Patio Covers in the Rio Grande Valley, TX
Sealant on top of shingle is what leaks, usually in the second rainy season. We bolt your cover into the house framing and flash the tie-in under the shingle.
A patio cover is a solid roof over your slab, attached to the house or set on its own posts. A 20 by 12 foot cover shades 240 square feet of concrete. Most attached covers go up in 3 to 4 working days after the footings cure.
What the job includes02
What a porches and patio covers job with us includes
West facing slabs take the worst of it here. From March to October the afternoon sun lands on the concrete and stays in it past sunset. A solid cover stops that before it starts. Hail in April dents thin sheet metal, so panels get screwed on a tighter pattern than a roof needs. Near the bay, the fasteners, not the panel, are what fail first.
- —Layout of the post line so the cover clears your doors and your windows
- —Footings dug below the loose caliche fill and poured with the post bases set
- —A ledger bolted into the band board, not screwed into the fascia trim alone
- —Beams and purlins sized for the span you picked, so the middle does not sag
- —Roof panels screwed on a tighter pattern than a house roof, for hail and wind
- —Flashing and sealant at the tie-in, then a hose test before we call it done
- —Gutter and downspout when the runoff would land against the house
- —The back slab is unusable from about 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. from June through September
- —Patio furniture fades, cracks and turns brittle inside one summer
- —The west facing sliding door heats the living room every afternoon after 3 p.m.
- —Rain runs off the house roof straight onto the slab and splashes the back wall
- —The old aluminum awning rattles, sags or has screws backing out of the wall
- —The grill and the tools live in the garage because there is no shade outside
Price range03
How much does porches and patio covers cost in the Rio Grande Valley?
3 to 4 working days for a 20 by 12 foot attached cover
Two days for a small cover over a back door. Two weeks when a new slab comes first.
Which material holds up best in Valley weather?
| Material | Holds up because | Watch out for | Best for | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insulated aluminum panel | Thick foam core keeps the underside cooler and quiets the rain overhead | Highest cost per square foot of the panel options | Patios you plan to sit under in July, not just park a grill under | 25 to 30 years |
| W-pan aluminum | Ribbed shape carries its own span, so you get fewer posts in the way | Thin skin shows hail dents, and the underside runs hotter than insulated panel | Wide covers where you want the yard open under the roof | 20 to 25 years |
| Galvalume sheet on steel purlins | Cheapest way to cover a large area and easy to match a metal house roof | Loud in rain and it needs the screws checked after big wind | Covers over a driveway, a work area or a ranch slab | 20 to 25 years inland |
| Wood frame with shingles | Reads as part of the house because the roof line and the shingle match | Heavier, slower to build, and it needs the same maintenance as your roof | Covers you want to look built in rather than added on | 18 to 25 years |
How we work this job04
How does the job actually run?
A written estimate before anything starts, a start date we commit to, and one person responsible from the first walkthrough to the last inspection.
- 01We measure and mark the post lineWe chalk the post line on the slab so you see the footprint before anything is dug. Doors and windows get checked for clearance.Day 1
- 02Footings go in and cureHoles go below the loose fill, the concrete gets poured and the post bases get set while it is wet.Week 1
- 03Posts, beams and panelsPosts go up plumb, the beam gets set level and the panels go on with hurricane ties at every rafter.2 to 3 days
- 04Tie-in, water test and cleanupWe flash the tie-in, run a hose over it for several minutes and watch the underside before we pack up.Handover
From the build site05
Which homes has David Aceves helped build?
Homes built by Cuates Construction, with David Aceves on the build. Look at the covered patios, the posts and beams and the concrete underfoot: David plans a porches and patio covers job with that same eye.
Questions we get06
Questions homeowners ask us about this work
Can a patio cover attach to my roof without leaking?
Yes, when the ledger lands in framing and the tie-in gets real flashing under the shingle. Sealant on top of shingle is what leaks, usually in the second rainy season. We run a hose over the finished tie-in before we hand the job over.
Aluminum or wood for a patio cover in this heat?
Aluminum wins on maintenance, because it never gets sealed or painted and it does not warp. Wood wins on looks and on matching an older house. In full afternoon sun, aluminum with an insulated core stays cooler underneath than any wood frame with metal on top.
What size cover fits a standard Valley back slab?
A 20 by 12 foot cover shades 240 square feet, which is most of a typical back slab. That fits a table for six, two chairs and a grill with room to walk behind them. Go to 20 by 16 if you want a full outdoor kitchen under the roof.
Is an insulated panel worth it over a plain sheet?
It depends on how you use the patio. If you sit out there in July, the foam core is the difference between shade and comfortable shade. If the cover is there to keep sun off a work area or a vehicle, plain sheet does the job for less.
Can you add gutters so the runoff does not flood the yard?
Yes, and on most covers we recommend it. Without a gutter the whole roof dumps in one line along the slab edge. We run the downspout so it discharges at least 3 feet from the foundation, away from the door.
A remodeling contractor based in Rio Grande City, working across the four Valley counties. The team is led by David Aceves, whose background is building custom homes, from the slab and the framing to the finish work.
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Let us talk07