Ordinance 25-002, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, Hurricane Ian and Helene emergency repair permitting policy, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, permitting information, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, flood information, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, Sanibel’s recovery, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, flood outreach strategy, 2015, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• City of Sanibel, the Sanibel Plan, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Sanibel Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14, building fees and project value, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Sanibel Code of Ordinances, Chapter 90, development and wastewater permit fees, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Sanibel Code of Ordinances, Chapter 94, flood definitions, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Sanibel Code of Ordinances, Chapter 94, flood-resistant development standards, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Sanibel Code of Ordinances, Chapter 126, residential zone height and coverage, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Sanibel Code of Ordinances, Chapter 126, build-back of damaged structures, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Sanibel Code of Ordinances, Chapter 126, Resort Housing District, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Sanibel Code of Ordinances, Chapter 86, development standards and density, retrieved 27 Oct 2026

Lee County and Captiva

• Lee County Ordinance 23-22, Captiva and South Seas height and density, retrieved 28 Oct 2026
• Lee County Ordinance 23-33, Lee Plan Goal 23 amendment, retrieved 28 Oct 2026
• Lee County Ordinance 22-30, floodplain management and substantial improvement, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Lee County Ordinance 26-01, fire and EMS impact fees, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Lee County impact fee table, 18 May 2023, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Lee County impact fee schedule, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Lee County building permit fee update, 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Lee County residential building guide, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Lee County floodplain management, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Lee County flood insurance discounts, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Lee County disaster recovery permitting, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Village of Estero, impact fee schedule republishing Lee County rates, 4 May 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Captiva Erosion Prevention District, historic beach projects, retrieved 28 Oct 2026
• Florida Senate, local funding request S2457, Captiva renourishment, retrieved 28 Oct 2026
• Captiva Island wastewater alternative study, TKW Consulting Engineers, 2018, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Governmental Utility Authority, Captiva wastewater alternatives, 2019, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Island Water Association, water rate and fee study, January 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Island Water Association, water rate and fee adjustment, retrieved 27 Oct 2026

Courts and administrative records

• Final Order, DOAH Case 24-1951GM, 3 Feb 2025, retrieved 28 Oct 2026
• Sixth District Court of Appeal, Lee County v. Captiva Civic Association, 6D2025-0335, 22 May 2026, retrieved 28 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 163.3213, challenges to land development regulations, retrieved 28 Oct 2026
• Florida Administrative Code Rule 62B-33.005, coastal construction permit criteria, retrieved 28 Oct 2026

Florida law

• Florida Statutes section 501.1375, deposits on new homes, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 553.835, implied warranties, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 558.004, notice and opportunity to repair, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 558.005, contract provisions, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 95.11, limitations and repose, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Chapter 2023-22, Laws of Florida, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 475.278, brokerage relationships, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 475.011, exemptions, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes chapter 489, contracting, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 489.126, moneys received by contractors, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 489.1425, recovery fund notice, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 713.13, notice of commencement, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 689.302, flood disclosure, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 689.261, property tax disclosure, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 190.048, community development district disclosure, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 718.503, developer disclosure and voidability, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 718.504, prospectus, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 718.202, condominium deposits, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 718.203, condominium warranties, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 718.301, turnover, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 718.112, structural integrity reserve study, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 553.899, milestone inspections, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 553.79, permits and demolition, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 553.8991, Resiliency and Safe Structures Act, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 553.842, product approval, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 161.053, coastal construction, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Statutes section 627.0629, wind mitigation discounts, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Senate, HB 913 (2025), enrolled text, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida DBPR, condominium inspections guidance, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida DBPR, structural integrity reserve study reporting and database, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida OPPAGA, Report 26-04, milestone inspection reporting data, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Community Associations Institute, 2026 Florida end of session report, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Commerce, official list of special districts, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida DBPR, licensee search, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Division of Emergency Management, flood provisions of the 8th Edition Florida Building Code, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Building Commission, workplan, October 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Department of Environmental Protection, coastal construction control line FAQ, retrieved 28 Oct 2026
• Florida Department of Environmental Protection, coastal construction control line program, retrieved 28 Oct 2026

Federal flood, insurance and lending

• FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, flood hazard zones, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, FIRM panels, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• FEMA, Community Rating System eligible communities, 1 Apr 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• FEMA P-213, answers to questions about substantially damaged buildings, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• FEMA NFIP, understanding elevation certificates fact sheet, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• FEMA NFIP, Risk Rating 2.0: what goes into a rate, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• FEMA NFIP, understanding Risk Rating 2.0 fact sheet, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Florida Floodplain Managers Association, Hurricane Ian Mitigation Assessment Team and claims analysis, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• International Code Council, Hurricane Ian building code performance summary, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Citizens Property Insurance, 2026 approved rate changes by county, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Citizens Property Insurance, eligibility, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Citizens Property Insurance, flood insurance requirement, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• 12 U.S.C. 2607, RESPA section 8, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• 12 CFR 1024.15, affiliated business arrangements, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Fannie Mae Selling Guide B2-1.4-04, temporary buydowns, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-4.1-02, interested party contributions, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• National Association of Home Builders, cost of constructing a home 2024, retrieved 27 Oct 2026

Builders, projects and island news

• Gulfshore Business, Sanibel condo rebuild begins four years after Hurricane Ian, 8 Sep 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Santiva Chronicle, Gulf Beach condos break ground, 9 Sep 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Benchmark General Contractors release, By the Sea topped out, 27 Oct 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Gulfshore Business, By the Sea groundbreaking, 19 Mar 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Sanibel-Captiva Island Reporter, Benchmark awarded condo rebuilds, 2 Jun 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Business Observer, Fort Myers contractor to rebuild two Sanibel condo communities, 23 Apr 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Sanibel-Captiva Island Reporter, Beachview Villas opens, 14 Jul 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Sanibel-Captiva Island Reporter, Beachview groundbreaking, April 2025, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Gulfshore Business, four years after Ian, 1 Oct 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Business Observer, Captiva Island Inn rebuild, 15 Oct 2025, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Sanibel-Captiva Island Reporter, A. Vernon Allen Builder ribbon cutting, 8 May 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Alair Sanibel, builder’s own page, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Business Observer, initial work on 84-unit Captiva residential project, 1 Oct 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Gulfshore Business, Lee County victory allows South Seas project to move forward, 1 Jun 2026, retrieved 28 Oct 2026
• Sanibel-Captiva Island Reporter, County board approves Captiva resort rezoning, 8 Aug 2025, retrieved 28 Oct 2026
• Business Observer, Captiva resort zoning approval, 6 Aug 2025, retrieved 28 Oct 2026
• WGCU, Lee commissioners vote on South Seas, 7 Aug 2025, retrieved 28 Oct 2026
• Sanibel-Captiva Island Reporter, hearing on Captiva resort rezoning, 28 Jul 2025, retrieved 28 Oct 2026
• Sanibel-Captiva Island Reporter, update on Captiva legal efforts, 6 Jul 2026, retrieved 28 Oct 2026
• WGCU, circuit judge denies petition challenging South Seas rezoning, 27 Oct 2026, retrieved 28 Oct 2026
• WINK News, judge clears South Seas to rebuild, 27 Oct 2026, retrieved 28 Oct 2026
• Gulfshore Business, planning agency recommends Lee Plan changes, 1 Sep 2026, retrieved 28 Oct 2026
• WGCU, Lee planning agency approves plan changes, 2 Sep 2026, retrieved 28 Oct 2026
• Sanibel-Captiva Island Reporter, CEPD apportionment and loan, 27 May 2025, retrieved 28 Oct 2026
• Sanibel-Captiva Island Reporter, Captiva central sewer estimates, 16 Nov 2021, retrieved 28 Oct 2026
• Sanibel-Captiva Island Reporter, Beachview Villas and West Wind Inn for sale, 18 Sep 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Sanibel-Captiva Island Reporter, Sanibel Moorings reopening, January 2024, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• SanCap Chamber, Loggerhead Cay and Sandpiper Beach ribbon cuttings, February 2024, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• SanCap Chamber, Sanibel Siesta ribbon cutting, 10 Apr 2024, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• SanCap Chamber, Blind Pass Condominium ribbon cutting, 7 Jun 2024, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• SanCap Chamber, Ocean’s Reach reopening, 17 Jan 2025, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Sanibel-Captiva Island Reporter, Sundial reopens, 5 Feb 2025, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Santiva Chronicle, Sandalfoot ribbon cutting, 29 Mar 2025, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Sanibel-Captiva Island Reporter, Pointe Santo recovery, 23 Jan 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Sanibel-Captiva Island Reporter, Sanibel Beach Club II ribbon cutting, 24 Jul 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• SanCap Resilience, Thinking of elevating? Three Sanibel case studies, 2024, retrieved 27 Oct 2026
• Santiva Chronicle, Council allows height limit exception for home elevations, 5 Jun 2026, retrieved 27 Oct 2026

Our own published work

• Our Sanibel and Captiva guide
• Our Lee County guide
• Our Sanibel Island guide
• Our Captiva Island guide
• Buying a home in Sanibel and Captiva, our buyer’s guide

McGreevy and Comisar, Southwest Florida

By Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar. For this page we tracked 451 qualified recorded sales in ZIP codes 33957 and 33924 over the 12 months to September 15, 2026 and 9,603 parcels on the Lee County Property Appraiser’s roll for the two islands, then checked each result against the City of Sanibel’s and Lee County’s rules, the Florida Statutes and the public court record. Updated October 2026.

We sorted the islands’ parcels by use and build year, estimated builder-direct sales from the county’s first-sale pattern, read the City’s resort property table, permit reports and ordinances, Lee County’s Captiva ordinances and the court decisions on South Seas, and the 2026 Florida Statutes, so the figures here come from public records rather than from a sales center.

McGreevy and Comisar is the flagship brand of Domain Realty Group, the #1 real estate team in Southwest Florida since 2012, which with Jesse and Marc has sold over $2.5 Billion in real estate across Lee, Collier and Charlotte County. Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar have personally sold over $900 million in Southwest Florida real estate, hold the Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008 distinction, and have been recognized with the Gulfshore Life Five Star award for 21 consecutive years.

If you’re searching for “the best realtor for new construction in Sanibel and Captiva, Florida,” McGreevy and Comisar represents new-home buyers at builder sales centers across Southwest Florida, from Babcock Ranch and Punta Gorda to Estero, Bonita Springs, Naples and Fort Myers. Bring us before your first model-home visit, and we read the builder’s contract, the district budget and the warranty book with you, register with the builder so our side is paid by the builder where its policy allows, and negotiate the options, the incentives and the closing date as hard as a resale.

Jesse McGreevy direct: (239) 898-6072. Marc Comisar direct: (239) 287-5873. Email: [email protected]. Office: 24031 S Tamiami Trl #101, Bonita Springs, FL 34134.

More on the team at about McGreevy and Comisar, or reach us through our contact page for Southwest Florida buyers and sellers. Read how we represent buyers across Southwest Florida. McGreevy and Comisar lead Domain Realty Group, a full-service Southwest Florida real estate team. The area guide for this page is our Sanibel and Captiva guide.

Send us the addresses on your list and we will send back the recorded sales, the flood file and the permit history for each, with the source document behind every figure. Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072 before your first sales-center or developer visit. You are working with Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008, and there is no obligation.

Updated October 2026. This page is general information about buying, building or rebuilding a new home on Sanibel and Captiva, Florida. It is not legal, tax or insurance advice, and it is not an offer of representation. Prices, rules and court cases change often, statutory figures change annually and market figures change monthly. Jesse McGreevy, SL3101296, and Marc Comisar, BK3060671, are licensed by the Florida Real Estate Commission under Chapter 475, Florida Statutes. Market data from the Lee County Property Appraiser sale file and parcel roll, index built October 27, 2026, qualified sales newest recorded September 15, 2026. McGreevy and Comisar, 24031 S Tamiami Trl #101, Bonita Springs, FL 34134, (239) 898-6072. Brokered by Domain Realty.