Building Stronger in Southwest Florida After Hurricane Ian

Fort Myers and Lee County occupy a defining moment in their commercial construction history. In the wake of Hurricane Ian, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm in September 2022 and caused catastrophic damage across Southwest Florida, the region has entered a period of intense rebuilding and new construction. Entire commercial corridors were damaged or destroyed, and the rebuilding effort is producing stronger, more resilient structures engineered to withstand the next major storm. Simultaneously, Southwest Florida's long-term population growth and economic expansion continue to drive demand for new warehouses, retail centers, multifamily housing, and hospitality developments that have nothing to do with storm recovery and everything to do with a region that continues to attract residents and businesses from across the country.

Windward Roofing & Construction is expanding into Fort Myers to serve both of these converging forces. Founded in 1984, Windward brings more than 40 years of commercial and industrial roofing expertise from the Chicago market, where we have built a reputation for disciplined project management, manufacturer-backed installations, and complex building envelope coordination. We operate as a general contractor for new construction, managing projects from pre-construction planning through final inspection and turnover.

Lee County's Commercial Construction Landscape

Lee County's commercial geography spans a wide range of building types and conditions. The downtown Fort Myers riverfront district along the Caloosahatchee River is undergoing renewed investment, with mixed-use developments, boutique hotels, and multifamily projects joining the historic commercial core. Along corridors like Colonial Boulevard, US 41, and Daniels Parkway, retail centers, medical office buildings, and flex-industrial spaces serve a population that has grown rapidly over the past two decades and shows no sign of slowing.

East of I-75, the Alico Road and Daniels Parkway interchange areas have emerged as major commercial and industrial growth zones. New distribution centers, warehouse facilities, and business parks are absorbing land that was previously agricultural, driven by the region's need for logistics infrastructure to support a population base that now exceeds 800,000 across Lee County. These large-footprint industrial buildings require roofing systems engineered for maximum wind resistance, thermal performance, and long-term durability across roof decks that can span hundreds of thousands of square feet.

The barrier islands of Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, and Captiva were among the hardest hit by Hurricane Ian. While much of the rebuilding on these islands is residential, the supporting commercial infrastructure on the mainland, including hotels, restaurant buildings, marina facilities, and retail strips that serve the tourism economy, represents a significant construction opportunity. New buildings in these areas are being designed to far exceed the wind resistance of the structures they replace, incorporating lessons learned from Ian's devastating impact.

Hurricane-Resistant Roofing for the Gulf Coast

Fort Myers' position on Florida's Gulf Coast places every commercial building at direct risk from tropical storms and hurricanes. Hurricane Ian demonstrated the vulnerability of commercial roofing systems that were not adequately specified or installed for the region's true wind exposure. The Florida Building Code requires design wind speeds of 150 mph or more for much of Lee County, and buildings in coastal exposure categories face even higher requirements. Post-Ian construction is increasingly specified to exceed minimum code requirements, reflecting a market-wide recognition that building to the minimum standard may not provide adequate protection.

Windward installs commercial roofing systems from our manufacturer partners, including Carlisle, Versico, Elevate, Johns Manville, ERC Systems, Sika, GAF, Tremco, and IKO, that carry Florida product approvals and are tested for the wind uplift, moisture resistance, and impact performance that Gulf Coast construction demands. We install TPO, PVC, EPDM, modified bitumen, built-up roofing, and standing seam metal assemblies using factory-trained crews and manufacturer protocols. Every project receives a custom specification that reflects the building's wind exposure, structural capacity, and the owner's performance expectations.

New Construction General Contracting in Lee County

Beyond roofing, Windward serves as a general contractor for ground-up commercial construction throughout Lee County and the greater Southwest Florida region. Our capabilities span pre-construction budgeting and scheduling, value engineering, building envelope coordination, subcontractor management, quality assurance, and complete roofing system installation. We specialize in project types where the roof is a critical component of the building envelope, including warehouses, distribution centers, retail centers, multifamily housing, hotels, and mixed-use developments.

The convergence of post-hurricane rebuilding and organic population-driven growth makes Fort Myers one of the most active commercial construction markets in Florida. New master-planned communities in Lehigh Acres, Estero, and Bonita Springs are creating demand for retail, healthcare, and industrial buildings that serve growing residential populations. Meanwhile, the tourism industry's recovery is driving hotel and hospitality construction along the coast. Windward's expansion into this market brings institutional-grade expertise to a region that needs it now more than ever.

Services Available in Fort Myers

  • TPO Roofing Systems — Wind-rated, reflective membranes for Fort Myers' heat, humidity, and storm exposure
  • EPDM Roofing Systems — Durable synthetic rubber membranes for long-term industrial and commercial use
  • PVC Roofing Systems — Chemical-resistant single-ply for restaurants, marine facilities, and manufacturing
  • Modified Bitumen Roofing — Multi-ply redundancy for high-wind environments and heavy rooftop equipment
  • Built-Up Roofing (BUR) — Time-proven multi-layer assemblies with exceptional wind uplift resistance
  • Metal Roofing — Standing seam panels for retail, hospitality, and high-visibility commercial buildings
  • Roof Coatings — Reflective coatings that lower cooling costs and extend roof system service life
  • New Construction — Full general contracting for warehouses, retail, multifamily, hotels, and distribution centers

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Windward Roofing & Construction provides general contracting and commercial roofing services for new construction and rebuilding efforts throughout Lee County in the wake of Hurricane Ian. We bring over 40 years of commercial roofing expertise and install hurricane-resistant systems that meet or exceed current Florida Building Code requirements, helping property owners rebuild with stronger, more resilient structures than what existed before the storm.

Windward serves as a general contractor for ground-up commercial construction including warehouses and distribution centers, retail shopping centers, multifamily apartment complexes, hotel and hospitality properties, and mixed-use developments. We focus on building types where the roofing system represents a critical portion of the overall building envelope, applying four decades of expertise to deliver quality at scale.

Fort Myers' Gulf Coast location requires roofing systems with strong wind uplift resistance and moisture management. We install TPO, PVC, EPDM, modified bitumen, built-up roofing, and standing seam metal systems rated for Florida Building Code wind speeds in Lee County. All systems are specified for the building's specific exposure and installed by factory-trained crews using manufacturer protocols from partners including Carlisle, Versico, Johns Manville, GAF, and Sika.

Southwest Florida, anchored by Fort Myers and Lee County, is experiencing significant commercial construction growth driven by population influx, post-Hurricane Ian rebuilding, and the expansion of logistics, retail, and hospitality infrastructure. New residential communities are creating demand for supporting commercial construction, while the rebuilding effort has accelerated investment in stronger, code-compliant commercial buildings across the region.