Built on Family Values, Driven by Excellence
Universal Contracting Services was born from a young couple's determination and a promise to start a general contracting company that puts the customer first. After graduating high school, getting married, and moving to Tampa, Hidie and Jairo Arias opened their contracting company with little more than ambition and a shared vision.
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"A lot of people were saying we were never gonna make it, getting married so young," Hidie recalls. "We really wanted to prove everyone wrong."
Twenty years later, we're still here, still working side by side, and we've built something we're incredibly proud of, a team, great clientele and a large portfolio of completed projects.
A Name That Reflects Who We Are
When we were choosing a name for our company, we wanted something meaningful. "The reason we chose Universal was because I'm Egyptian and Jairo is Costa Rican, and the word universe kind of encompasses all of that."
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From day one, we brought our different backgrounds together to create something special. I handle the business side, invoicing, operations, and licensing, while Jairo manages the field work and crews. That partnership is still at the heart of everything we do.
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Today, with over 20 years of experience serving Florida, we've become a trusted partner for multifamily construction, residential and commercial renovations, and roofing throughout the Tampa Bay area and surrounding Florida communities.
Certified Vendor #35214
Certified Vendor #847890
Trusted Vendor
Pro Certified
You're Family to Us
Here's the truth: "We are very passionate about our customers—they are family to us. We're not here to take advantage of them because we relate to when people are in need." During hurricane season, we saw so many out-of-state contractors swoop in and take advantage of vulnerable homeowners. It broke our hearts. We were called in to fix their mistakes, and we did, because that's what family does.​
"One thing Jairo and I both really love about our business is that we enjoy solving problems. Not every project is the same. That never happens in construction," explains Hidie. When challenges come up—and they always do—we don't walk away. We work through them with you until we find the right solution.
Experience You Can Trust
I'm not just a business owner, I'm a licensed general contractor with a bachelor's degree in business (with minors in finance and marketing), an associate's degree as a paralegal, and years of experience as a bank manager with Bank of America. I earned my contractor's license by passing that grueling 11-hour exam in Orlando, and I was the only one in my study group who passed.
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"I'm always determined to better myself and my family, and I don't just give up," says Hidie.
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That same determination shows up in every project we take on.
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"We love to see a project come alive as we are working on it and we take a lot of pride in our work," explains Hidie.
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Whether it's a complete multifamily renovation, roofing repair, exterior work, or a custom home build, we put our hearts into it.
A Team That's Been With Us From the Start
We've built an incredible team over the years, and many of our subcontractors have been with us for two decades. "We've had a lot of competitors trying to steal them, but they never leave us," explains Hidie. “I'm proud to say,they call us to tell us who tried to lure them away and say, 'We said no, we give you all of our trust.'"
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We earn that loyalty by treating everyone with respect and making sure every team member feels valued. "We built this team from the very beginning and we always make sure that they're all involved. We want to see everyone succeed."
Our Promise to You
When people ask what sets us apart, Hidie always says the same thing: "Quality work, honest communication, and perfect execution. And by perfect execution, I mean the customer is 100% satisfied at the completion of a project."
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When you work with Universal Contracting Services, you're not just hiring a contractor, you're partnering with our family. We'll communicate with you every step of the way, stand by our promises, and treat your project like it's our own. Because honestly? To us, it is.
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Let's build something great together.