Patio covers in Elk Grove

Solid aluminum patio covers

A solid cover is a roof of interlocking aluminum panels on aluminum beams and posts. Many come with an embossed wood-grain finish, and Alumawood is one of the best-known brands. It blocks the sun completely and sheds rain, so the patio stays usable in the winter rain too.

Aluminum doesn't rot or need painting, and it's light enough that many covers attach to the house without heavy framing. The trade-off is that thin panels get hot in direct summer sun and can radiate some of that heat down. They can also dent. HomeGuide puts solid aluminum covers at about $20 to $50 per square foot installed.

Lattice patio covers

A lattice cover has open rafters with slats across the top, so it filters the sun and throws a striped shadow rather than full shade. Heat rises out through the gaps, which keeps the space under it from feeling closed in. It does nothing for rain.

Lattice is the lowest-cost option. HomeGuide lists Alumawood-style lattice at about $18 to $22 per square foot installed. It works well on north- and east-facing patios that the house already shades in the afternoon. Some homeowners combine the two, with a solid section over the table and lattice beyond it.

Insulated patio covers

Insulated panels sandwich a few inches of foam between two aluminum skins. The underside stays much cooler than a thin metal roof in full sun, rain is much quieter, and the panels can hide wiring for ceiling fans, lights and outlets. The smooth, flat ceiling also looks more like part of the house.

They cost more: HomeGuide puts insulated covers at about $30 to $60 per square foot installed, or $36 to $55 for insulated Alumawood. For a west-facing Elk Grove yard where you want to sit outside on summer evenings, they're usually worth a look.

Wood patio covers

A wood cover is framed on site, usually with a solid roof that can match the house's roofline or an open lattice top. It suits custom shapes and craftsman or ranch-style homes. The downside is upkeep: posts and beams need sealing, stain or paint every few years, and Angi estimates that care at about $200 to $500 a year.

Solid wood is the most expensive common choice. HomeGuide lists it at $60 to $120 per square foot installed, while an open wood lattice runs about $20 to $40. The City of Elk Grove has a prequalified design for conventionally built wood patio covers, which can simplify the permit for straightforward designs.

Attached or freestanding?

Most covers attach to the house along a wall or the roof edge, which takes fewer posts and keeps the cover tight to the doors. An attached cover needs a city permit at any size, and your installer will check how it ties into stucco, siding or the roof.

A freestanding cover stands on its own posts out in the yard, over a seating area, spa or outdoor kitchen. In Elk Grove, a freestanding cover over 120 square feet needs a permit, which your installer handles. Smaller ones don't need a building permit, but every freestanding cover has to sit at least 3 feet from the side and rear property lines.

Add-ons to think about

• Fans and lights. Easiest with an insulated roof. Angi estimates lighting at $200 to $1,000 and ceiling fans at $300 to $800.
• Gutters. A solid cover dumps rain off one edge. Gutters keep it off the patio and away from the foundation, at about $500 to $1,500 per Angi.
• Shade screens. A drop-down screen on the sunny side blocks the low afternoon sun that comes in under the edge of the cover.
• Heaters. Ceiling-mounted heaters stretch the season into winter evenings, from about $500 to $2,000.

See the patio cover cost guide for prices by size.