Building A Sunroom Addition Onto My Florida Home

How to Plan the Perfect Sunroom Addition for Your Florida Home

A sunroom isn’t just an extension of your home. It’s part of your lifestyle. And in Florida, where sunshine and storms are both part of the deal, building a sunroom addition takes more than a basic plan. It takes the right materials, smart orientation, and a builder who knows the climate.

At Lifestyle Remodeling, we specialize in designing and building high-performance sunrooms using premium materials tailored to Florida’s climate. We’re also Florida’s exclusive TEMO distributor for the Tampa area. That means you get access to systems other contractors can’t offer, with better engineering and longer-lasting results.

From design to installation, our focus is on quality, durability, and long-term comfort. If you’re wondering how to plan a sunroom addition that’s worth the investment, this step-by-step guide covers the essentials for a seamless addition to your home!

First, What Do You Want This Room to Do?

Before anything else, ask yourself: what are you building this space for?

That answer shapes every decision that follows. The best sunroom addition is built around your actual lifestyle. A sunroom meant for quiet mornings with coffee and books looks very different from a light-filled dining area designed to host six people on game night. If you’re picturing something bright and breezy, more like an extension of your patio, a Florida room or patio enclosure might be the better call. However, if you want a space that can be closed off, cooled, and used as a functional part of the home year-round, you’re probably referring to a three-season or four-season sunroom.

Understanding how you’ll use the space helps define size, layout, materials, and even which direction the room should face.

Know the Differences: Sunroom, Florida Room, Patio Enclosure

These terms get used interchangeably, but they’re not quite the same. A sunroom is a fully enclosed, climate-conscious space with insulated walls, tempered glass, and a roof system that’s designed to perform like the rest of your house.

A Florida room addition might be more integrated into the home’s layout (for example, part sun room, part family room, or what’s called a “bonus” room).

A patio enclosure usually goes under an existing roof or lanai and uses a glass wall system to convert that covered space into something more functional.

We install all of them—and more! These are just a few of our most popular choices. All three are solid options depending on your home’s layout, your local HOA rules, and your budget.

Orientation Matters More Than You Think

In Florida, natural light sources matter more than most homeowners expect. A south-facing sunroom in Florida gets direct sun all day long. That might sound ideal for energy efficiency, but for many homeowners, it means high afternoon heat and furniture that fades fast. East-facing rooms get morning light, which is easier to manage, while west-facing rooms soak up the late-day heat. North-facing? Less light, but more consistent temperatures.

There’s no right answer here, just preference. If you like the idea of bright light but want to avoid the heat, high-performance glass makes a big difference.

Choosing the Right Glass for Your Florida Sunroom

In Florida, the right glass and sunroom window system can make the difference between a sunroom that’s comfortable year-round and one that overheats, leaks, or fades fast. Not all sunroom systems are made for this climate. We’ve seen low-end acrylic windows, DIY kits, and lightweight frames that fall apart in a year. While style, polish, and comfort are vital to your sunroom, it’s also essential to ensure that any sunroom materials withstand heat, humidity, and storms.

At Lifestyle Remodeling, we don’t use off-the-shelf window products or thin acrylic panels. Every sunroom we build is fitted with high-performance glass and insulated wall systems, custom-engineered to handle Florida’s unique climate with structural integrity.

Here’s what sets our glass systems apart.

High-Performance Safety Glass

We use TEMO’s high-performance HPG Cool Glass®, which is up to four times stronger than standard glass. It’s tempered for safety and impact resistance, an essential feature for Florida homes exposed to harsh sun, high humidity, and storm potential.

UV Protection Without Tint

Our multi-layered, soft-coat glass blocks more than 90% of harmful UV rays, reducing solar heat gain while protecting your furniture, flooring, and skin. Unlike older systems, this advanced glass doesn’t require tinting or aftermarket film, which can darken the room and alter the view.

Double-Pane Insulated Glass

Every window in your sunroom can be upgraded with argon- or krypton-filled double-pane glass for maximum insulation to maintain indoor comfort and reduce noise. This is ideal if you’re creating a sunroom that blends into your main living areas.

Premier View Sliding Windows

For homeowners who want floor-to-ceiling views and natural ventilation, our PremierView window system delivers. With 80-inch-tall sashes and smooth-glide operation, they bring the outdoors in, minus the bugs and overheating.

Seamless Window Wall Integration

• TEMO’s Window Wall System features:
• Removable memory screens for airflow and easy cleaning
• Glass transoms that give you floor-to-ceiling views
• Full-view swing doors with deadbolt security
• Thermal break aluminum framing to stop heat transfer

Whether you’re building a cathedral-style sunroom with large windows or a modern Florida room addition, every system we install is designed to withstand the heat, humidity, and UV exposure, delivering absolute comfort, efficiency, and peace of mind.

How Big Should Your Sunroom Be? Layout, Size, and Style

It depends on the purpose and available space, but the size of your sunroom also comes down to proportion. A small sunroom off a large home can look like an afterthought. Conversely, a sunroom too large for a compact house might overwhelm the layout.

Pro Tip: A poorly planned sunroom that clashes with your home’s style or feels like an obvious afterthought can actually harm your property value, regardless of how much you spend on materials.

Roof style plays a role, too. You’ll hear a lot about “studio” vs. “cathedral” sunrooms. Studio-style sunrooms have a single slope roof and blend into most home designs without drawing attention. Cathedral styles are more dramatic, with vaulted ceilings and more volume. One isn’t better than the other; they just fit different aesthetics and layouts.

We also build enclosures under existing structures, which can save time and budget. The key is matching the build to the rest of your house so it doesn’t feel like an afterthought. This means considering your home’s existing rooflines, window styles, exterior materials, and overall architectural character when planning your sunroom’s size and design.

Flooring: What Works, What Doesn’t

In Florida’s heat and humidity, material choices for flooring matter. We always recommend ceramic or porcelain tile—cool underfoot, low-maintenance, and resistant to moisture.

Skip hardwood (it warps), carpet (it traps moisture and stains), and laminate (doesn’t hold up over time). If you’re investing in a sunroom, the floor should be just as durable as the frame and glass. Tile is our top recommendation. Ceramic or porcelain tile will outlast and outshine anything else in this space.

Electrical, Creature Comforts, and Extras

Modern sunrooms aren’t just breezy boxes—they’re wired, insulated, and functional. Our builds can include:

• Ceiling fans or modern lighting
• Outlets for TVs, devices, or smart controls
• Optional independent climate systems (not always necessary)

We run electrical wiring through built-in raceways, keeping your walls clean to minimize exposed wires or makeshift conduit.

Permits, Timeline, and Average Costs

Every city and HOA in Florida has its own process, but generally, once permits are approved and materials come in, most sunroom additions take between one and three weeks on-site to build. We manage the entire process—design, engineering, necessary permitting, HOA approvals, inspections, and installation—so you’re stress-free during the entire process. Our crews are professional, factory-trained, respectful of your property, and are familiar with local Florida building code requirements.

We love to give accurate quotes. For that reason, there’s no one-size-fits-all number for costs. Pricing depends on materials, layout, tie-ins, size, design elements, and site conditions. That’s why we offer free consultations, so you know what materials are being used and recommended, along with our visual 3-D renderings from our proprietary sunroom design app. We will walk you through every factor that influences your budget. That way, you’re never guessing or getting surprised down the line. We have designs to meet just about every budget!

Trust Florida’s Experts in Sunroom Design and Construction

Book Your Free Design Consultation Today!

At Lifestyle Remodeling, we build insulated sunrooms, Florida room additions, and patio enclosures that can be enjoyed year-round. Every component—from the high-performance TEMO glass options to your insulated wall system and roof—is thoughtfully selected to perform optimally in Florida’s heat, humidity, and storms.

If you’re excited about building a sunroom addition, converting your patio, or exploring Florida room options, we’d love to show you what’s possible. Want to see what your sunroom could look like? Browse our sunroom gallery.

We offer complimentary design consultations. You’ll walk away with real information, a clear plan, and expert advice from people who do this every day.

Contact Lifestyle Remodeling today, and let’s get started on designing what will soon become your favorite living space in your home!

FAQs: Technical Details & Planning Insights

Do I need a new foundation, or can I build on my existing porch?

The structure must be assessed. A sunroom needs a solid foundation to remain structurally sound over time. If your existing porch isn’t up to code, we may pour a new foundation to ensure long-term stability.

Can I use my home’s existing lanai roof to enclose it with windows?

If your home’s lanai or patio roof is built with your home, the answer is yes. We can use our insulated window wall system to enclose under your existing roof. This will allow for year-round enjoyment of your new enclosed space.

Can we have a sunroom with a glass roof?

We recommend glass transoms and/or skylights for added natural light in Florida, rather than a full glass roof, due to concerns about heat gain and UV exposure. This maximizes the use of your living space without compromising comfort or performance.

What’s the issue with acrylic windows in sunrooms?

Acrylic windows offer little to no insulation, transfer heat, and can bow and scratch. We use high-performance glass with optional low-E coating to block ultraviolet rays and reduce solar heat, which makes a huge difference in comfort and energy efficiency.

Can a sunroom be built as a true year-round living space?

Yes. A four-season sunroom with insulated framing, sealed glass, and proper climate control can function as a fully livable room 12 months a year. It all comes down to how you plan and construct the space from roof to floor.