Hillsborough County · about 80 min (66 mi) from the shop
Kitchen Remodeling in University, FL
Durable custom cabinetry for the rentals, duplexes and owner-occupied homes around USF's Tampa campus, made in Sarasota and fitted on site.
- Built in our Sarasota shop since 2011
- 4.4★ from 52 Google reviews
- 3D model before anything is built
- Solid-wood boxes, dovetail drawers
SRQ Woodworks brings kitchen remodeling to University, the north Tampa community wrapped around the University of South Florida's Tampa campus. We design and make every cabinet on Lewis Ave in Sarasota, then haul them about 80 minutes (66 miles) up I-75 for installation. That distance shapes our approach: one thorough measure, drawings you approve remotely, then a tightly scheduled install.
What sets University apart is ownership. Its 23,295 housing units lean heavily toward rentals, so many conversations here are with landlords who need cabinet boxes that survive tenant turnover more than they need showpiece finishes.
Fowler and Fletcher Avenue rentals: what wears out first
The streets between Fowler Avenue, Fletcher Avenue and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard hold apartment complexes, duplexes and block ranch houses from the 1960s through the 1980s, many rented by the semester. Kitchens here take hard use: frequent move-outs, roommates sharing one sink, and summers when a unit sits closed up.
The damage pattern is predictable. Particleboard sink bases swell after a slow drip goes unnoticed between tenants, hinge screws strip out of soft panel stock, and laminate edges lift on drawer fronts; the reason is laid out in why cheap cabinets swell in humid Florida. We answer it with shop-built boxes instead of mass-produced particleboard, face frames joined mortise-and-tenon, and dovetailed drawers that tolerate being yanked open every day.
For a rental where the boxes are still sound, cabinet refacing swaps doors and drawer fronts and veneers the frames, turning a unit around between leases without gutting the kitchen.
Kitchen remodeling in University for owners and landlords
Match the scope to how long you plan to hold the property.
Kitchen Cabinet Installation
Full replacement for units where swollen sink bases and stripped hinges have made repairs a recurring line item between tenants. Solid-wood boxes hold hinge screws through years of semester move-outs.
Cabinet Refacing
New doors and fronts over sound boxes, a practical refresh when a rental near campus needs to look current before the next lease. Installation can be timed for the gap between an August move-out and move-in.
Cabinet Repair
Targeted fixes for sagging doors, broken drawer boxes and water-stained toe kicks in otherwise serviceable kitchens. One rebuilt sink base, matched to the existing doors, can keep a duplex rentable without replacing the whole run.
Kitchen Remodeling
A full kitchen redesign for owner-occupants planning to stay, coordinated with licensed plumbers and electricians when the layout changes. Owners who bought near USF to live in often want the closed 1970s kitchen opened to the family room.
Cabinet Door Replacement
Kicked-in doors, missing drawer fronts and mismatched replacements from past turnovers are common in student rentals. New hardwood doors on the existing frames make a unit look uniform again for the next lease.
Custom Bathroom Vanities
Duplex and apartment baths shared by two or three roommates need more drawer space than a builder vanity offers. We build drawer vanities sized to the existing plumbing so the licensed plumber only reconnects.
Planning a University kitchen around lease dates
Measure
One site visit to measure, photograph and locate plumbing; for occupied rentals we coordinate access with you and your tenants.
Drawings and 3D model
Working drawings and a 3D model arrive by email so you can review layout and finishes remotely before anything is cut.
Shop build
Cabinets take shape on Lewis Ave in Sarasota while the unit stays in use, so a tenant can keep cooking until install day.
Install
We deliver and install in a scheduled window, ideally between tenants; if you chose stone, the fabricator measures for tops after the boxes are level.
Hillsborough County permits and nearby north Tampa stops
University is unincorporated, so work that needs a permit, such as moving a sink or adding circuits, goes through Hillsborough County rather than the City of Tampa, and the licensed trades doing that work pull it. Whether a like-for-like cabinet swap needs a permit is the county's call, so we confirm it before scheduling. Neighboring Temple Terrace, Lake Magdalene and Lutz are within our north Tampa coverage too.
The campus came first. USF was founded in 1956 and held its first classes in September 1960 on the former Henderson Air Field, a World War II airstrip off Fowler Avenue, and the duplexes and ranch streets around it filled in over the following decades. That is why so many kitchens here date from the 1960s through the 1980s.
Hillsborough County's homeowner permit guidance lists cabinet work, tile and painting as typically cosmetic, while a remodel involving plumbing would likely need a permit. For a landlord, that line often decides between a cabinet-only refresh and a new layout.
Reviews
What customers near University say
4.4★ average from 52 reviews on Google. Quotes are from public Google reviews, shortened where marked.
“We recently had a remodel done in our home in which all the custom cabinetry was beautifully done by SRQ Woodworks Co. Graham made cabinets for our kitchen, feature wall, dining room, and powder room. The quality is amazing and we are so happy with the wonderful attention to detail!”
“Graham, PJ and the team at SRQ were exceptional. Creative design for a massive library/wall unit that was a blend of modern and traditional. Outstanding workmanship. Highly recommend!”
FAQ
University kitchen remodeling questions
Do you work with landlords and property managers near USF?
Yes. Many University-area kitchens belong to investors, and we plan around that: one measuring visit with tenant access arranged ahead, drawings you approve by email, and an install timed for the gap between leases when possible. Since every box is finished in Sarasota ahead of install day, the kitchen is out of service only for the installation itself, not for the build.
Is refacing or replacing better for a rental kitchen?
It depends on the boxes. If the sink base and lower cabinets are dry and solid, refacing gives a rental a new face with less disruption. If particleboard has swollen or hinge screws no longer hold, replacement with shop-built boxes and dovetailed drawers is the sturdier long-term choice. We check this during the measuring visit and show both options in the drawings.
Nearby
Also serving near University
- Lake Magdalene, FLAbout 80 min (66 mi) from the shop
- Temple Terrace, FLAbout 80 min (64 mi) from the shop
- Lutz, FLAbout 85 min (72 mi) from the shop
- Carrollwood, FLAbout 80 min (64 mi) from the shop
- Egypt Lake-Leto, FLAbout 75 min (60 mi) from the shop
1121 Lewis Ave, Sarasota
About a quarter mile east of US 301, off 12th Street. Shop visits are by appointment. Please call ahead before stopping by Lewis Ave.
Living Well Crafted
Planning a kitchen in University? Talk it through with the shop.
- Built in our Sarasota shop since 2011
- 4.4★ from 52 Google reviews
- 3D model before anything is built
- Solid-wood boxes, dovetail drawers