Paver patios and lanais in South Venice and Venice Gardens
Small-lot patios on a real base and travertine over 1970s lanai slabs that still ring solid.
- Jurisdiction
- Sarasota County
- Permit page
- rules and office
- Drive from Sarasota
- 35 to 45 minutes
- Service
- Paver Patios & Lanais
What does a paver patio or lanai cost in South Venice?
Concrete pavers about $13 to $16 per square foot and travertine $20 to $26, so a 240-square-foot patio runs roughly $3,100 to $3,800 in pavers or $4,800 to $6,200 in stone; a lanai overlay on a sound 1970s slab sits at the low end because there's no excavation. Layouts steer clear of the septic drain field.
Planning band from the September 10, 2026 cost tables; not a quote.
What's different about patios & lanais in South Venice & Venice Gardens
South Venice yards are small and the lots are platted tight, so patios are 200 to 300 square feet and often replace a cracked 1970s slab or a patch of dead grass under a live oak. Pavers on 4 inches of crushed base compacted in two lifts over the wet-season sand, a soldier-course border, a drain or a slope to the swale. Lanai slabs from the 1970s that pass the five tests get travertine or a light paver over them with a perimeter curb; the ones pitched toward the sliders come out. Septic lots keep the patio off the drain field.
No association on most streets; the design is yours.
Rules that apply here
At-grade patios often below county thresholds; overlays on the footprint usually not permitted work; the 50 percent impervious cap and septic setbacks apply (rules).
A worked example
A 1976 Venice Gardens home with a 12-by-20 lanai slab, sound, sloped correctly, and a bare side yard. Scope: tumbled travertine sand-set over the lanai slab with a perimeter curb and a bullnose step at the slider, plus a 10-by-14 paver patio in the side yard on 4 inches of base with a border, both draining to the swale and clear of the drain field. No permit needed; the septic field was confirmed from the county's record. Budget band: $7,500 to $10,000 for both.
Can a patio go beside the septic tank?
Beside the tank with the lid accessible, yes; over the drain field, no. The county's septic record shows where both are, and the layout is drawn to it before the estimate.
Where to go next
Request an estimate in South Venice & Venice Gardens
Last reviewed September 10, 2026 by the Sarasota Concrete editorial team (author name pending owner input).