Say “Gandy” in Tampa Bay and plenty of people picture the busy boulevard in South Tampa. This page is about the other end of the bridge. Gandy, Florida is the unincorporated community on the Pinellas side of Old Tampa Bay, where US 92 comes off the Gandy Bridge into northeast St. Petersburg, with Weedon Island Preserve to the south.
It’s named for George Gandy, whose original bridge across the bay opened in 1924. Today the community is low, flat and surrounded by water on several sides. For a roof, that means salt air, open-water wind and a real history of storm surge.
Pinning Down Where Gandy Is
Gandy, FL was counted as a census-designated place in 2000, when it had just over 2,000 residents. The Census Bureau no longer tracks it separately, but the community is still there. Most of the area the census drew for it was actually water, with only about two and a half square miles of land along the bay shore.
Because the land is a patchwork, a Gandy Boulevard address can sit in unincorporated Pinellas County or inside St. Petersburg city limits. Both use a St. Petersburg mailing address. Some unincorporated parcels here are completely surrounded by the city.
County Parcel or City Parcel?
That patchwork decides who issues your roofing permit. For an unincorporated parcel, the permit and inspections go through Pinellas County Building and Development Review Services. For a parcel inside the city, St. Petersburg’s own building department handles it.
We confirm the jurisdiction for your specific parcel before we quote the job, so the permit is filed in the right place the first time. It also matters for flood rules, since the county and the city each run their own floodplain review.
Storm Surge Is Not Hypothetical Here
The Twin City Mobile Home Park on Gandy Boulevard shows what surge does in this area. It’s an unincorporated parcel ringed by St. Petersburg, and it sits in a Coastal High Hazard Area. Hurricane Idalia’s surge flooded it in 2023, and it flooded again with Helene and Milton in 2024.
After Idalia, the county told residents they would have to leave, move their homes out, or raise them more than 10 feet. The county later paid relocation assistance. It then approved a rezoning to replace the park with apartments that must meet current elevation, building strength and wind requirements.
Not every Gandy home faces that situation. But it’s a clear sign that in this part of Pinellas, roofing decisions after a storm are often tied to flood decisions.
How the 49 Percent Rule Shapes a Reroof
In unincorporated Pinellas County, a home is considered substantially damaged when the cost to repair it reaches 49% or more of the structure’s value, not counting land. Once that happens, it can’t simply be repaired. It has to be brought into compliance with current floodplain rules, which can mean elevating or replacing it.
If your home took on water and needs a new roof along with drywall, flooring and electrical work, the roof is part of that total. Ask the county about your property before you commit to a scope. We’ll give you an itemized roofing estimate so you and the county are working from real numbers.
Materials That Hold Up to Salt and Sun
With bay water on so many sides, Gandy roofs deal with steady salt air. Plain steel nails, galvanized flashing and uncoated vent parts corrode faster here than they would a few miles inland. When they fail, shingles loosen and water finds the gaps. Wind off Old Tampa Bay also crosses miles of open water before it reaches the shore, so edges and ridges take a steady beating.
- Fasteners: We use corrosion-resistant nails and screws rated for coastal exposure.
- Flashing and drip edge: Coated or aluminum metal holds up better than bare galvanized steel near salt water.
- Metal roofing: If you’re considering a metal roof, aluminum or properly coated panels with matching fasteners make sense this close to the bay.
- Shingle choice: Architectural shingles with high wind ratings, installed to the manufacturer’s high-wind nailing pattern, give the best result on sloped roofs.
Drying In After the Water Goes Down
When a storm opens up a roof here, the rain that follows can do as much damage as the wind. Our crews offer same-day dry-in with tarps or temporary underlayment to stop water from getting in while the permanent repair is planned. Our emergency roof repair page explains how that works.
We photograph the damage with CompanyCam before anything is covered, which helps with your insurance claim and any county review. Our post on how we help after a hurricane walks through the steps in order.
Flat Roofs Along the Boulevard
Gandy Boulevard carries a steady mix of businesses on the way to the bridge. Commercial buildings like these often have low-slope roofs, where standing water and tired seams cause most of the leaks.
Our commercial roofing crews repair and replace low-slope systems and plan the work so you can stay open. Modified bitumen is one option to consider, and our post on modified bitumen for commercial properties explains why.
Call About Your Gandy Roof
If you’re on the Pinellas side of the Gandy Bridge and your roof needs work, we’ll sort out the jurisdiction, the permit and the right materials for the bay. Call Mitchell Roofing Company at (727) 288-4650. Financing is available, and we also work up the shoreline in Feather Sound.
Frequently Asked Questions
My address says St. Petersburg. Am I in the city?
Not necessarily. Both city and unincorporated county parcels near the Gandy Bridge use St. Petersburg addresses. The Pinellas County Property Appraiser’s records show which one applies to you, and we check it before filing any permit.
Is Gandy, Florida the same as Gandy Boulevard in South Tampa?
No. Gandy is the unincorporated area on the Pinellas County end of the Gandy Bridge. South Tampa’s Gandy Boulevard is in Hillsborough County, across Old Tampa Bay.
My home flooded. Can I just replace the roof?
Maybe, but check first. If total repair costs reach 49% of the structure’s value in unincorporated Pinellas, the home has to meet current floodplain rules. Talk to the county early, and we’ll supply an itemized roof estimate for that review.
What kind of nails should a roofer use this close to the bay?
Corrosion-resistant fasteners rated for coastal exposure. Salt air near Old Tampa Bay eats bare steel, and a roof is only as strong as what holds it down.
Can you tarp my roof before the insurance adjuster comes?
Yes. Covering the damage right away helps prevent more water damage. We photograph everything first so the adjuster can see what the roof looked like before it was covered.