Patios built as outdoor rooms to gather and linger.

The material and the ground it sits on. Travertine, porcelain and concrete pavers sit at very different points, and the choice usually follows how the patio is used: next to a pool, cool underfoot matters more than anything. Then the size, whether an existing slab or old pavers have to come out first, how much base and drainage work the site needs, any change in level that calls for steps or a retaining edge, and how many cuts the layout takes, since curves, pool coping and fitting around existing features all add labor. Doing the patio in the same visit as a pool, pergola or driveway also changes the picture, because the crew and equipment are already on site. We give a figure once we have walked the space.

Travertine and shellstone stay noticeably cooler barefoot than concrete or dark porcelain, which is why they are so common around South Florida pools. Light-coloured porcelain pavers are a close second and are harder to stain. Poured concrete and dark stone absorb the most heat — fine in shade, uncomfortable on an open deck in August. If the patio connects to a pool, cool-underfoot should drive the material choice.

Pavers flex with ground movement instead of cracking, and any single damaged piece can be lifted and swapped without a visible patch. Poured concrete is faster and cheaper up front but cracks are a question of when, not if, and a repair never disappears. Pavers also drain between joints, which matters in a climate that delivers an inch of rain in twenty minutes. Concrete makes sense under a covered structure or where a monolithic look is the point.

Often, yes — and it is usually the better value. If the base and drainage are sound, the surface can be replaced, extended or refinished without starting over. What forces a rebuild is a failed base, standing water, or a slab that has settled and now drains toward the house. We look at the base and the water before quoting a resurface, because a beautiful new surface over a bad base fails in the same place within a couple of seasons.

Slope is set away from the structure and the water is given somewhere to go — permeable joints, a French drain, or a channel drain at the transition where a patio meets the house. South Florida storms are short and heavy, so a patio that drains fine in light rain can still push water at a back door in a real downpour. Getting this right is unglamorous and it is the single thing most likely to cause damage if it is skipped.

It depends on what is being done. Replacing pavers on an existing grade frequently does not require one, while a new slab, a structural change, electrical work, or anything attached to the house generally does. Requirements differ by municipality, so it is confirmed for your address before work starts rather than assumed. We handle the submission where a permit is required.

Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach — including Key Biscayne, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Miami Beach, Pinecrest, Hialeah and Fort Lauderdale, and further up the state including Tampa Bay. Patios are frequently built alongside a pool, pergola or driveway in the same project, which avoids paying twice to mobilise and keeps the materials consistent across the whole yard.