Patio cover installation in Los Angeles, CA - shade that fits how you use your patio
Your patio bakes in the afternoon sun and sits empty most of the week. We build a solid or lattice cover that gets you back out there.
What goes into putting a cover over your Los Angeles patio?
Patio cover installation in Los Angeles means building a roof over your patio, either attached to the house or standing on its own, so you get shade and, with a solid cover, shelter from the rain. Most covers come down to two choices, solid or lattice and aluminum or wood, and I'd rather settle those with you before we talk about anything else.
Most people who call me have a patio that's too hot to sit on by midday, or a slab that only gets used a couple of times a year. The price moves with the size of the patio, solid or lattice, aluminum or wood, and whether we tie into the house or set the cover on its own posts. The schedule mostly turns on how quickly those choices get settled and whether the slab or ground needs work first. I measure and look at what the cover will sit on when I come out, and the written quote gives you your own figure.
What happens when you call us about a patio cover in Los Angeles?
Call or send us a message
Call (213) 340-1547 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set up a time for me to see the patio. Have a rough idea of how your family uses the space, because that's the first thing I'll ask.
I visit, measure and ask
I come out myself, measure, check the slab or ground the posts will stand on and talk through shade, rain and upkeep with you. Then I send a written quote that spells out the style, the material and the scope, so you're weighing a real plan and not a guess.
Permits, then our crew builds
Once you sign, we find out which office covers your address and handle the permit applications and inspections when your project needs them, and your contract says in writing who's getting the permits. Our own crew does the build, with a lead installer running the site.
I come back to walk it
When the cover is up, I come back and walk it with you, check the connections and the finish and show you how to look after it. Satisfaction guaranteed.
How we build a patio cover
I start with how you use the patio, the same way I'd ask about a room before picking a window for it, because a cover built for the wrong use is the one people regret. From there we pick solid or lattice and aluminum or wood around that and around how much upkeep you're willing to do, and decide whether the cover ties into the house or stands on its own. Before anything goes up I look hard at the slab and the ground where the footings go, because a tired slab gets dealt with first, not covered up. Then our crew sets the footings and posts, hangs the beams, puts on the roof panels or lattice and cleans up. The city has its own patio cover rules and treats a patio cover as a one-story structure no taller than 12 feet, so we plan the height inside that from the first sketch.
If walls or screens might come later, tell me now, because a cover planned for that usually gets posts and beams sized to carry a frame without tearing anything out. That's where sunroom design comes in, so the cover becomes the first piece of a room instead of a dead end. Plenty of people who start with a cover close it in later with one of our vinyl sunrooms. We're based in Los Angeles and do this work across the city and the cities around it, from Glendale and Burbank to Downey and West Covina.
Get a written quote for your patio cover
Send the form and we'll reply within 1 business day to set up a free estimate at your property, with no pressure and no obligation. I'll come out, measure the patio, look at what the cover will sit on and follow up with a written quote.
Patio cover questions from Los Angeles homeowners
How much does a patio cover cost in Los Angeles?
Across the US, a solid or lattice patio cover usually costs about $20 to $60 per square foot installed, and that's a national figure, not a Los Angeles one and not our price. Lattice is usually the low-cost way to get shade, and a solid wood cover can cost far more than other solid covers. Your written quote after my visit gives you your own number.
What is the best way to choose between a solid and a lattice patio cover?
Go solid if you want the most daily use, because it blocks sun and rain completely, and go lattice if light and airflow matter more, since its spaced slats give partial shade and let some rain through. It's a lot like choosing between a window and a screen. Lattice has more open edges where leaves collect, and depending on the material it can show fading sooner in full sun, so ask us how to keep it clean.
Is aluminum or wood better for a patio cover on a Los Angeles home?
It mostly comes down to upkeep. One California guide says aluminum is common in the state because termites can't eat it, it won't burn and it needs almost no care, while wood looks warmer but needs sealing from time to time and can attract termites. If you want it cooler underneath, insulated panels with a foam core between metal layers block radiant heat, though they tend to cost more.
Should a patio cover attach to the house or stand on its own?
Either can work, and it depends on where you need the shade and what the house wall looks like. An attached cover is typically mounted to the house and supported with footings, while a freestanding one won't affect the home's structural footprint and gives you more freedom in where it goes and how it looks. I'll tell you which fits once I've seen the wall and the patio.
Can I add screens or glass walls to a patio cover in Los Angeles?
Yes, for a house in the City of Los Angeles, as long as the longer wall and one other wall are each at least 65% open or glass in their lower 6 feet 8 inches. Walls can take any layout within that, and going past it turns the job into an enclosed room. Tell us early if that's where you're headed so the cover is planned for it.
Does a patio cover contractor need a license in California?
In most cases, yes, because the Contractors State License Board requires a license when a project needs a building permit, uses additional workers, or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials. The board's awning classification covers aluminum, metal, vinyl or canvas patio covers, attached or freestanding, but not patio enclosures, so if you're planning an enclosed room, raise licensing for that part with your contractor early. We're licensed and insured.
Related services for your patio
Sunroom design
If your covered patio might turn into a room someday, a design plan now saves you from pulling out posts and beams later.
Vinyl sunrooms
When shade alone isn't enough and you want a closed-in room you can use more of the year, a vinyl sunroom is a common next step.
Get your patio cover measured and quoted
Have your patio's size in square feet, the style and material you're leaning toward and any plans for walls or screens ready, then call (213) 340-1547 or use the form so the first visit goes straight to the right plan.