Iona differs because of how directly Hurricane Ian hit it. Surge pushed through its canal and golf neighborhoods in September 2022, and many homes have since been gutted, dried and rebuilt, so kitchen work here often starts from bare studs rather than a cosmetic refresh.
After Ian: Canal, Golf and Waterfront Homes in Iona
Iona had 16,908 residents at the 2020 Census, in canal-front ranches, golf villas and condos along Summerlin Road and McGregor Boulevard, with Shell Point and Punta Rassa at its edges. Much of it is low and close to San Carlos Bay, which is how Ian’s surge reached so many ground-floor kitchens.
In flood zones, Lee County’s floodplain administrator enforces FEMA’s substantial improvement rule. When repairs or upgrades add up to half the building’s market value, the house must meet today’s flood requirements, and that can mean elevation. The threshold often decides whether a kitchen is repaired, rebuilt in a raised home or deferred.
Iona’s geography leaves little margin. About 35% of the community’s 10.23 square miles is water, mostly the tidal Caloosahatchee estuary on its northern edge, and the land sits only about 7 feet above sea level. Ian was not its only recent storm: an EF2 tornado struck on January 16, 2022, eight months earlier, damaging homes and injuring three people. For kitchens that history means two damage patterns. Surge ruins base cabinets, toe kicks and lower drywall, and salt left in a wall cavity keeps feeding mold if the wall is closed too soon. Roof and window leaks work from the top down, staining upper cabinets and swelling the panels beside the hood. We note which pattern a house shows at the technical visit, because it changes what can be kept.
Storm Repair and Kitchen Remodeling Services for Iona Homes
Storm Damage Cabinet Replacement
Replacement cabinets for Iona kitchens and baths gutted after Ian, planned once the structure is dry and the county has answered any substantial improvement question about the house.
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Kitchen Remodeling
Full kitchen redesigns when a rebuilt or raised Iona home gets a new layout, with the sink, range and island repositioned in 3D around new stair, window and floor heights.
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Custom Kitchen Cabinets
Modular cabinets sized to new drywall and raised floor heights, with moisture-resistant boxes for canal-front ranches near San Carlos Bay that could see water again.
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Bathroom Remodeling
Vanity and linen cabinet replacement in flooded ground-floor baths, sized to the rebuilt room and coordinated with the licensed plumber resetting supply lines and drains.
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Insurance Claim Cabinet Replacement
An itemized cabinet scope to share with your adjuster after Ian or a later storm, listing each box and countertop run, with no promise about what the claim pays.
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Water-Damaged Bathroom Vanities
Vanities swollen by surge or by a slow leak in a closed-up seasonal condo along Summerlin Road, replaced after the cause is fixed and the wall behind them is dry.
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Countertops
Granite or quartz templated on the new cabinets. Stone often survives a flood itself but rarely comes off swollen boxes intact, so most rebuilt Iona kitchens end up with new tops.
Learn more →Also planned for Iona homes: Kitchen Design & 3D Rendering
Planning a kitchen or cabinet project in Iona? Book a technical visit.
Call (239) 545-0550What Can We Tell You About Iona Without a Portfolio?
We have no published Iona projects or reviews. We do cover the full community: canal streets off McGregor Boulevard, John Morris Road and Summerlin Road, out toward the Sanibel Causeway. If you are weighing options after water damage, start with flood-damaged kitchen cabinets and our checklist on saving water-damaged cabinets.
Iona is unincorporated, so it has no town hall of its own; permits run through Lee County’s Department of Community Development. The census boundary is easy to trace: the tidal Caloosahatchee on the north, with Cape Coral across the water, Summerlin Road (County Road 869) on the south, Punta Rassa to the west and Harlem Heights to the east, with McGregor Boulevard cutting diagonally through the middle. The center of Iona sits about 4 miles from the Sanibel Causeway and 11 miles from downtown Fort Myers, so Iona trips are planned along the same route as our Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach visits.
How Does an Iona Cabinet Replacement Work Under Lee County Rules?
- 1
Technical visit
A salesperson or technician measures the room, notes what was removed after flooding and talks through ideas. Have your adjuster’s scope handy if you have one.
- 2
3D presentation
The new layout is shown in specialized design software, including how cabinets relate to raised floors or relocated appliances.
- 3
Delivery and installation
Cabinets go in once county-permitted plumbing, electrical and drywall work by licensed Florida trades is finished.
Coverage questions stay between you and your carrier; read your policy and ask your adjuster how flood and wind coverage apply. See also insurance claim cabinets.
What FT Cabinetry clients say
5.0★ average from 28 Google reviews · Read all reviews
“I recently worked with … FT Cabinetry for my kitchen remodel, and I am thrilled with the results! The team was professional, attentive, and helped bring my vision to life. The quality of the cabinetry is outstanding, showcasing excellent craftsmanship and materials. Installation was smooth and efficient, leaving my home clean and tidy.”
“A responsible company that met deadlines and on time for the delivery and installation of the materials. And everything was of very high quality.”
Reviews come from FT Cabinetry clients across our Southwest Florida service area.
Kitchen and cabinet questions from Iona
Should I replace flooded cabinets in my Iona home or try to dry them?
Usually replace them. Cabinets that sat in saltwater surge tend to have swollen particleboard, failed glue joints and hidden mold behind the boxes. Solid-wood doors can sometimes be cleaned, but the boxes rarely recover. We assess what remains at the technical visit, and our flood-cabinet post walks through the checks.
Will rebuilding my Iona kitchen trigger the 50% rule?
It might, if the home is in a flood zone and total repair or improvement costs reach half the structure’s market value. Lee County’s floodplain administrator makes that determination, not us. Ask the county early how your home will be valued, and we will provide an itemized cabinet and countertop figure for your paperwork.
Iona on the map and nearby
Nearby areas we serve
Guides for Iona homeowners
Flood-Damaged Kitchen Cabinets: What to Do First
After storm surge or a flood reaches the kitchen, the order of your first moves decides how much can be saved and how fast the room can be rebuilt.
Read the guide →
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Water-Damaged Cabinets?
Whether a policy pays for ruined cabinets depends on what caused the water, which policy applies and what your adjuster finds.
Read the guide →