Buying on a barrier island adds a layer of questions a mainland purchase rarely raises. On Anna Maria Island they come down to six things: which of the three cities the house is in, its flood zone and elevation, flood and wind insurance, the state’s coastal construction rules, the drawbridges, and the city’s rental rules. Each one can change what a property costs to own or what you can do with it.

None of them show up clearly in a listing. Here’s what each one means, where the rules come from, and what to ask before you make an offer.

Which city is the house in?

Start here, because it decides several of the rules below. Anna Maria Island holds three separate cities: Anna Maria, Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach. Each has its own city government and its own code of ordinances. Holmes Beach, for example, was incorporated in 1950 and takes its name from Jack Holmes, a developer who arrived after World War II (City of Holmes Beach).

The practical effect shows up fast. Elevation certificates are kept city by city: Bradenton Beach notes that “each municipality will maintain the certificates for the properties located within that municipality” (City of Bradenton Beach). Vacation rental rules differ by city too, and so do the offices you’ll deal with for permits.

So before anything else, confirm which city the parcel sits in. A street address on the island doesn’t always make it obvious.

Is the property in a flood zone, and how high does it sit?

In two of the three cities, the cities themselves say yes, and the building’s height above expected flood levels matters a great deal. Holmes Beach’s flood information page says “ALL PROPERTY IN HOLMES BEACH FALLS WITHIN A SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD AREA!” (City of Holmes Beach). Bradenton Beach says the same of every property in that city (City of Bradenton Beach). In the City of Anna Maria, check the specific address.

FEMA defines Special Flood Hazard Areas as the land a flood with a 1-percent chance in any given year would cover (FEMA). They’re the A and V zones on the flood map. FloodSmart describes Zones V and VE as “high risk coastal areas with an additional hazard from storm waves” (FloodSmart).

The elevation certificate

The document that answers “how high does it sit?” is the elevation certificate. FloodSmart says it shows how high a building is compared with how high local floodwaters are expected to get, and records the home’s location, characteristics and First Floor Height (FloodSmart).

Under FEMA’s current pricing method, Risk Rating 2.0, a certificate “will no longer be required to purchase coverage” (FEMA, Risk Rating 2.0 FAQ). It still earns its place. FloodSmart says certificates “don’t set your rate, but they can identify discounts.” A completed certificate doesn’t expire unless a physical change to the building invalidates it, and a change of ownership doesn’t void it, according to FEMA’s form. So the seller’s copy is the place to start.

What can sit below the flood level

Many island homes are raised, with parking underneath. That ground-level space has limits. In Holmes Beach, the city’s FAQ says space below the Base Flood Elevation “can ONLY be used for parking, building access, and storage” (City of Holmes Beach). If a listing shows finished rooms at ground level, compare them with the certificate and the city’s permit records before you rely on them.

Renovation plans and the 50% rule

If you plan to renovate an older home, ask about substantial improvement before you buy. Holmes Beach says that in a Special Flood Hazard Area, if the cost of improvements equals or exceeds 50% of the building’s market value, the building must meet the same requirements as new construction. Substantially damaged buildings must also be elevated above the Base Flood Elevation (City of Holmes Beach). That can turn a planned remodel into a much larger project.

What insurance will you need?

Plan for two coverage questions: flood and wind. A homeowners policy doesn’t cover flood damage, so flood needs its own policy; FloodSmart says most homeowners and renters insurance doesn’t cover it (FloodSmart). Wind is different. Florida’s Department of Financial Services says an insurer can exclude windstorm coverage only under certain circumstances, and where it’s excluded, wind-only coverage may be available from Citizens or the private market, so ask whether the policy you’d carry includes wind (Florida DFS).

Flood insurance

Two situations require flood insurance most often on the island: a mortgage on a high-risk property, and a Citizens homeowners policy. A lender or association can also set its own requirement, so ask. Federal rules bar a national bank or federal savings association from making, increasing, extending or renewing a loan secured by a building in a Special Flood Hazard Area unless it’s covered by flood insurance (12 CFR 22.3), and FloodSmart says that if you own a property in a high-risk zone and have a federally backed mortgage, “you are required to purchase flood insurance as a condition of that loan.” Florida law also requires Citizens Property Insurance Corporation to make flood insurance a condition of its personal residential policies, phased in by the dwelling’s replacement cost (Florida Statutes s. 627.351):

Citizens policyholders in a Special Flood Hazard Area already needed flood coverage, from April 1, 2023 for new policies and from July 1, 2023 at renewal. The statute exempts policies that don’t cover wind and condominium unit owners policies.

A few federal program details matter at closing:

• Limits. NFIP building policies cover up to $250,000 of flood damage and contents policies up to $100,000. On a home that costs more to rebuild, ask your agent how to cover the difference.
• Timing. Coverage normally starts 30 days after purchase, but there’s no wait when the policy is bought while making, increasing, extending or renewing a mortgage.
• The seller’s policy. FloodSmart says a buyer moving into a higher-risk zone may be able to assume the prior owner’s current NFIP policy.
• Price drivers. As of April 1, 2023, FEMA prices policies on flood frequency, several flood types including storm surge, distance to water, and property details such as elevation and the cost to rebuild (FEMA). Communities in FEMA’s Community Rating System earn discounts of 5% to 45%, applied to every policy in the community.

One more timing point. The federal program depends on Congress. FEMA says Congress must reauthorize the NFIP by 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 11, 2026, and that during a lapse FEMA would still have authority to ensure the payment of valid claims with available funds, but would stop selling and renewing policies (FEMA). Check the status if your closing falls near that date.

Wind coverage and mitigation discounts

Wind is the other half of the coastal insurance picture. Florida requires insurers’ residential rate filings to include discounts, credits or lower deductibles for properties with features “demonstrated to reduce the amount of loss in a windstorm” (Florida Statutes s. 627.0629). The statute lists roof strength, roof covering performance, roof-to-wall strength, opening protection and window, door and skylight strength, among others.

In practice, ask the seller what wind features the house has and whether there’s documentation. Then have your insurance agent quote wind and flood together before you settle on a price.

What are Florida’s coastal construction rules?

Near the beach, the state adds its own layer. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Coastal Construction Control Line program “regulates structures and activities that can cause beach erosion, destabilize dunes, damage upland properties or interfere with public access” (Florida DEP).

The line creates an area where special siting and design criteria apply to construction. DEP notes these standards may be stricter than in the rest of the coastal building zone, because of the greater forces expected nearer the beach during a storm. If you’re buying a Gulf-front property with plans to rebuild, expand or add a pool, ask early whether the work falls under the program.

How do the bridges affect access?

The Cortez (SR 684) Bridge and the Anna Maria (SR 64) Bridge, on Manatee Avenue West, are drawbridges with schedules set in federal rules. Both open on signal, except that from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily they need only open on the quarter hour and three-quarter hour (33 CFR 117.287).

For daily life, that means occasional waits at the bridges. For boat owners, it’s a reminder to check the route from a particular dock to open water, including any fixed bridges along the way, against the height of your boat before you buy.

What should condo buyers check?

Florida’s milestone inspection law is the big one for island condos. Condo and co-op buildings of three or more habitable stories must have a milestone inspection by December 31 of the year the building reaches 30 years of age, then every 10 years. The statute also lets the local enforcement agency require inspections starting at 25 years because of local circumstances such as proximity to salt water (Florida Statutes s. 553.899), so ask the city’s building department which age applies to the building.

Ask the association for its latest inspection report and any follow-up work it calls for, along with the current budget and reserves. Then read the rental rules in the condo documents, covered below.

What will the seller disclose about flooding?

Florida requires it in writing. A seller of residential property “must complete and provide a flood disclosure to a purchaser of residential real property at or before the time the sales contract is executed” (Florida Statutes s. 689.302).

The form asks whether the seller knows of flooding that damaged the property during their ownership, whether they’ve filed a flood insurance claim, including with the NFIP, and whether they’ve received flood assistance, including from FEMA. Read it alongside the elevation certificate and any insurance history the seller can share.

Can you rent the home out?

Possibly, but the answer depends on the city, and sometimes the zoning district or the association. Florida law says a local law “may not prohibit vacation rentals or regulate the duration or frequency of rental of vacation rentals,” except for local laws adopted on or before June 1, 2011 (Florida Statutes s. 509.032). Within that limit, each island city sets its own registration, inspection and occupancy rules.

A few examples show how much they differ:

• Anna Maria caps vacation rental occupancy at the lesser of a bedroom-based formula or eight occupants, with an exception for owner-occupied stays as the code defines them (City of Anna Maria, Chapter 108).
• Holmes Beach requires a Vacation Rental Certificate for all rental properties and sets minimum rental periods by zoning district, including 30-day minimums in R-1 and R-1AA and weekly rentals in R-2, R-3 and R-4 (City of Holmes Beach).
• Bradenton Beach requires a state lodging license, a business tax receipt and a city Transient Public Lodging Establishment License (City of Bradenton Beach, Chapter 59).

Associations add another layer. Under Florida law, a condo amendment restricting rentals applies only to owners who consent and owners who buy after it takes effect (s. 718.110(13)). Homeowners’ associations work differently for short stays. Rental rules enacted after July 1, 2021 generally bind only owners who buy afterward or consent, but an association may amend its documents to prohibit or regulate rentals of less than six months, or to limit a parcel to three rentals a calendar year, and those amendments apply to all parcel owners (s. 720.306(1)(h)). Read the current documents and any proposed amendments before you count on short-term income.

A checklist before you make an offer

Bring these questions into the first serious conversation about a property, while they can still shape the price:

1. 1
   Which city is the parcel in, and, in Holmes Beach, which zoning district?
2. 2
   Is there an elevation certificate on file with the city, and does it still match the building?
3. 3
   What do flood and wind insurance quotes look like for this address, and can the seller’s NFIP policy be assumed?
4. 4
   Is any ground-level space finished, and does that fit the city’s rules for space below the Base Flood Elevation?
5. 5
   Would your renovation plans approach the 50% substantial improvement threshold?
6. 6
   For Gulf-front lots, does planned work fall under the Coastal Construction Control Line program?
7. 7
   For condos, what does the latest milestone inspection say?
8. 8
   If you plan to rent, what do the city, the zoning and the association documents allow?
9. 9
   What does the seller’s flood disclosure say?

Comparing properties across the island? Our Anna Maria Island homes for sale page covers all three island cities, and the buyer’s guide walks through the general steps of a purchase.

Frequently asked questions

This article summarizes public rules as published on the retrieval date. It isn’t legal, tax or insurance advice. Confirm the details for a specific property with the city, your insurance agent and your own advisers.

The Buky Group