Fruit Cove takes its name from the citrus groves that lined the St. Johns River here in the 1800s, before freezes and development ended commercial citrus in the area. The population has grown fast, from under 6,000 residents in 1990 to over 32,000 at the 2020 census, nearly all of it landing as single-family subdivisions built out between the 1970s and 2000s. It's a family market, and that shows up in what people call us for: a fourth bedroom, a bigger kitchen, a suite for aging parents, not urgent repair.
The largest single development is Julington Creek Plantation, more than 4,100 acres and roughly 47 neighborhoods built out starting in 1994. Two different bodies govern it, and homeowners often mix them up: the Julington Creek Plantation Community Development District handles roads, drainage, and amenities, while the separate Property Owners' Association enforces the architectural covenants and reviews exterior changes. Wilson & Co checks with the POA, not the CDD, before submitting plans for anything visible from the street. Homes outside Julington Creek Plantation, including older parcels closer to Fruit Cove Road and the Switzerland area to the south, mostly fall outside a master HOA's architectural review, which changes what needs approval before we start.
A meaningful share of Fruit Cove's inventory sits directly on or near the St. Johns River, and those properties carry real flood exposure. Hurricane Irma pushed a record storm surge up the St. Johns River in September 2017, flooding riverfront properties as far south as Julington Creek. For any project on a riverfront lot, we confirm the flood zone and base flood elevation before finalizing a design, since it can change how a ground-floor addition or a rebuilt dock gets engineered.
Because most Fruit Cove houses are 20 to 50 years old rather than brand new, the work here splits between finishing an already-solid house, an addition, a kitchen or bath overhaul, converting a garage or bonus room, and the occasional system-age issue that shows up once a house passes 25 or 30 years: a roof, siding, or window replacement done as part of a larger exterior renovation rather than an emergency repair.
Common priorities in Fruit Cove
- Additions for growing or multi-generational families
- Kitchen and primary bath updates in 1990s-2000s homes
- Riverfront exterior work engineered to flood zone requirements
Services available in Fruit Cove
In Fruit Cove we handle additions, kitchen and bathroom remodels, custom interior buildouts, and exterior renovation, along with general contractor coordination on riverfront projects that need flood-zone engineering or POA approval before permitting starts.
Priority service
Home Additions in Fruit Cove
Fruit Cove's 1990s and 2000s houses are laid out for the households of that era: three bedrooms, a formal dining room nobody uses, no dedicated office. We add square footage, in-law suites, or a second story where the lot and the POA's setbacks allow it.
Priority service
Custom Interiors in Fruit Cove
Behind a Julington Creek Plantation or Fruit Cove Road facade, we open up the boxed-in floor plans that were standard in the 1990s, removing load-bearing walls to connect kitchen, dining, and living space, and reworking bonus rooms into offices or media rooms.
Priority service
Exterior Renovation in Fruit Cove
Stucco, siding, and roofing on Fruit Cove's older housing stock are reaching the point where they need more than a patch. We handle exterior renovation as a full package, from siding and roofline to trim and paint, and we account for flood zone requirements on any riverfront lot before work starts.
Interior remodeling
Kitchen Remodeling in Fruit Cove
Most kitchens we open up in Fruit Cove are original to a 1980s or 1990s build: closed off from the rest of the house, with cabinetry and layouts that don't match how families use the space now. We rebuild the layout, not just the finishes.
Interior remodeling
Bathroom Remodeling in Fruit Cove
Primary bathrooms in Fruit Cove's established subdivisions are frequently the smallest room in an otherwise generously sized house. We reconfigure the layout, not just swap fixtures, to get a primary suite that matches the rest of the home.
What to prepare before a consultation
Before a consultation, it helps to know which body governs your property, if any. If you're in Julington Creek Plantation, that's the Property Owners' Association, not the CDD, and its architectural guidelines can affect paint colors, roofing materials, additions, and anything visible from the street. If your lot is on or near the St. Johns River, check whether you're in a mapped flood zone; it's on file with St. Johns County and it shapes how we design a ground-floor addition or exterior change.
Beyond that, come with the basics: what isn't working about the space now, a rough budget range, and any timeline pressure, like a new family member or a planned move. If you have a survey, plat, or previous permit history for the house, bring it. It saves a step later and often tells us something about the lot before we ever walk it.
How Wilson & Co keeps the work clear
We design and build under one contract, so the person who draws the plan is accountable for what it costs to build it. That matters in Fruit Cove specifically because POA approval, flood zone engineering, or an older home's hidden systems can all move a budget, and we'd rather catch that before you've paid for a design you can't afford to build.
You get a single point of contact for the life of the project, from the first sketch through the final walkthrough, and a written scope before any work starts. No separate architect, no separate GC pointing fingers at each other.