Outdoor Living Contractor in Riverside, Jacksonville, FL

Backyards for Riverside homes, designed in person with you in AutoCAD. We manage every step, from permit to final walkthrough.

Riverside's historic homes deserve outdoor rooms that look like they've always been there. AY Luxury Designs designs pergolas, covered patios, screened porches, outdoor kitchens and fire features for homeowners in Riverside, sized and placed to suit the house and the Riverside Avondale Historic District. We handle the design, the Certificate of Appropriateness application, the City of Jacksonville permits and the build.

AY Luxury Designs LLC · Certified Building Contractor CBC1268168 · Amany Youssef: Registered Building Contractor RB29003947 · Registered Electrical Contractor ER13016631 · Registered Underground Utility & Excavation Contractor RU11066663

Book a Consultation · Call (904) 629-8803

Outdoor Living Services in Riverside

Every project is custom designed for your lot, your home's architecture and your neighborhood's guidelines.

Pergolas and Louvered Pergolas: open or adjustable shade, attached or freestanding.
Gazebos and A-Frame Gazebos: solid-roof outdoor rooms, freestanding or attached to your house.
Covered Patio Extensions and Lanai Extensions: more covered living space that looks original to the house.
Screen Enclosures: patio and pool enclosures that keep bugs out without losing the view.
Outdoor Kitchens and Summer Kitchens: you choose the layout and finishes, with the electrical handled with our licensed electrical partner and the gas and plumbing connections made by our licensed trade partners.
Outdoor Fireplaces, Fire Pits and Linear Fire Features
Pavers & Patios and Seat Walls
Outdoor Lighting, Fans & Heaters and Outdoor Electrical, handled with our licensed electrical partner.
3D Backyard Design: see the whole backyard before anything is built.

Why Building in Riverside Is Different

Historic review comes first. Riverside is part of the Riverside Avondale Historic District, where exterior work needs a Certificate of Appropriateness from the City before the building permit, even for some work not visible from the street. We design additions to be compatible with the house and prepare the application with scaled drawings, materials and 3D renderings. The decision is the City's, so we build the review time into your schedule.

Permits. Riverside is inside the consolidated City of Jacksonville, so permits are filed through JaxEPICS and reviewed by building, zoning and the fire marshal. A Notice of Commencement is required for most permitted projects. See our Duval County permit guide.

The setting. Historic homes on narrow, tree-lined lots mean additions should be compatible with the house, placed on the least visible side and sized to the lot.

Exterior lighting is one of the most-wanted home features, rated essential or desirable by 82% of buyers in NAHB's buyer study.

Local Notes for Riverside Backyards

Five Points and the Riverside Arts Market. Five Points is Riverside's historic commercial corner, and the Riverside Arts Market runs under the Fuller Warren Bridge on Saturdays.
Memorial Park on the river. Memorial Park, designed by the Olmsted Brothers firm and dedicated in the 1920s, is the neighborhood's riverfront centerpiece.
Rebuilt after 1901. Much of Riverside grew up after Jacksonville's Great Fire of 1901, so homes range from Victorian to bungalow to Prairie style.

UF/IFAS lists a tree, an umbrella or a pergola as ways to get daytime shade in an outdoor living space.

Who Builds Your Project

AY stands for Amany Youssef, the founder who designs every project with you and stays personally involved through the final walkthrough. Amany came to the United States as a young child, grew up in Jacksonville, graduated from the University of Florida, and earned her Florida building contractor license. When she did, she became the youngest female licensed building contractor in Florida at the time. Today she leads an experienced team of designers, project managers and builders.

Amany is a member of Professional Women in Building, a council of the Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA), and serves as co-chair of its STEM committee. In St. Johns County, she speaks regularly to students at Tocoi Creek High School about careers in construction, and AY Luxury Designs takes on Tocoi Creek students as interns.

Our Design-Build Process

Design session with Amany. Your project starts at our Jacksonville design studio, where you sit down with founder Amany Youssef and watch your backyard take shape live on screen in AutoCAD.
Free AutoCAD design and a custom quote. You get to-scale 3D renderings and a fully itemized custom quote within 24 hours of your consultation, so you know exactly what you're getting.
In-home design visit. Amany comes to your home for an in-person walkthrough, so we look at the project together where you're most comfortable, finalize the details and choose your colors and finishes.
Engineering, HOA and permits handled. We get the necessary engineered documents for every permitted structure, prepare your HOA/ARB package and pull the City of Jacksonville permits.
Build. We can start most projects within two to four weeks. Our crews follow a build process we've refined over many projects, and you get daily updates.
The AY Advantage. You hold back the final 5% for seven days after completion, so we can take care of any touch-ups before you sign off.

Financing is available through Synchrony Bank, including 18 months of no-interest financing, and we have other financing options as well.

Areas We Serve in Riverside

We proudly serve homeowners all across Riverside (32204, 32205), including the Riverside Avondale Historic District, Five Points and the riverfront, and everywhere in between. Nearby, see our pages for Avondale, San Marco and Jacksonville.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does an outdoor living project in Riverside cost? Every project gets a custom quote with an in-person AutoCAD design, and every AY Luxury Designs project has a $10,000 minimum. What drives the cost of an outdoor living project in Riverside: the size of the space; materials; features like fireplaces, fire pits and screens; electrical; engineering and permits; HOA requirements; and site work. You get a fully itemized quote within 24 hours of your design consultation.

Do I need a permit for a gazebo, pergola or patio cover in Riverside? Most attached or roofed structures need a building permit in Duval County, and many freestanding ones do too, depending on size and design. We pull the permits for you, and every permitted structure gets its necessary engineered documents.

Do you serve Riverside? Yes, we serve homeowners in Riverside and throughout Northeast Florida. Your project starts with a design session at our Jacksonville studio, and then Amany comes to your home for the in-home design visit.

Does a backyard pergola in Riverside need historic approval? In the Riverside Avondale Historic District, most exterior work, including many backyard structures, needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before the permit. Some items get staff approval. We check and prepare the application.

How soon can my project start? We can start most projects within two to four weeks, depending on the project's scope.

Do you offer financing? Yes. Along with 18 months of no-interest financing through Synchrony Bank, we have other financing options available.

Ready to Design Your Riverside Backyard?

Book your in-person design session with Amany and see your project in AutoCAD before anything is built.

Call (904) 629-8803 or book a consultation. Design studio: 8917 Western Way, Suite 7, Jacksonville, FL 32256 · Monday–Friday, 10am–5pm

Our services in Riverside

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Outdoor Living Builder in Duval County, FL