What a cedar patio cover costs in Texas

The number

$119 per square foot covers the structure. That's a Western Red Cedar post-and-beam frame, a standing seam metal roof and a full stain. Engineering and permits are a separate $2,200 line. The minimum job is $20,000 before design.

The rate came from a 200 square foot freestanding cover we built. The structure came to $23,750. Divide it out and you get $119 a foot. We round that to $119 and publish it.

Worked examples

A 150 square foot cover is under the minimum. Below 169 square feet the minimum governs. So it prices at $20,000 for the structure and $22,200 with design and permits.

A 300 square foot cover, say 15 by 20, is $35,700 for the structure. With design and permits it's $37,900.

A 400 square foot cover over a new 400 square foot patio with a power circuit comes to $58,850. That's $47,600 of cover, $7,600 of concrete, $2,200 of design and permits and $1,450 of electrical.

The reference job had all four phases. 200 square feet of cover, 328 square feet of new concrete, design and permits, and a power circuit. Run through the same math, that's $33,682.

The cover is usually the smaller half of the decision. If your slab is sound and you don't need power, the cover and the design line are the whole price.

What's in the rate

The standoff base is small and matters. Cedar sitting flat on concrete wicks water up the end grain. That's where rot starts. Lift it a little and the post dries out between rains.

Standing seam is the roof we use because the fasteners are hidden. Exposed-fastener panels have hundreds of screw holes with rubber washers. The washers dry out in the sun. Then they leak.

The add-ons

Concrete

If you need a new patio or want to extend the one you've got, reinforced 4 inch flatwork is $19 per square foot with a $6,000 minimum. If your slab is sound and big enough, you don't need it.

Electrical

A dedicated GFCI circuit trenched from the panel in conduit, ending at two weather-rated outlets, is $1,450. That's the power a fan, lights or a TV needs. Run it before the ceiling goes on, not after.

Design and permits

$2,200 covers an engineered plan set, structural detailing of the post anchorage and roof framing, and the city permit fees. A roof catches wind like a sail. That's why cities want it engineered, and why we'd engineer it anyway.

What's not in it

Hidden damage is the one people don't plan for. If an old cover comes down and the fascia behind it is rotten, that's a repair nobody could price from the driveway. We tell you when we find it and price it before we fix it.

Outdoor kitchens

We build covers over outdoor kitchens. We don't publish a price for the kitchen itself. There's no signed contract behind a number yet, and the range between a grill island and a full stone bar is too wide to guess. Kitchens get priced at the site visit.

Why the rate holds across sizes

A per square foot rate is honest in the middle and rough at the ends. Very small covers have fixed costs spread over few feet, which is why the minimum exists. Very large ones may need bigger beams or more posts. We price every job against a written scope. The rate gets you in the right range before we come out.

Attached covers can land higher than freestanding ones. Tying into the house roofline means flashing, sometimes reframing the fascia and usually more engineering. Freestanding skips the tie-in and adds a row of posts. We'll tell you which one fits your house.

Size it to how you'll use it

Square footage is the number that moves the price, so get it right before you get a quote. Put your furniture out on the patio. A sofa, two chairs and a coffee table want more room than a bistro set. A dining table for eight needs space to push chairs back without stepping off the slab.

Every square foot you add is $119. Every square foot you cut and then miss is a cover you'll stand next to instead of under. If you're between two sizes, price both. The gap is usually smaller than people fear once design and permits are counted, because that line doesn't grow with the cover.

Think about the sun too. A cover on a west-facing patio needs more depth to shade you at 6pm than one facing north. Low evening sun comes in under the edge. A few extra feet of depth fix that. A taller cover doesn't.

Roof shape

A shed roof slopes one way. It's the simplest to frame and drains off one edge. A gable roof peaks in the middle and drains off both sides. It looks more like part of the house and gives you a taller ceiling at the center. It also takes more framing.

If the cover ties into a house with a gable roof, a gable cover usually looks right. If it sits low under a second-story window, a shed roof may be the only thing that fits. We'll draw both when it's close.

Comparing quotes

Line up any quote against ours on the same questions. Is the engineering in it or extra? Are the city fees in it? What's the roof? Exposed-fastener panels and standing seam are not the same roof. What do the posts sit on? A post in a sonotube and a post on an engineered pier are not the same foundation.

Ask about stain. Some quotes leave the cedar raw and price stain as an add. Ours includes it. Ask about the old structure too. If something has to come down first, find out who's paying for the demo.

A lower number that leaves out engineering and permits isn't lower. It's the same cover with a surprise at the end. Get every quote in writing, with the scope spelled out.

How long it takes

Engineering and the city review come first. That part runs on the city's calendar. Once the permit's issued, the build itself moves quickly. Piers and posts, then beams and rafters, then the roof and stain. Concrete and electrical get sequenced around the structure so nothing gets torn up twice.

How we price yours

We come out, measure, check the slab and the roofline, and look at the soil. You get a lump sum against a written scope. Deposit at signing, a draw when the posts are set, the balance at walkthrough. Quotes are good for 30 days.