Patio Covers in Simi Valley, CA

Patio Covers in Simi Valley make a lot of sense on the city's tract homes, and the reason is the calendar. The average high is 95°F in July and 97°F in August, and less than an inch of rain falls in each month from April through October. Simi Valley is its own city in Ventura County, across Santa Susana Pass from the San Fernando Valley, and it handles building permits under its own rules rather than those of Los Angeles or Santa Clarita.

A housing stock from the 1960s and 1970s

The first tract homes went up in 1957 and 1958, and growth took off after 1960. The population jumped from 8,110 in 1960 to 59,832 in 1970, the year after the city incorporated. That means many houses have patios poured decades ago, and some have covers that were added along the way. Common problems on older covers:

• Wood posts rotted where they meet the slab
• Flat roofs that hold water and stain the fascia
• Corrugated panels that have gone brittle in the sun
• Ledgers fastened to trim rather than framing

We can repair a sound frame or remove an old cover and build new on proper footings.

Households that stay

Census estimates show 72.9% of Simi Valley homes are owner-occupied and 91.7% of residents lived in the same house a year earlier. Owners who plan to stay tend to choose covers that add usable space: an insulated aluminum roof with recessed lights and a fan, or a louvered system that opens in winter and closes in summer. Households average 2.80 people, so we size covers for a dining table plus seating rather than a single bistro set.

Fire in the surrounding hills

Simi Valley is ringed by the Santa Susana Mountains to the north and the Simi Hills to the east and south, and Wikipedia notes the city lies in a high-risk area for wildfires because it sits next to the Simi Hills. The 2003 Simi Fire burned about 108,000 acres. In October 2019 the Easy Fire started near Easy Street and Madera Road during extreme winds, burned 1,806 acres and nearly surrounded the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. For homes near the edges of the valley, we suggest aluminum framing and Class A roof panels for attached covers. As an example of how strict nearby rules can be, Ventura County's 2023 policy for its unincorporated areas sets heavy timber minimums for wood patio covers, such as 6-inch nominal beams and columns. The city sets its own requirements, and we confirm them for your address.

Choosing a cover type

Aluminum patio covers are the everyday choice: solid for full shade, insulated for the hottest exposures, lattice for filtered light. Wood patio covers suit owners who want painted beams and a custom look, with the fire question answered first. Pergolas shade a lawn, spa or outdoor kitchen. Louvered roof systems let you control sun and air with adjustable blades. Lattice and shade covers cut glare on a side yard. Repair and replacement keeps a good frame going or starts over when it is past saving.

Earthquakes and connections

The 1994 Northridge earthquake caused significant damage in parts of Simi Valley, and the Santa Rosa, Northridge Hills and Chatsworth faults lie nearby. We fasten covers into house framing with rated hardware and set posts on footings sized for the span.

Free estimates

Call (661) 605-3157 or request a quote online. We measure, check the existing patio and roof edge, and give you a written estimate with size, materials and permit steps.

Get a Free Estimate