What Is a Lanai? A Florida Homeowner's Guide

What Floridians mean by a lanai, and how to make yours bigger and better.

If you moved to Florida from somewhere else, 'lanai' might be a new word. In Florida real estate, a lanai is a covered outdoor living area attached to the house, usually under the home's roof line and often screened. It's where Floridians eat, relax and entertain for much of the year.

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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Lanai Basics

Covered. A lanai has a roof, usually continuous with the house.
Often screened. Many lanais are screened in, sometimes as part of a larger pool enclosure.
Part of the house. It typically opens from a living area through sliding doors.
Builder lanais are small. On many new homes, the lanai is just big enough for a small table.

Lanai is a Hawaiian word for a roofed porch or veranda, and Merriam-Webster dates its first known use in English to 1823.

Making Your Lanai Better

Extend it with a matching roof, a single-slope extension or an A-frame.
Finish the ceiling and add fans, lighting and a TV.
Add a fireplace or linear fire feature and an outdoor kitchen.
Screen it or extend the screen enclosure.

In Hawaii, a covered porch is simply called a lanai, Merriam-Webster notes, and the word has become a common term for covered outdoor living spaces.

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 project 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 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.

Related Projects

Screened lanai extension with new pavers, Cypress Trails (Nocatee) A screened lanai extension that pushes the living space out into the yard, finished with new pavers.

Attached A-frame lanai extension with screen enclosure, Shearwater (St. Augustine) An attached A-frame lanai extension with a wood ceiling and ceiling fans, wrapped in a bronze screen enclosure with our expanded-view upgrade, over new pavers.

Frequently Asked Questions

My builder's lanai is too small. Can it be extended? Yes. Extending a builder lanai or patio is one of our most requested projects. We design the extension to look original to the home.

Can you add ceiling fans to a pergola or patio cover? Yes. We plan fans as part of the structure, and we handle the wiring with our licensed electrical partner.

How do I deal with bugs on the patio? Screening is the most effective way to enjoy the outdoors without bugs. We can add a screen enclosure or design one into your project.