Anna Maria Island sits at the mouth of Tampa Bay, at the northern end of Manatee County's Gulf coast. George Emerson Bean homesteaded the north end in the 1890s, and his son Will Bean and partner Charles Roser led the Anna Maria Beach Company, which built the City Pier in 1911 so steamships from Tampa and St. Petersburg could bring visitors before any bridge existed. Cottages from that era still stand on Pine Avenue. Some were built of rusticated concrete block barged from Tampa, others of heart pine with cedar shingle siding, according to the Anna Maria Island Historical Society. The first bridge, from Cortez to Bridge Street, came in the early 1920s.
We offer luxury interior design Anna Maria Island homeowners can live with year-round or seasonally, from careful cottage renovations to new elevated homes.
The island is not one municipality. From north to south it is divided among the City of Anna Maria, incorporated in 1923; the City of Holmes Beach, incorporated in 1950 and named for developer Jack Holmes, who built a 600-acre community there after World War II; and the City of Bradenton Beach, incorporated in 1952. Each city runs its own building department, permit portal, zoning code and floodplain administration, so setbacks, height limits and review steps change depending on which city your lot is in. Permits go through that city rather than Manatee County. Gulf-front work seaward of the state Coastal Construction Control Line can also require a Florida Department of Environmental Protection permit.
Hurricanes Helene and Milton damaged homes across the island in 2024. In a letter to affected owners reported in January 2025, the City of Anna Maria noted that the entire city lies in a FEMA special flood hazard area, that any repair requires a permit, and that a substantial damage determination is made during permit review from a detailed cost breakdown and the home's pre-damage market value, excluding land. If restoring a building reaches half of that value, it must be brought up to current floodplain rules, which can mean elevating it. Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach apply the same FEMA 50 percent standard through their own departments. Confirm the determination before choosing finishes, because it can change the whole scope.
Most island projects fall into one of two camps. Owners of an original cottage usually want to keep what makes it worth owning, such as wood floors, porches, simple rooflines and rooms that catch the breeze, while adding a kitchen and baths that work for modern life. Owners of newer elevated houses need the reverse: warmth and character added to a structure shaped by code. Under floodplain rules, enclosed space below the required elevation is limited to parking, building access and storage, so the arrival, the stair and the main living floor deserve the design attention.
Across Longboat Pass from Bradenton Beach, the setup is different: one town covering two counties. See our Longboat Key page for that side of the bridge, and our Sarasota and Manatee page for the wider region.
We have not completed a project on Anna Maria Island or in Manatee County. Our closest coastal work is the JW Residence on Clearwater Beach, and our St. Petersburg projects include the AT Residence in Crescent Heights.
The city your property is in: Anna Maria, Holmes Beach or Bradenton Beach. Each has its own building department, permit portal and zoning code.
Possibly. If the work or storm repairs reach 50 percent of the building's market value, the home must meet current floodplain rules, which can mean elevating it. Your city makes that determination during permit review.
Yes. We design kitchens, baths, storage and lighting that keep the character of an original cottage, and coordinate with your builder on anything structural.
Not yet. Our nearest published work is on Clearwater Beach and in St. Petersburg.
Full-service projects begin at $80,000, and most whole-home work is $150,000 and above.
Start with a $199 consultation to talk through your Anna Maria Island home, your city's permit path and a realistic scope.
Sixth Sense Studio · 1646 West Snow Avenue, Suite 64, Tampa, FL 33606 · (813) 727-7293