Tiki huts & chickee huts
Tiki Huts and Chickee Huts, Built the Traditional Way
An open-sided frame under a steep palm-thatch roof is one of the few structures genuinely designed for this climate — it throws deep shade, lets the breeze straight through, and sheds a summer downpour off the outside while staying dry underneath. It also happens to be the oldest form of shelter built in South Florida.
- Structures
- Tiki huts, chickee huts, thatched bars and shade shelters
- Thatch
- Natural sabal palm, or synthetic thatch where upkeep has to be low
- For
- Residential backyards, pool decks and commercial spaces
- Also
- Re-thatching and repair of existing structures
Why a tiki hut and not a pergola
They solve the same problem in opposite ways. A pergola is a modern, engineered structure: precise lines, a roof you can seal completely, and the ability to carry a kitchen, a television and recessed lighting. A tiki hut is a traditional one: no walls at all, a thick thatch roof at a steep pitch, and a feeling that is closer to being under a tree than under a ceiling.
The practical difference is airflow and depth of shade. Thatch is thick and it insulates — the space underneath runs noticeably cooler than open deck — and because there are no walls, whatever breeze exists moves straight through it. That combination is why the form has survived here for centuries, and why it still works beside a pool on a still August afternoon.
The trade-off is that a thatched roof is a natural, wearing surface rather than a sealed one, and it is not the structure to hang an outdoor kitchen and a television off. If you want a dry, equipment-carrying room, you want a pergola. If you want shade, breeze and character, you want this.
Tiki hut or chickee hut?
In South Florida the two words describe the same structure and are used interchangeably. Chickee is the Seminole and Miccosukee term for the open-sided, thatched shelter the form originates from — a raised frame, no walls, and a steeply pitched sabal palm roof. Tiki hut is the name the same structure acquired commercially, and it is what most people search for.
We build both, because they are the same thing. More on chickee huts and the tradition behind them →
What we build
Tiki hut structures
-
Backyard tiki huts
A shaded destination in the yard rather than an extension of the house — somewhere the seating, the table and eventually everybody ends up.
-
Poolside tiki huts
Deep shade beside the water without shutting out the breeze, which is precisely what an open-sided thatched roof is good at in July.
-
Chickee huts
The traditional Seminole and Miccosukee form the whole style comes from: an open frame, no walls, a steep palm-thatch roof.
-
Tiki bars
A thatched roof over a bar run, with the framing planned around the counter, the equipment and the lighting from the start.
-
Commercial structures
Thatched shade for restaurants, resorts, marinas and event spaces, where durability and maintenance access matter more than anywhere.
-
Re-thatching and repair
Thatch is a wearing surface. When it thins, the frame usually stays and the roof gets renewed.
Our work
Tiki hut photography
There are no tiki hut photographs in this gallery yet.
Every photograph on this site is a structure we actually built, so nothing goes here until the tiki hut photography does. Placeholder tag for the site owner: [TIKI_HUT_PHOTOS_NEEDED]
In the meantime, the pergola and outdoor living gallery shows the framing, finishing and site work that go into every structure we build.
Materials and how they age
A traditional hut is a timber frame — cypress or pressure-treated — carrying a thatch roof built from layered sabal palm fronds. The pitch is steep on purpose: water runs off the outer surface fast enough that it never soaks through to the layers underneath, which is what keeps the space dry.
Natural thatch is a wearing surface. It weathers, thins and eventually needs replacing, and how quickly depends on sun exposure, rainfall, overhanging trees and how well the roof was built in the first place. Re-thatching is a normal part of owning one, not a failure: the frame stays, the roof is renewed. [THATCH_LIFESPAN] — add the lifespan and re-thatch interval you are prepared to stand behind.
Synthetic thatch is the alternative. It lasts considerably longer with far less upkeep, and it is often the right call for commercial sites or for anyone who does not want a maintenance cycle. It gives up some of the texture and character of the real thing, which for a backyard structure is a genuine loss worth weighing.
Fire treatment is a separate question and often a requirement, particularly for commercial structures. [FIRE_RETARDANT_POLICY] — state here what is offered and where it is required.
Permits
Whether a tiki hut needs a permit depends on your local building department, the size and height of the structure, and how it is anchored — and the rules are not the same in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe County. Some jurisdictions treat certain traditional chickee structures differently from other accessory buildings.
We are not going to give you a legal answer on a web page, because a general answer is worth nothing against your specific address and structure. [PERMIT_POLICY] — fill in exactly how Machin Solutions handles this so visitors get a real answer here.
How it works
How a tiki hut project runs
The same sequence as any structure we build: understand the space, design it, agree it in writing, then build it.
-
Tell us what you want to build
Send photos of the space, rough dimensions and what you want to do under the structure. That is enough for a first, honest read on what will work.
-
Site visit and measurements
We come out, measure properly, check access for materials, look at where footings can go, and see how the structure would meet the house and the pool deck.
-
Design and written estimate
You get a design drawn for your yard — spans, post positions, roof type, finishes and everything built in — with a written estimate against it.
-
Approvals and fabrication
Drawings and paperwork go where they need to go, and the frame is fabricated to the approved dimensions while that runs.
-
Installation
Footings, frame, roof, then the finishing work — lighting, fans, screens, soffit panels. Your yard gets cleaned up before we leave it.
Ask about a tiki hut
Tell us roughly how much shade you want, where it would sit in the yard, and whether it is residential or commercial. Photos of the spot help more than anything else.
Tiki hut questions
What people ask about tiki huts
What is the difference between a tiki hut and a chickee hut?
They describe the same kind of structure and in South Florida the words are used interchangeably. "Chickee" is the Seminole and Miccosukee term for the open-sided, thatched-roof shelter the form comes from — a raised frame, no walls, and a steep palm-thatch roof that sheds rain and stays cool underneath. "Tiki hut" is the name the same structure picked up commercially.
What are tiki huts actually made of?
Traditionally a cypress or pressure-treated frame carrying a thatch roof of sabal palm fronds, layered thick and steeply pitched so water runs off the outside and the interior stays dry and shaded. Synthetic thatch is also available and lasts longer with less upkeep, at the cost of some of the character.
How long does a thatch roof last, and can it be re-thatched?
Natural thatch is a wearing surface: it weathers, thins and eventually needs replacing, and how fast depends on sun exposure, rainfall, tree cover and how the roof was built. Re-thatching is a normal part of owning one — the frame stays, the roof gets renewed. [THATCH_LIFESPAN] — add the lifespan and re-thatch interval you are prepared to stand behind.
Are tiki huts a good idea next to a pool?
They are one of the best uses for them. An open-sided thatched roof gives deep shade without blocking the breeze, which is what you want beside a pool in July, and the structure reads as a destination in the yard rather than an extension of the house.
Do tiki huts need a permit?
That depends on your local building department, the size and height of the structure, and how it is anchored — and rules differ between Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe County. Some jurisdictions treat certain traditional chickee structures differently from other accessory buildings. Do not take a general answer from a website as your answer: [PERMIT_POLICY] — fill in how Machin Solutions handles this.
Can you repair or re-thatch a hut you did not build?
[TIKI_SERVICE_SCOPE] — confirm here whether repair, re-thatching and maintenance on existing huts are offered, and any limits on what can be worked on.
Thinking about a hut in the backyard?
Send a photo of where it would go. You will get an honest read on whether a thatched hut or a pergola suits the space better.