Adding on space to existing home.
 

We have a small long-shaped patio along the back of our house. The patio is on a cement slab. We originally had a large tree behind the house which kept us from building out. The tree was removed four years and the ground has mostly settled. Now we have space to create a sunroom.

We are thinking to expand the enclosed lanai at the back of our house into the patio space, creating a larger sunroom with storm windows. The final size of the addition roughly
18' x 8'. We don't have a large back yard so this is as much addition as we can do.

1. Have you used or heard of a contractor/builder and had good results? Would you recommend them?

2. What things should we watch out for in picking a builder?

Many thanks for any help you can provide.

Don't assume that a concrete patio slab is appropriate to build a room onto. You may need to remove the concrete and start over. Room additions are very expensive.

Have a conversation with ARC before you get too far. No fun to have to take down construction

Best if they have their own crews.......easier for them to control.

Should ask who their Subs are and make sure you check reviews on them as well.

Get their best-guess on start and complete dates............they won't hit, but you will have an idea.

Request insurance certificates.

Have them get ARC approval, but require you get a copy of approval.


Obviously get two or three estimates.

Thank you all for offering your valuable advice.

Thanks so much!

Get a copy of your plat plan and double check all of the setbacks and right of way restrictions, for example the rear of our house has 20 foot right of way (aka NO permanent construction in that area). Irrigation lines will need to be moved, live water lines are not allowed under concrete pads. Think about what you want to do for the roof, our CDD restriction actually state the angle of the roof. There are a lot of details that need to be discussed, once you have some information, you might actually consider a discussion with the county building inspector. I agree with the above comment that this will be expensive.

Thanks so much!

Kudoo's to you, one of the few who actually answered the posted question, others seemed to only tell the person to do this or that, check with the ARC department, etc. But you actually gave good advice. I might add one tip, CALL the state's toll free number personally AFTER the contractor gives you their insurance and license numbers. We had the interesting experience of taking those off the contractor's van and card.... they WERE real numbers, trouble is the license was issued and NEVER renewed... the contractor had simply bought a number to use and then never kept it in force. State said they ONLY send reminders, they do not make personal visits to force contractors to keep their license and insurance in force.... so beware !

Thank you!

I have never been brave enough to attempt what you are contemplating, but I have used Doc's Restorations for a much smaller project and would highly recommend them. Or at least call them to see if this is something they would quote, and if they won't, maybe they will refer you to another reputable contractor/builder. Doc's is not the cheapest, but they do a great job and you will be happy with the result. Best of luck to you. It sounds like this will be a nice addition to your home.
Doc's Restorations: Home Improvement & Handyman serving The Villages and Surrounding Cities

Contractor
 

HarborTown Homes, RIck Anderson at (352) 448-0088. We added a master closet 18x10, 3 years ago, extended the roof, etc. He is excellent. He does all the permits, inspections,e tc…and I have used him several times. He will handle it all. I wanted to do another project and he advised me I couldnt because of the property line and what was required…he also added some windows into my house, etc…great company and works great with you. Another plus is he bills weekly, usually Mondays, for the work done the previous week. HE doesnt required a down payment, you pay as you go. He is great. Good luck…

Don’t use anyone who requires any money up front. Far to many unscrupulous contractors out there.

Thanks for this post. He sounds great. I will keep his name in mind and request a quote from him if the need ever arises.

Addition
 

Melton Construction is the best. He has his own crew and his subscribers have been working with him for years.

JPI Construction...352 748 6467 office 4414 CR 124A Wildwoood,FL 34785 .Highly recommend .... After much thought we decided to replace our small Launi with a room addition, which became part of the house, in other words no step down. Large glass windows on two of the walls...received bids from three companies... Not only did JPI come to our home with their bid, but they had also already prepared drawings of the sketch of what we wanted. Their bid was significantly lower than the other bids. Project lasted a little longer than excepted because of weather issues...but we are 100% satisfied with the finished project. Note# we receive nothing for this recommendation. In our experience, we think you can count on JPI Construction to do a great job for quality and cost.

Twice with previous homes we wanted to do additions. By the time we worked it out with contractors and all the zoning, we were going to end up with a very expensive odd shaped room. In both instances we decided to sell what we had and just buy a bigger house.
It sounds like you have some good recommendations so far. Good Luck with whatever you decide to

Reliable Contractor
 

I highly recommend: Demetri Homes & Remodeling Portfolio

They provide overall services from general contracting to construction and cleanup.

Their work is of utmost quality and is done by the book. They file for the necessary permits and work with the Villages Architectual Change Approval offices.

See their website for more info.

Adding an enclosed space
 

First obtain a set of drawings for your house.

I was able to get the plans from Sumter County building department by going to the office (Pinellas plaza), they sent them to me by email, in PDF format.

Then look at the set back requirements for your site. On older homes North of SR 44 Sumter County has reduced the rear setback from 10 feet to 7 feet. That would allow your new room to be 10 feet deep. That makes a huge difference in terms of what furniture will fit.

Expect to remove the existing patio slab even if you cannot increase the room to 10 feet. The addition will need to carry the weight of the new walls and roof.

If your new slab is raised to match your existing floors it will increase your taxable square footage and trigger a tax reassessment.

Converting an existing lanai is much less expensive as the foundation and roof are already in place.

T&D did our lanai expansion. We opted for a 6’ privacy wall topped by a birdcage that attached to the house. Very pleased with resulting “courtyard”. Excellent work all through project.

We expanded and enclosed our lanai. It included building up the concrete slab to match the height of the house, adding a mini-split AC/heater system and five 60"x60" sliding windows. Before we ever interviewed a contractor, I created a list of required actions, so all the contractors bid on exactly the same requirements. We used that requirements list and submitted the ARC request.

You'd be amazed at the difference in the quotes. They varied from approximately $18,000 from the cheapest to the most expensive. Once we narrowed down the finalists, we checked them through Seniors vs. Crime and the Better Business Bureau. We ultimately selected DnJ Construction Inc. (352-267-5684) as the contractor of choice. We then negotiated minor changes to the requirements list with them. Several requested changes were free. We had the revised requirements list made as an addendum to the contract with the contractor.

If you would like a copy of my requirements list, DM me with your email address.

Demetri Homes and Remodeling
 

We had Demetri add a golf cart garage, store room, and extra closet just before the pandemic and were very satisfied

As a retired contractor I always gave a referral list that had current work done in same year and also ones that had work done up to five yrs old. That’s the important thing, what their work looks like pass first yr

I sent you a private message. I am in desperate need of your required list. I would so appreciate you emailing that to me. Thank you Reenie Gilbert.

We used JPI to convert/expand original lanai into enclosed sunroom, including new roof, foundation, and lanai. Call 734-453-4094 for details and coordinate to view the addition. Completed in 2023.

Just a tip… if you press/tap Reply rather than Quick Reply, your comment will include a quote from the comment you’re replying to. :)

Thanks so much everyone for your advice, referral, and the wonderful information!

We used Corban Construction Company. Michael Holland was the Project Manager. They supply all the workers from the cement pourers, framers, electrician, roofers, painters, etc. 352-357-1787
We added on an 18 x 30 room. It was expensive, but to us it was worth it. We could not use the cement that was there. The ground is inspected and new cement is poured. We also had to repitch the back of the roof. Inspectors came and signed an OK every step of the project. It is our favorite room in the house. Again, it was expensive, but we love it.

Thank You everyone!

When we wanted to add an enclosed area to use as a golf cart garage approximately 12x14 basically 2 walls and a cart garage door, roof and with only a little electric the prices were so outrageous we said forget it. This was two years ago and I doubt that prices have gone down.

Good Luck

T&D did our addition and would not recommend to anyone.

Thanks again for all the wonderful information!