By Leslie Benson

The troubled adolescent girls living in Brookwood Florida Central likely have no clue they have a benefactor in local contractor David Coulter. But the discounts he provides to keep the century-old campus up to code not only keeps a roof over their heads, but also helps keep their program viable.

Brookwood, a therapeutic group home for neglected, abused or homeless girls between ages 12 and 19, opened in St. Petersburg, Fla., in 1927, but many of its buildings date back to 1904. Property manager David Bequeret says the repairs needed to keep the campus in working order would typically cost the nonprofit hundreds of thousands of dollars, but Coulter does the work at reduced costs.

"We found David Coulter on Angie's List in 2002," Bequeret says. "He's been the lowest bidder since!"

Coulter, owner of highly rated Coulter Construction Inc. in Pinellas Park, replaced the roof and flooring in February for $57,000 — half of what it should have cost, according to Bequeret.

"With the money we've saved, we've been able to use the extra funds to take in more girls," he says, adding that staffers have also used the funds for fun outings, such as taking the girls camping and to Clearwater Beach to swim.

Whether he's fixing holes in a wall or tightening floorboards, Coulter slips in free projects, time and materials to shave costs off Brookwood's contracts.

"It's our policy to help out where we can to show our appreciation for what we have," Coulter says.

Raised by a family of remodelers, Coulter started his business in 1998, several years after graduating high school.

"There were plenty of obstacles to overcome through the ups and downs of the economy," he says. "I literally had to learn to crawl before I could walk."

That's exactly what Brookwood has had to do since opening its doors more than 80 years ago. The facility relies heavily on state funding to care for its residents.

"Based on our 2010 budget, the state gave us $385,000 to support these children," says research and development manager Diane Sunden. "Medicaid contributed $382,000, and we received additional funding from the United Way, grants and family fees."

But with as many as 150 girls enrolled last year in the program's three branches, including in Coral Springs and North Fort Myers, Sunden says it's just not enough. Relying on the services of good-natured contractors like Coulter, she says, helps the program survive.

Not only has Coulter remodeled outdated bedrooms on the campus by replacing worn carpets and ceilings, he's also repainted each building. After a fire destroyed the north suite in the main house at Brookwood in 2008, Coulter salvaged and rebuilt the rooms.

Recently, he's spent time building a new computer lab to hold donated iMac computers, which will allow the girls to do research, creative writing and social networking.

Some of Brookwood's staff think so highly of Coulter's skills they've hired him to remodel their own homes.

"The quality of Coulter's work shows he cares," Bequeret says. "He has a heart of gold."

To volunteer or donate services and nonperishable goods to Brookwood Florida Central or its sister locations, go to brookwoodflorida.org.