Patio cover installation in Placentia CA - shade that fits how you use your yard
If your patio bakes by afternoon and sits empty, we'll build a cover sized and set for how you actually use it.
- Service
- Patio cover installation
- Call
- (657) 226-2045
How do you know it's time for a patio cover?
Patio too hot to use
If the patio bakes from midday on and you only go out after dark, that slab is taking full sun with nothing to break it. Left alone, it stays the part of the yard everyone walks past, and the rooms behind that wall usually run warmer too.
Old cover sagging or soft
A wood or lattice cover that dips between posts, or posts going soft near the ground, usually means water has been getting into the wood for a while. The longer it goes, the more of it has to come down instead of being repaired, and a sagging beam isn't something you want to sit under.
Cushions fading every summer
Cushions that bleach out in one season and plastic chairs that turn brittle tell you how much sun that spot takes. Waiting means buying them again, and the same sun is working on the door and window trim right beside them.
What does putting up a patio cover in Placentia involve?
Patio cover installation in Placentia means putting up a cover over your patio, either freestanding or attached to the house, usually in aluminum, metal, vinyl, canvas or lattice, so you get a shaded place to eat, sit and spend time outside. The build itself is usually quick, and most of the waiting comes before it, in planning and permit paperwork.
Most people who call us have a patio that gets too much sun to use or an old cover that's worn out, and they haven't decided yet what kind of cover they want. The price moves with the size, the material, whether the cover ties into the house or stands on its own posts, and what those posts sit on, while the schedule turns mostly on the city permit rather than the days we spend building. We're based in Placentia and do the same work in Fullerton, Anaheim, Yorba Linda, Orange, Brea and the other cities around it, where a lot of the patios we see are an older slab off the back of a house, and how a cover meets that roofline drives a good share of the work. I've been building patio covers here since 2013, we're licensed and insured, and I come out myself so the written estimate shows your plan and your number before you decide anything.
Details to note before an estimate
- Rough size of the patio
- What you'll use the space for
- Attached to the house or freestanding
- Cover material you have in mind
How we handle patio cover installation
Before we talk about materials, I ask how you'll use the space under the cover, because a shady spot for meals is one project, and parking, storage or a room you might close in later is a different one. Once that's settled, we look at where the cover meets the house, check what the slab or ground can carry, and lay out the posts and footings so they land where the weight needs them. Then our crew sets the footings, raises the posts and beams, fastens the ledger, the board that ties the cover to the house wall, and seals that joint so water runs off instead of into the wall. We finish with the roof panels or lattice and clean up before we call it done.
Some people come out of that first talk wanting more than shade. If you're picturing a room you can close up and sit in through the cooler months, our sunroom design work starts from the same questions about use and what the room sits on, and vinyl sunrooms are one common way to build that room over an existing patio.
Other work people ask about along with a cover
Sunroom design
If you might want walls and windows someday, planning the room on paper first keeps you from building a cover you'd tear down later.
Vinyl sunrooms
When shade alone won't make the patio usable because of wind, bugs or cool evenings, a vinyl room closes it in.
What happens after you call about a patio cover?
Call or send the form
Call (657) 226-2045 or use the form, and we get back to you to set a time for me to come out. Tell us roughly what you're picturing so I know what to look at.
I look at your patio
I come out myself, look at the spot and what's already there, and ask how you plan to use it. You get the plan and the estimate in writing, so you can see what's included and what's driving the number.
We handle permits and build
We do the permit paperwork, including drawings from a licensed architect or engineer when the city asks for them, and our own crew builds the cover. The city's Building Division books inspections by phone Monday through Thursday with no same-day visits, so we call ahead and I meet the inspector on site.
Walk through it together
When the cover is up and the site is clean, we walk through it with you, from the footings to the joint at the house. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Questions before you book a patio cover
Who can install a patio cover in California?
A contractor licensed by California's Contractors State License Board in the right class can, and the board's D-3 awning class covers aluminum, metal, vinyl or canvas patio covers, freestanding or attached. Attached lattice covers can also be built by a general building contractor, a framing and rough carpentry contractor or a landscaping contractor. We're licensed and insured, and you're welcome to ask about it when I come out.
Can an unlicensed handyman put up a small patio cover?
Usually not, because the state only lets an unlicensed worker take jobs under $1,000 when the work needs no permit and that person has no one working for them. A patio cover that needs a permit calls for a licensed contractor, no matter how small it is.
How do I get a permit for a patio cover in Placentia?
The City Building Division reviews the permit application and the patio cover plans once the project has planning and zoning clearance. For now the city takes building permit applications in person at City Hall while its online services are still in testing, and the application is signed by the owner, a licensed contractor or an agent for the owner. We handle that filing for you, and the city's building permit page has the details if you'd like to read them.
How long does a patio cover project take?
One Orange County installer lists 2 to 4 weeks to get the permit and 1 to 3 days to install, which isn't Placentia's own review time but gives you a fair picture. The paperwork and prep take far longer than the build, so if you want the cover up by a certain date, start early.
How much does a patio cover cost in Placentia?
It comes down to the size, the material, whether the cover attaches to the house or stands on its own, and what's under the posts, so I give you a number after I've seen the spot. A long span that needs extra posts, or a house wall that needs work before a cover can tie into it, will change the figure more than people expect.
Can a patio cover be used as a carport or closed in later?
Not as a patio cover, because patio cover code text, as one code publisher prints it, limits a cover to outdoor living use and rules out using it as a carport, garage, storage room or room to live in. Parking, storage or extra living space is a different project, and the state's awning license class leaves out enclosures and carports, so those call for a contractor in another class.
Get a written plan and price for your patio cover
Send the form and we reply within one business day to set up a free visit at your house. I come out, look at the patio and how you'll use it, and give you the plan and estimate in writing, with no obligation to go ahead.
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Start planning your patio cover today
We pick up any day from 6 AM to 11 PM, so you can call after work or on a weekend and get a visit on the calendar.