Adding a Florida sunroom to your house invites the beauty of the outdoors into your home without welcoming the downsides, including pesky bugs and the noise of your neighbor’s lawnmower. You can add a sunroom in one of two ways: building it from a sunroom kit or having your sunroom custom-built by a contractor. Deciding on the right option for your situation will require you to answer a few important questions.

What is Your DIY Experience?
Previous experience working on DIY projects can help with putting together a prefab sunroom kit. However, it’s easy to be overconfident in your own abilities. If you frequently design and build furniture from scratch, for example, you may already have the skills for this project. If your DIY experience is limited to smaller projects, such as refinishing an old chair, hiring a sunroom contractor may be the ideal option for your situation. You won’t need to worry about whether your skills are sufficient for the task, and you can avoid any concerns you have about your own safety during the project.

What Features Do You Want?
Working with a contractor for a custom sunroom allows you to choose every part of the project. The sky is the limit. If you want your sunroom to have special features, such as electrical work, a contractor can work those features into the design. A sunroom kit does not allow much room for customization or added features. Although there are a lot of sunroom kits on the market, it is possible that you may not be able to find one that fits your style or requirements.

What Tools Do You Have?
DIY sunroom projects often require access to a wide range of tools beyond a hammer and a measuring tape. Power tools, including circular saws, are usually needed for projects of this scope. If your idea of a weekend project is hanging up picture frames, you probably don’t already have the tools needed for building a sunroom kit.

What is Your Familiarity with Local Building Laws?
The zoning laws in your area can impact adding a sunroom to your home. To avoid the risk of fines and extra expenses if you choose to sell your home, you’ll need to get permits before you can start building. Navigating the tangled web of building codes and local laws can seem daunting if you have little experience with the permitting process. Hiring a sunroom contractor takes the burden of dealing with zoning and permitting off your plate. Dulando will also help you with your HOA.

What is Your Budget? 
Your budget for your sunroom project will probably play a large role in deciding how to build your sunroom. Most sunroom kit prices are lower because they only have to account for the prices of raw materials, such as sunroom windows or screen framing; you won’t have to pay for a contractor’s labor. However, don’t make the mistake of discounting the value of your own time; constructing a sunroom is a time-intensive project for even an experienced DIY homeowner, and you’ll need to budget for tool rentals and purchases when evaluating the final cost of your kit. Hiring a Florida sunroom builder does require you to pay for labor, but your money will also pay for years of experience and custom design work.

Additional Reading:

• Benefits of Building a Sunroom Addition
• Sunroom Roof Options: Sunroom Roof Design & Materials
• Top 5 Tips When Building a Florida Room or Sunroom

Dulando Screen & Awning, Inc. offers extensive patio and pool enclosure building services to enhance your Florida home. If you’d like to learn more about the Florida sunrooms we’ve been building for decades, contact us today at 407-862-6060.