Outdoor Living Builder in St. Johns County, FL

Outdoor living design-build across St. Johns County, from the first AutoCAD sketch to the final inspection.

St. Johns County is where most of our work happens: master-planned communities like Nocatee, RiverTown and SilverLeaf, golf and gated neighborhoods in Ponte Vedra Beach, and coastal and historic homes around St. Augustine. Almost every one of them has architectural review, and our founder speaks regularly to students at Tocoi Creek High School in the county. AY Luxury Designs designs and builds outdoor living spaces for homeowners all across St. Johns County, and we handle the design, the HOA paperwork, the permits and the build, so you get less chores and more chill.

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

Where We Work in St. Johns County

We serve homeowners across St. Johns County, including Ponte Vedra Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fruit Cove, St. Augustine, World Golf Village. Each city page covers that area's HOA and permit details.

The CDC recommends using screens and repairing holes in them to keep mosquitoes outdoors.

Outdoor Living Services in St. Johns County

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.

Pergolas ranked among the most popular outdoor structures in a national survey of residential landscape architects by ASLA.

Permits in St. Johns County

St. Johns County requires a building permit for most improvements before work begins and, in most cases, issues a clearance sheet before it accepts the building permit application. For most permitted projects, a recorded Notice of Commencement is required before the first inspection. Homes inside the City of St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach are permitted by those cities. Every permitted structure gets its necessary engineered documents, and we pull the permits and schedule the inspections. See our St. Johns County permits guide for more.

Why AY Luxury Designs

You design it with the founder. Amany Youssef designs every project with you in person and stays involved through the final walkthrough.
We manage every step, from design to final inspection. We handle the AutoCAD design, the HOA paperwork, the engineering, the permits and the build. We handle electrical work with our licensed electrical partner, and gas and plumbing with our licensed trade partners.
Built for Florida. Every permitted structure gets its necessary engineered documents.
A Nextdoor Neighborhood Favorite.

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 St. Johns County or city 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.

Recent Projects in St. Johns County

A-frame gazebo, screen room with linear fireplace and lighted seat walls, Stillwater (St. Johns) An A-frame gazebo joined to a composite-roof screen enclosure over an extended patio. Inside, a lighted linear fireplace in a stone wall and a ceiling fan; outside, lighted seat walls on new pavers.

Composite-roof screen room with fireplace and two outdoor kitchens, St. Augustine A large composite-roof screen room with our expanded-view upgrade, a warm wood ceiling and a motorized retractable screen. Inside, a linear fireplace in stone veneer with a TV anchors the room, with two outdoor kitchens and a stone hot tub build-up, and lighting ties the whole backyard together at night.

Cedar gazebo, screen enclosure and outdoor kitchen, The Coves (Sawgrass Players Club) An expansive A-frame cedar gazebo tied into the home's roofline, with a linear gas fireplace and TV wall, inside a screen enclosure with our expanded-view upgrade, over marble laid in a French pattern with an outdoor kitchen and a new door opening into the house.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does an outdoor living project in St. Johns County 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; materials and engineering for coastal wind and salt air; 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 pergola, gazebo or patio cover in St. Johns County? Most attached or roofed structures need a building permit, and many freestanding ones do too, depending on size and design. St. Johns County notifies registered architectural review associations automatically when exterior work is filed, so your HOA is part of the process from the start. We handle the permit and inspections, and every permitted structure gets its necessary engineered documents.

How do I look up permits on my property in St. Johns County? St. Johns County has an online permit search (https://www.sjcfl.us/permit-status/). We handle the filing and tracking for our projects and keep you updated, so you don't have to.

Do I need HOA approval for a pergola, gazebo or patio cover in St. Johns County? In most planned communities, yes. In St. Johns County, 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 St. Johns County? Yes. In Settlers Landing, Nocatee, our St. Johns County projects include a screen enclosure, an outdoor kitchen and a fire pit on a new paver patio, with a spot for the hot tub, seating walls and lighting. We start with a design session at our Jacksonville studio, and Amany then visits your home to finalize the design with you.

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 St. Johns County 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