If you've ever walked through a neighborhood in the Sunshine State, you might have wondered what are houses made of in Florida and why they look so different from the brick or siding-heavy homes you see up north. It isn't just about the "coastal vibe" or trying to look like a Mediterranean villa. Most of the building choices here come down to the fact that Florida is basically trying to melt, drown, or blow your house down for six months out of the year. Between the hurricane winds, the soul-crushing humidity, and the literal army of termites, Florida homes have to be built like tiny fortresses.
Concrete blocks are the heavy hitters
If you look at a house being built in Florida today, there's a very high chance you're going to see stacks and stacks of gray concrete blocks. These are technically called Concrete Masonry Units, or CMU, but most people just call them "cinder blocks."
In many parts of the country, wood-frame construction is the default because it's cheap and fast. But in Florida, concrete block is the gold standard for the first floor of almost any home. Why? Because concrete doesn't rot when it gets wet, and it's heavy enough to stay put when a Category 4 hurricane comes knocking.
Why the obsession with CMU?
There are a few reasons why builders reach for concrete blocks first. First, termites. Florida has some of the most aggressive termites in the country, especially the Formosan variety. They can chew through a wood-frame house faster than you'd believe. If the bones of your house are concrete, the termites have a lot less to snack on.
Second, there's the wind. After Hurricane Andrew devastated South Florida in the early 90s, building codes got incredibly strict. Concrete block walls, when reinforced with steel rebar and filled with poured concrete, create a rigid structure that can handle flying debris and extreme pressure. It's a lot harder for a rogue tree branch to punch through a concrete wall than a layer of plywood and vinyl siding.
Wood framing hasn't disappeared yet
Even though concrete is king, you'll still see plenty of wood being used. If you see a two-story house, it's very common for the first floor to be concrete block while the second floor is wood-frame construction.
Why mix them? It mostly comes down to weight and cost. A second floor made entirely of concrete block requires a much more massive (and expensive) foundation to support all that weight. Wood is lighter, easier to work with for complex architectural designs, and keeps the price of the home a bit more reasonable.
In North Florida, where the hurricane risk is slightly lower than in the Keys or Miami, you might even see entire homes built with wood frames. However, these aren't the same flimsy frames used decades ago. They use heavy-duty metal "hurricane straps" to bolt the roof to the walls and the walls to the foundation. It's all about creating a continuous load path so the house stays in one piece when the wind picks up.
The signature Florida look: Stucco and finish
When you think of a Florida house, you probably picture a textured, sandy surface painted in some shade of beige, peach, or light gray. That's stucco.
Stucco is basically a specialized type of plaster made from cement, sand, and lime. It's applied over the concrete blocks or wood framing to provide a seamless, durable outer shell. It's popular here because it's incredibly low-maintenance and handles the intense Florida sun without fading as quickly as some types of siding.
More importantly, stucco is great at shedding water. Florida gets a staggering amount of rain, and we often get it all at once in massive afternoon thunderstorms. A well-applied layer of stucco acts like a raincoat for the house. Underneath that stucco, builders often use a "foam" layer (EPS board) for extra insulation, which helps keep the AC bill from spiraling out of control during July.
Why you won't find many basements here
One thing you'll notice is that Florida houses are almost always built on a slab-on-grade foundation. That's a fancy way of saying the house is sitting on a thick pancake of concrete poured directly onto the ground.
If you're from the Midwest or the Northeast, you might miss having a basement for storage or a "man cave," but they just don't work here. The water table in Florida is incredibly high. In many areas, if you dig down six feet, you're going to hit water. Trying to build a basement in Florida is essentially like trying to build a swimming pool that stays dry on the inside—it's a recipe for mold, leaks, and constant flooding.
Instead of going down, Florida houses often have "Florida basements," which is just a sarcastic name for an oversized garage or an extra-large attic.
Roofing that handles the heat and wind
The roof is your first line of defense against the elements, and in Florida, those elements are brutal. You'll see three main types of roofing materials here:
- Asphalt Shingles: These are the most common because they're affordable. However, in Florida, they have to be "architectural" or "hurricane-rated" shingles, which are thicker and nailed down with more fasteners than usual.
- Concrete or Clay Tiles: This is the classic "Florida look." Tiles are heavy, which is actually a good thing in high winds, and they provide great airflow, which helps keep the house cool. The downside? They are heavy and expensive.
- Metal Roofing: This is becoming huge in Florida. A metal roof can last 50 years, reflects a ton of sunlight (keeping the house cooler), and is arguably the best material for surviving a hurricane.
Regardless of the material, the "underlayment"—the stuff between the shingles and the wood roof deck—is a big deal here. Many homeowners are now opting for a "secondary water barrier," which is a peel-and-stick membrane that keeps the house dry even if the shingles blow off.
Windows and doors that take a beating
You can't talk about what houses are made of in Florida without mentioning impact-resistant glass. In the old days, everyone had those "jingle-jangle" aluminum shutters or had to run to Home Depot for plywood when a storm was coming.
Nowadays, most new builds and high-end renovations use impact windows. These are made of two layers of tempered glass with a strong polymer interlayer (similar to a car windshield). You can hit them with a 2x4 at 35 miles per hour, and while the glass might crack, it won't shatter or let the wind into the house. They also do a great job of blocking out the noise of the neighbors' lawnmowers and keeping the heat outside where it belongs.
Emerging trends: Steel and ICF
While concrete block is the current king, some builders are looking toward the future with ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms). These are basically big LEGO blocks made of foam that are stacked up, reinforced with steel, and then filled with solid concrete. They offer incredible insulation and are virtually indestructible.
We're also seeing more steel-frame homes. Steel is lighter than concrete but stronger than wood, and—most importantly—termites can't eat it. As the cost of lumber fluctuates, steel is becoming a more attractive option for people who want a house that will still be standing in 100 years.
It all comes down to the environment
At the end of the day, what houses are made of in Florida is a direct response to the environment. We live in a place where the sun is trying to bake the paint off your walls, the moisture is trying to rot your studs, and the wind is occasionally trying to relocate your roof to the next county.
By sticking with concrete blocks, heavy-duty stucco, and high-tech roofing, Florida builders have figured out how to create homes that are both comfortable and resilient. It might not be the cheapest way to build, and you might miss having a basement, but when the wind starts howling at 100 miles per hour, you'll be pretty glad your walls are made of stone.