Top 8 Reasons Sarasota Homeowners are Adding Tiki Huts to Their Backyards

If the top reason you want to add a tiki hut to your backyard is to lounge beneath it in a swimsuit and feel glamorous, that’s reason enough. It’s also OK if you just want a cool place to eat Cheetos. 

What are some other reasons to add a tiki hut to your backyard? Shade! Protection from rain. As a great cover for your outdoor bar or kitchen. It makes everything more fun. A tiki adds value to your home. It’s often the only shade structure allowed along your waterfront. And, why not? 

Keep reading to learn more about backyard tiki hut ideas, including:

• First, What’s a Tiki Hut?
• It’s Sunny. You Need Shade
• Don’t Get Rained Out
• Cool Cover for Your Bar or Outdoor Kitchen
• A Tiki Offers Waterfront Fun
• Turn Your Ordinary Pool Into a Resort Destination
• Grab a Vacation Vibe on a Boring Wednesday
• A Tiki Hut Boosts Your Home Value
• No Maintenance Worries 

First, What’s a Tiki Hut? 

Let’s start with why it’s called a tiki hut. It’s not just because it’s fun to say. 

These fun backyard hangouts have a rich and cool history. 

It was originally called a “chickee” hut, used as a survival shelter by the Seminole and Mikasuka people of Florida. The term "chickee" is derived from the Creek and Miccosukee word for "house.” These traditional shelters had a raised platform floor and a thatched roof with open sides for air flow. 

The name evolved over the years to “tiki,” and they became used for entertainment, but the basic structure remains pretty much the same. 

Today’s tiki huts are constructed mostly of wood, topped with a weather-resistant palm thatched roof. 

How big are they? You decide. The most popular sizes are 10 by 10 or 15 by 12 feet. But a backyard tiki hut is custom built, so it can be any size you need.

 
So, what are some great reasons to add a tiki hut to your backyard? Time to talk tiki: 

1. It’s Sunny. You Need Shade 

There are plenty of fun reasons to have a tiki, and we’ll get to them, but this practical one tops the list.

It’s pretty basic: the Florida sun is hot. A tiki offers cool shade. Shade is one of the biggest tiki hut advantages in Florida. 

Sure, you could pop up a patio umbrella. Zzzzzz… sorry, we dozed off there for a minute. 

Why huddle under a humble patio umbrella for shade when you can lounge beneath a much more expansive, unique, vacation-vibe tiki? 

2. Don’t Get Rained Out

Most people don’t think about this benefit of a tiki hut, but it’s a good one. 

Yes, it’s hot and sunny here in Sarasota, but it also rains quite a bit. And when it rains, it usually stops within an hour or so. 

If you don’t have any outdoor shelter, that burst of rain can really douse your outdoor party. Everybody grabs their bowl of chips and dashes inside. Bye, outdoor fun. 

But if you have a protective tiki hut standing by, everybody can grab their chips, duck beneath the tiki, finish their cocktail and the vibe continues there until the rain moves off. Everybody back in the pool! 

Tiki: party saver. 

Also, when it rains here, the temperature magically drops about 20 degrees. That’s a gift, right? A tiki keeps you dry so you can enjoy the temporary cool. It’s definitely a tiki hut benefit in Sarasota. 

3. Cool Cover for Your Bar or Outdoor Kitchen

If you’re setting up a great outdoor entertainment area where you’ll mix drinks and serve food, you’ll want to cover it so the fun can continue in the hot sun or a pop-up rain shower. A tiki is the perfect Sarasota backyard shade structure. It’s practical, but it adds to the fun, tropical atmosphere. 

People want to hang out under a tiki hut. Watch the big game. Host a baby shower. Have a taco-eating contest. Whatever your plan, you’re covered. 

Bonus: you don’t need a permit for your cool tiki structure as long as it’s not attached to a building. Since permits are kind of a pain, this is a plus. 

4. A Tiki Offers Waterfront Fun 

If you’re lucky enough to live on the water, you want to make the most of it, setting up a spot where you can spend as much time as possible at the waterfront. 

Daydreaming of a protective pergola or pavilion along your waterfront? Sorry — these Sarasota backyard shade structures are typically not allowed along the water. But guess what often is? Tiki to the rescue.

Maybe you’d love to cover your boat dock with some sort of shelter. Most communities won’t allow you to build a structure over a dock. But you can often construct a tiki hut there. Tiki to the rescue again. 

5. Turn Your Ordinary Pool Into a Resort Destination 

So there’s your pool, sitting out there doing its job perfectly fine.
 
Now, indulge your imagination for a minute for a great backyard tiki hut idea: 

Imagine a tiki built out over a third of your pool, sheltering it with blissful shade. 

Now, what if you add an outdoor table with bar stools right there in the shallow end of the pool? A swim-up bar, just like at the fancy vacation resorts. We’ll pause for a minute so you can enjoy the daydream…

Give us a call and we’ll make it a happy reality. 

6. Grab a Vacation Vibe on a Boring Wednesday 

Tikis are tropical, which means they’re automatically relaxing and fun. They add a vacation vibe even when you’re not on vacation. 

Maybe you’re helping your stressed-out daughter figure out the complicated seating chart for her wedding. (What lucky table gets weird Uncle Frank?) Or you’re filling out endless paperwork for a small business loan. Or picking 50 thistles out of your dog’s fluffy fur. 

Now imagine doing any of those pesky tasks beneath a thatched-roof tiki hut, the roof leaves rustling in the breeze, a cool drink at your elbow. 

So much better, right? It’s kind of like you’re on vacation, all the time. What better reason to add a tiki hut to your Sarasota backyard? 

7. A Tiki Hut Boosts Your Home Value 

Everybody loves a tiki hut. It automatically makes your place more desirable.
 
And if you own a Florida rental property, it’s a must have. Northerners on vacation absolutely love tikis. Poor things just came from three feet of snow and 11 degrees. Give ‘em a tiki. 

8. No Maintenance Worries 

The last thing you need is more homeowner upkeep, right? No worries. 
Crafted of sturdy natural materials, a backyard tiki hut is practically no maintenance. You can’t say that about all Sarasota backyard shade structures. 

The roofs, thatched with the fronds of the Sabal palmetto, also known as the cabbage palm, last for eight to 10 years before they need to be rethatched, which costs about $10 per square foot. 

The sturdy posts are made from cypress trees, the best-looking option, or you can opt for pressure treated lumber. Either way, they’re easy. 

Ready for Perfect Backyard Tiki Hut Ideas? Talk to Us

Why add a tiki to your backyard tropical paradise? Why wouldn’t you? 

Here at Tropical Gardens Landscape, we’re backyard tiki hut experts. “Tropical” is even part of our name. 

Need more than a tiki? We’ve got you covered, with full-service landscape design services in Sarasota that include design, installation and maintenance.
 
That tiki hut will look great, but it might need an extra something. Maybe some tropical palms and plants to continue the vibe. Or some lighting to make it magical at night. Add a bar and you suddenly have a tiki bar, which is a super cool addition to your outdoor life.

 
Give us a call or fill out our form today! Our team of Sarasota designers can’t wait to design the perfect outdoor haven for your backyard or vacation rental property, tiki included. The fun starts now.