Patio Covers in Palmdale, CA

Patio Covers in Palmdale do heavy lifting. The city has a desert climate, and records at the airport show an average of 35 afternoons a year at or above 100 degrees, with normal daily highs near 97.6 degrees in July and 97.7 degrees in August. Summers are described as hot and nearly rainless, which means the sun, not the rain, is what a cover here has to beat. A west-facing backyard with no shade can be unusable from late afternoon until after sunset for much of the summer.

The same cover has to handle freezing nights

Palmdale also averages 52 mornings a year at or below freezing, and normal winter lows sit at or just below 32 degrees from late November to late January. The city's record low is 3 degrees, set January 13, 1963. A patio cover here goes through wide temperature swings, so we pay attention to fasteners, panel joints and how the roof drains. Water that pools on a flat section and freezes overnight is hard on any material.

Choosing a roof for the Antelope Valley

• Insulated aluminum panels: our usual suggestion for a patio people want to use in July, since the foam core limits heat radiating down from the roof
• Solid aluminum: full shade with less cost and weight than insulated panels, a good fit for side yards and storage paths
• Lattice: filtered light that suits gardens and spring and fall use more than peak-summer afternoons
• Louvered roof systems: adjustable blades that close for shade and open in winter
• Wood: possible where rules allow, though dry desert air and strong sun are hard on exposed wood finishes
• Repair and replacement: for older covers with faded, cracked or loose panels

Built during the boom years

Palmdale grew from 12,277 people in 1980 to 68,842 in 1990 and 116,670 in 2000, and Wikipedia attributes the surge to affordable housing that made the city a bedroom community for Los Angeles employers. The Antelope Valley article dates major tract building to 1983 onward. Homes from that era may have only a small slab, or an original cover that is now decades old. For those, the project is usually replacing a tired cover or adding a larger one that reaches the edge of the slab. Communities named in the city's ZIP areas include Anaverde, Rancho Vista and Desert View Highlands, along with older parts of downtown.

Earthquake country

The San Andreas Fault runs near Palmdale, and the city is described as prone to severe earthquakes. A patio cover attached to the house should be connected the way the approved plans show, with footings deep and wide enough for the posts. On replacements, we check the existing ledger and wall connection instead of assuming the old setup was right.

Permits in Palmdale

Palmdale is an incorporated charter city with its own building permit process, separate from both Santa Clarita and LA County. Most patio covers require a permit and inspections. We prepare the site plan and structural details and confirm current requirements with the city before submitting, then coordinate inspections so the job does not stall.

Request an estimate

Call (661) 605-3157 or send photos of the patio and the back of the house. We drive up from Santa Clarita on State Route 14, measure, and leave you with a free written estimate covering size, materials and the permit steps.

Get a Free Estimate