License: CGC1528872
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HOA & Property Management Service Contractor in Southwest Florida

HOA boards and property management companies have a contractor problem that doesn’t get talked about enough. If they need a roofer, HVAC tech, or electrician, they can find ten of them before lunch. But a true service contractor — one licensed and equipped to handle lake bank erosion, drainage failures, post‑storm cleanup, structural building repairs, and even simple tasks like drywall repair from a leaking window — that’s the hard part.

Universal Trax fills that gap. Because we hold a General Contractor’s license, we can take on the horizontal work, the vertical work, and the service work your community actually needs — all under one roof.

Universal Trax works directly with HOA boards, community association managers, and property management companies across Southwest Florida. We hold a Florida CGC license (CGC1528772), we carry full insurance, we provide lien waivers, and we’ve worked through the vendor pre-approval process that most community associations require before a contractor steps foot on the property. We’ve done this before. We know what the paperwork looks like and we have it ready.

Vesta

The anchor project for everything we do for HOA and community clients is the $1.8 million lake bank restoration we completed at Babcock Ranch following Hurricane Ian — a FEMA-funded disaster response project on one of the most scrutinized master-planned communities in Southwest Florida. That’s not a residential yard job. That’s licensed GC work with state and federal oversight, documentation requirements, and a community that expected it done right.

“We stay personable with every client we work with. Clear, consistent communication is a big part of how we operate. Day to day, we keep customers updated on scheduling, what’s coming next, what just wrapped up. They appreciate always knowing where their project stands.”
— Brian Cox, Owner — Universal Trax of South Florida

One Licensed GC for All Your Community’s Site Work

The problem with managing site work across an HOA or large property isn’t usually finding contractors — it’s managing four or five of them at once for work that should be handled by one. The drainage contractor doesn’t talk to the erosion control crew. The company that cleared the debris after the storm isn’t licensed to repair the culvert that failed. Each vendor needs its own certificate of insurance, its own lien waiver, its own purchase order through the management company’s approval process.

The services we provide for HOAs and property management clients include:

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Lake bank restoration and shoreline stabilization
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Erosion control — rip-rap, sod reinforcement, retaining structures
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Stormwater drainage repair, culvert replacement, and inlet installation

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Water control structure construction and repair (weirs, risers, control boxes)
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Post-storm site cleanup — debris removal, channel clearing, drainage restoration
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FEMA disaster response documentation support
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Retention pond grading and maintenance

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Community road and driveway repair — culvert installation, drive aprons

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Grounds site work — grading, drainage, erosion-prone area remediation
Universal Trax handles all of this under one CGC license. Lake bank restoration, shoreline stabilization, stormwater drainage repair, culvert installation, erosion control, post-storm site cleanup, water control structure construction — it’s all us. One company, one contract, one certificate of insurance, one lien waiver when the job is done.
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lake bank erosion control shoreline stabilization southwest florida hoa community

Lake Bank Restoration & Shoreline Stabilization

Lake bank erosion is one of the most common and most overlooked maintenance problems in Southwest Florida HOA communities. Every retention pond and lake in a community association is subject to the same forces: heavy rainfall, storm surge, wave action from wind, and the steady wear from mowing equipment operated close to the water line. Over time, banks erode. Shorelines retreat. And when a major storm comes through — like Hurricane Ian did in September 2022 — what was a gradual erosion problem becomes an emergency.

We’ve restored eroded lake banks, stabilized shorelines, and repaired drainage infrastructure across Babcock Ranch following Hurricane Ian. That project involved reinforcing eroded lake banks throughout the entire community, restoring stormwater drainage channels, and clearing debris from water management infrastructure — all as part of a FEMA-funded disaster recovery program. The documentation and compliance requirements for that project were significant. We met them.

What Lake Bank Restoration Actually Involves

Shoreline stabilization is not just laying rip-rap along a bank and calling it done. A proper lake bank restoration starts with assessing why the erosion is happening — wave action, mowing damage, soil type, outfall placement — and designing a repair that addresses the cause, not just the symptom. Depending on the site conditions, restoration can include:
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Rip-rap placement — angular stone installed at the waterline to absorb wave energy and prevent undercutting
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Sod reinforcement and erosion matting — stabilizing the upper bank above the waterline
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Retaining structures — where significant soil loss has already occurred
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Grading the bank to a stable slope before any stabilization material is placed
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Outfall inspection and repair — erosion near outfall structures is often the first failure point
The goal is a stable bank that doesn’t require the same repair again in two years. We’ve worked on enough lake banks in Southwest Florida to know what holds and what doesn’t.
Following Hurricane Ian in September 2022, Universal Trax performed lake bank restoration work throughout Babcock Ranch as part of a FEMA-funded disaster response program. Scope included reinforcing eroded lake banks across multiple community lakes, restoring stormwater drainage infrastructure, and clearing blocked drainage channels. Total project value: $1.8 million. This was licensed GC work performed under a federally-funded disaster recovery program with full documentation requirements — scope of work records, photographic documentation, cost segregation, and FEMA compliance. For HOA boards evaluating contractors for post-storm recovery or ongoing capital improvement work, this is the relevant credential: we have done this at scale, under federal oversight, at one of the most prominent communities in Southwest Florida.
🏗 Case Study 1: Babcock Ranch — Lake Bank Restoration (Hurricane Ian / FEMA)
babcock ranch lake_bank restoration

Erosion Control Services for HOAs

Erosion doesn’t just happen at the water line. Community properties in Southwest Florida deal with erosion in drainage swales, along roadway edges, on slopes behind berms, and anywhere water concentrates and moves across bare or disturbed soil. Left alone, erosion creates deeper channels, undermines infrastructure, and becomes progressively more expensive to repair.

Universal Trax provides erosion control services for HOA and property management clients that go beyond staking silt fence and hoping for the best. We assess where water is moving, why it’s cutting, and what the right fix is — whether that’s regrading a swale, installing erosion matting, placing rip-rap, or addressing a drainage problem that’s driving the erosion in the first place.

Erosion control scope for HOA clients typically includes:
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Drainage swale grading and restoration
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Rip-rap channel lining in high-velocity flow areas
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Erosion matting and turf reinforcement on slopes
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Silt fence and sediment control installation during active construction or disturbance
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Roadway edge erosion repair — particularly after heavy storm events
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Outfall erosion protection — aprons, energy dissipaters, rip-rap placement

Stormwater Drainage Infrastructure

HOA stormwater infrastructure — retention ponds, drainage pipes, culverts, control structures — doesn’t last forever. Pipes crack and collapse. Culverts corrode or get crushed. Control structures fail. In Southwest Florida, when the stormwater system isn’t working, it shows up fast during the first heavy rain of the wet season.

Universal Trax installs, repairs, and replaces stormwater drainage infrastructure for community associations. We’ve done culvert installation, inlet work, and water control structure construction across Lee, Collier, and Charlotte counties — including municipal projects for the City of Bonita Springs. That’s the same level of stormwater work applied to HOA infrastructure.

stormwater drainage contractor hoa property management southwest florida culvert repair
babcock ranch stricklin gully weir water control structure universal trax

Universal Trax constructed the Stricklin Gully Weir (CS-SG1) in Punta Gorda as part of Babcock Ranch’s environmental mitigation program. Scope included construction of a water control structure and culvert repairs to support the community’s stormwater management and environmental mitigation obligations. The project improved hydrological lift within natural preserve areas adjacent to the community — a technically complex scope that required coordination with environmental permitting requirements. For property managers and HOA boards evaluating a contractor for drainage infrastructure work, this project demonstrates our capability to build and repair the civil infrastructure that community stormwater systems depend on.

🏗 Case Study 2: Babcock Ranch — Stricklin Gully Weir (CS-SG1)

Post-Storm Cleanup & FEMA Documentation

After a major storm, HOA boards and property managers face two problems at once: the immediate cleanup work and the documentation required to recover costs through insurance or FEMA. Most contractors can handle one or the other. A licensed GC with FEMA project experience can handle both.

Universal Trax has direct experience with FEMA-funded disaster response work through the Babcock Ranch lake bank restoration project. We understand what FEMA’s documentation requirements look like — scope of work records organized by damage category, photographic documentation tied to specific locations, cost segregation between permanent work and debris removal, and compliance with FEMA’s procurement rules for contractor selection. If your community is going through a post-storm FEMA reimbursement process, having a licensed GC who has already done this is not a small thing.

Post-storm site work we handle for HOA and property management clients includes:

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Debris removal and disposal from community common areas, lakes, and drainage channels
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Emergency drainage channel clearing — removing debris blockages that cause flooding
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Lake bank emergency stabilization — stopping active erosion before permanent repairs are made
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Culvert and drainage structure inspection and emergency repair
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Scope of work documentation and photographic records to support insurance and FEMA claims
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Coordination with community association managers on the approval and documentation process

Working with HOA Boards & Property Management Companies

We’ve worked with enough community associations to understand how decisions actually get made. A board has to vote. A management company has to process the paperwork. An attorney may need to review the contract. The certificate of insurance has to match the association’s requirements. The lien waiver has to come with the final payment or the property can’t close on units until it’s cleared.

None of that is unusual to us. Here’s what HOA boards and property management companies get when they work with Universal Trax:

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A written proposal with enough detail to support a board vote — scope, schedule, and pricing clearly defined
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A current certificate of insurance meeting standard HOA and management company requirements
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Conditional and unconditional lien waivers provided with progress and final payments
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Florida CGC license CGC1528772 — publicly verifiable, no complaints on record
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Vendor registration documentation for counties that require it
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References from comparable projects — including the Babcock Ranch FEMA project — available on request
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Daily or weekly communication during active work scopes so the board and management company know what’s happening
Brian Cox has been in this business for over 20 years. He started on a handshake and built the company on the principle that when you say something is going to happen, it happens. That doesn’t change when the client is a community association instead of a developer.
HOA Boards & Property Management Companies

Service Area — HOA & Property Management

Florida CGC license CGC1528772 covers statewide work. For large HOA communities or property management portfolios outside this core area, contact us directly.

We provide HOA and property management contractor services across Southwest Florida. Active service areas include:

Fort Myers and Lee County Cape Coral Naples and Collier County Bonita Springs Babcock Ranch and Charlotte County — Anchor Project Completed Here Punta Gorda Lehigh Acres and Hendry County

Frequently Asked Questions — HOA & Property Management

What kind of site work can a licensed GC do for an HOA?
A licensed GC can handle the structural and civil work that goes beyond what a landscaping crew or handyman is qualified to do. That includes lake bank restoration, shoreline stabilization, stormwater drainage repair and installation, culvert replacement, water control structure construction, post-storm site restoration, and capital improvement projects that require a permit. Universal Trax holds Florida CGC license CGC1528772 and has completed all of these scopes for community associations in Southwest Florida.
Does Universal Trax work directly with HOA boards and property managers?
Yes. We work directly with HOA boards, community association managers, and property management companies. We understand that decisions go through a board approval process and we provide written proposals with the detail that process requires. We also carry the documentation — certificates of insurance, lien waivers, license verification — that most HOA management companies need before a contractor is approved.
What is lake bank restoration and why do HOAs need it?
Lake bank restoration is the repair and stabilization of eroded shorelines around retention ponds and community lakes. In Southwest Florida, HOA lakes erode from wave action, storm events, and mowing equipment operated near the water line. Unaddressed erosion undermines shoreline integrity, increases sediment loading, and creates liability for the association. Universal Trax completed a $1.8 million lake bank restoration at Babcock Ranch following Hurricane Ian under a FEMA disaster response program.
Can Universal Trax help with FEMA documentation after a hurricane?
Yes. We have direct experience with FEMA-funded disaster response work from the Babcock Ranch project following Hurricane Ian. FEMA reimbursement requires specific documentation — scope records, photos tied to damage locations, cost segregation between work categories, and compliance with FEMA’s procurement rules. We’ve been through that process and can assist HOA boards and property managers in navigating the documentation requirements for post-storm recovery work.
How does Universal Trax handle the paperwork requirements for HOA work?
We carry current certificates of insurance, provide conditional and unconditional lien waivers, maintain an active Florida CGC license (CGC1528772), and hold vendor registration with multiple counties in Southwest Florida. For HOA boards that require contractor pre-approval, we can provide everything the management company needs — license verification, insurance certificates, and project references — before work begins.
What is a water control structure and why does it matter for HOA communities?
A water control structure — typically a weir, riser, or control box — regulates water levels in retention ponds and community stormwater systems. These structures are critical for flood management during Southwest Florida’s wet season. When they fail or need replacement, the work requires a licensed contractor with civil site experience. Universal Trax constructed the Stricklin Gully Weir at Babcock Ranch as part of an environmental mitigation program — that’s the relevant credential for HOA boards evaluating a contractor for this type of work.

Talk to Us About Your Community’s Site Work

If your HOA or managed property has erosion issues, drainage problems, post-storm damage, or a capital improvement project that needs a licensed GC — we’d like to hear about it. We work directly with boards and property managers, we have the documentation ready, and we don’t make the approval process harder than it needs to be.

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