Outdoor Living Contractor in Southside, Jacksonville, FL

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

Our design studio is on the Southside, so Southside homeowners are our neighbors. AY Luxury Designs designs and builds pergolas, gazebos, covered patios, screen enclosures, outdoor kitchens and fire features for homeowners from Deerwood and Baymeadows to Tamaya and Bartram Park. We handle the design, the HOA package, 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 Southside

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

Why Building in Southside Is Different

Architectural review. Many Southside homes are in planned or gated communities, such as Deerwood and Tamaya, with their own architectural review. We prepare a neighborhood-specific package with a scaled site plan, elevations, materials and 3D renderings. Confirm current guidelines with your association.

Permits. Southside 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. Southside homes range from wooded lots to newer communities with compact yards, so privacy and shade are common goals.

The EPA reports that shaded surfaces can be 20 to 45°F cooler than the peak temperatures of unshaded materials.

Local Notes for Southside Backyards

  • Gated golf and lake communities. Deerwood, Tamaya and Jacksonville Golf & Country Club are gated communities with their own review.
  • Around the Town Center. The St. Johns Town Center area and the University of North Florida anchor the Southside, with newer homes on compact lots nearby.
  • 1990s homes, ready for an update. Many Southside homes have original screen enclosures and patios that are ready to be replaced or extended.

UF/IFAS notes that lighting along walkways and driveways gives visual guidance and can add safety and value to a home.

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.

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

Our Design-Build Process

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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 Southside

We proudly serve homeowners all across Southside (32216, 32246, 32256), including Deerwood, Baymeadows, Tamaya, Bartram Park and the Town Center area, and everywhere in between. Nearby, see our pages for Mandarin, San Marco and Jacksonville Beach.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does an outdoor living project in Southside cost? It depends on the design, so there's no standard price. The main cost drivers are the size of the space; site work; materials; features like fireplaces, fire pits and screens; electrical; engineering and permits; and HOA requirements. Every AY Luxury Designs project has a $10,000 minimum, and you get a fully itemized custom quote within 24 hours of your consultation.

Do I need a permit for a gazebo, pergola or patio cover in Southside? Most attached or roofed structures need a building permit, and many freestanding ones do too, depending on size and design. The City of Jacksonville permits Southside homes. Plans are filed through JaxEPICS and reviewed for building code, zoning and fire safety before the permit is issued. We handle the permit and inspections, and every permitted structure gets its necessary engineered documents.

Do I need HOA approval for a pergola, gazebo or patio cover in Southside? In most planned communities, yes. In Southside, pergolas, covers, screen enclosures, outdoor kitchens and fire features usually need architectural review before work starts. We prepare the drawings, site plan and material and color selections your review board asks for and submit them with you. The decision is your association's, so confirm current guidelines with your association.

Do you serve Southside? Yes. In eTown, our Southside projects include a screen enclosure and an outdoor kitchen on a new paver patio, with a spot for the hot tub, seating walls and lighting. Your project starts with a design session at our Jacksonville studio, and then Amany comes to your home for the in-home design visit.

Is the Southside inside the City of Jacksonville? Yes. The Southside is part of the consolidated City of Jacksonville, so permits go through the City's JaxEPICS system.

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

Do you offer financing? Yes. We offer financing through Synchrony Bank, including 18 months of no-interest financing, and we have other financing options as well.

Ready to Design Your Southside 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

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

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Our services in Southside

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