Patio Lanais & Sunrooms in Delray Beach
What you can build in Delray Beach depends heavily on where your home sits. Closer to the beach and the Intracoastal, salt air, wind, flood rules, and smaller lots drive the design; farther west, it looks more like a typical South Florida community project. Preventive Maintenance builds insulated aluminum lanais, conventional lanais, and air-conditioned additions in Delray Beach, and we handle plans, permits, and common HOA notices after an on-site inspection.
Key Takeaways
Near the coast versus farther west
Closer to the beach and Intracoastal. Salt air is harder on fasteners, hardware, and finishes, and wind-driven rain finds weak seals. We specify aluminum framing, corrosion-resistant fasteners, and impact-rated glass, and we pay attention to flashing. Some of these properties are in mapped flood zones, where a fully enclosed, conditioned room can be treated differently from a screened lanai. We check that early.
Smaller, older lots. Many homes near the coast sit on smaller lots. Setbacks and lot-coverage limits can restrict how far a lanai or addition can extend, so we confirm what fits before we design anything. If your property falls under design or historic review, that can add time too.
Farther west. In newer communities, the process looks more like other Palm Beach County neighborhoods: HOA review is common, and the main questions are roof matching, appearance, and schedule.
Either way, humid summers and afternoon storms are the norm, so roof drainage and ventilation planning matter.
Which option fits
Aluminum lanai: an insulated aluminum roof with screen or impact glass, the lowest-cost way to get shade and rain protection.
Conventional lanai: wood-and-concrete construction for a closer match to the house.
Addition: air-conditioned living space with a flat TPO or sloped concrete tile roof, tied into the house with a ledger, or with joists and trusses on the tie-beam.
For a side-by-side look, read Lanai vs Sunroom: Which Should You Build?.
Cost
Our figures are about $52 per square foot for an aluminum lanai and about $65 per square foot for a conventional lanai on an existing concrete slab, about $250 per square foot for an addition, and about $350 per square foot for a new home. Typical sizes are 12' x 20' to 20' x 20', and custom sizes are available.
Illustrated examples, not quotes: 240 sf (12' x 20') comes to about $12,480 as an aluminum lanai, $15,600 as a conventional lanai, or $60,000 as an addition. 400 sf (20' x 20') comes to about $20,800, $26,000, or $100,000.
Turning an existing patio into a room has no fixed price per square foot. Near the coast, flood-zone requirements, impact glass, and corrosion-resistant materials are common cost drivers, along with the slab, roof, insulation, electric, AC, and any review delay. The patio to sunroom cost guide covers each factor.
Permits, HOA, and wind
We prepare the plans, handle the permit, and file common HOA notices. We hold 5 state contractor licenses and EPS licenses, and structural, electrical, and HVAC work should be done by licensed professionals. Delray Beach is in Palm Beach County, outside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone that covers Broward and Miami-Dade, but coastal wind and rain still shape the design, and we confirm requirements for your address. See Sunroom Permits, HOA & HVHZ in South Florida.
We also serve Jupiter, West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, and Boca Raton, plus Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Pembroke Pines in Broward County. See Home Additions in Palm Beach & Broward.


