Patio Covers in Bakersfield

Solid roof panels give full shade and keep the patio dry in the rain, which makes the space usable in July at noon and in January when it drizzles. Fans and lights mount to them.

Lattice covers let filtered light through. Cooler than open sky, brighter than solid, and the look most people picture when they say pergola.

Combination covers put solid over the table and lattice over the rest. Most of the covers we build in Bakersfield end up here, because the afternoon sun wants solid and the morning wants light.

The National Weather Service puts our normal July high at 98 degrees, and we average about 33 days a year at 100 or more. An uncovered patio is furniture storage from June to September. A cover changes that, and the orientation decides how much: we look at where the sun sits at 4pm on your patio, not on a plan, and size the cover so the shade is where the chairs are.

Alumawood spans up to about 20 feet, which covers most patios in one run, and larger patios take a second bay. Three things decide the design: whether the cover attaches to the house or stands free, the height of the wall or fascia it attaches to, and the footprint you want shaded. If the slab is not there yet, or not big enough, we pour it, with the post footings where the posts will go. See concrete patios.

An attached patio cover generally needs a building permit in California, and in the city that goes through the Building Division at 1715 Chester Avenue. It is not a reason to skip the cover or to hire someone who skips the permit; an unpermitted structure is the one that comes up when you sell the house. We talk the permit through at the estimate so you know what your cover needs before you say yes.

Alumawood comes in a range of colors and finishes, from a wood grain that reads as stained lumber to solid tones that match trim and stucco, and in styles from a plain flat panel to a lattice with a decorative end cut. The cover should look like it was part of the house, not bolted on later. We bring the color samples to the estimate so you see them against your wall in your light.