Patio Lanais & Sunrooms in West Palm Beach

Many West Palm Beach homes are older block houses with older roof lines, and that, plus long wet seasons, shapes how a patio enclosure should be built here. Preventive Maintenance builds insulated aluminum lanais, conventional wood-and-concrete lanais, and air-conditioned additions in West Palm Beach. We inspect first, because how a new structure ties into an older roof and slab decides the design, the cost, and the schedule. We handle plans, permits, and common HOA notices.

Older homes and tie-in details

West Palm Beach has a wide mix of housing, from older neighborhoods with block homes and smaller patios to newer subdivisions. With an older home, three issues come up most often.

The roof tie-in. A new lanai or addition has to connect to the existing house. We use a ledger, or joists and trusses on the tie-beam, depending on what your home has. In an older house, we may need to verify the framing before deciding which method works, and the new roof has to shed water away from the old one.

The slab. Older patio slabs can be thin, cracked, or pitched the wrong way. A slab that was fine for a patio table may not suit a roofed structure. Some covered patios here sit on pavers, which usually need to be evaluated or replaced first.

Heavy rain and drainage. West Palm Beach gets long, heavy wet seasons. Gutters, roof slope, and where water goes after it leaves the roof matter, especially on lower lots.

If your home is in an area with historic or design review, tell us early. Extra review can add time, and it is easier to plan for than to discover midway.

Which option fits

Aluminum lanai if you want shade, rain protection, and fewer insects at the lowest cost. It has an insulated aluminum roof and screen or impact-glass walls.

Conventional lanai if you want construction that looks and feels more like the main house.

Addition if you want a real room: air-conditioned and insulated, with a flat TPO or sloped concrete tile roof and full electrical.

Not sure? Compare them in Lanai vs Sunroom: Which Should You Build?.

Cost

Our figures: aluminum lanai about $52 per square foot and conventional lanai about $65 per square foot on an existing concrete slab; addition about $250 per square foot; new home about $350 per square foot. Typical sizes run 12' x 20' to 20' x 20', and custom sizes are available.

As an illustrated example only, a 12' x 20' (240 sf) space works out to about $12,480 for an aluminum lanai, $15,600 for a conventional lanai, and $60,000 for an addition. A 20' x 20' (400 sf) space works out to about $20,800, $26,000, and $100,000. These are not quotes.

Converting an existing patio into a room has no single price per square foot. On an older West Palm Beach home, the biggest swing factors are whether the existing roof and slab can stay, plus glass, insulation, electric, AC, and any review delays. See the patio to sunroom cost guide.

Permits, HOA, and wind

We prepare the plans, apply for the permit, and file common HOA notices. We hold 5 state contractor licenses and EPS licenses, and structural, electrical, and HVAC work should be left to licensed professionals. Palm Beach County is outside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, which covers Broward and Miami-Dade, but wind and rain still shape the design, and we confirm requirements for your property at inspection. More in Sunroom Permits, HOA & HVHZ in South Florida.

We also serve Jupiter, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, and Boca Raton, plus Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Pembroke Pines in Broward County. See Home Additions in Palm Beach & Broward.