Patio cover installation in Manhattan Beach CA - shade that fits your patio's sun
If your patio is too hot or too bright to use by mid-afternoon, we plan and build a cover that puts shade where you sit.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What goes into a patio cover in Manhattan Beach?
Patio cover installation in Manhattan Beach means building a roof of aluminum, metal, vinyl, canvas or wood over your patio, either on its own posts or attached to the house, so the space stays shaded and usable through the hottest part of the day.
If your patio sits empty by mid-afternoon because it's too hot or too bright, a cover is usually the simplest fix. The price turns mainly on the size, the material, the style of roof and whether the cover attaches to your house or stands on its own posts, and the schedule turns mostly on what the city needs to review before we can start. We're based in Manhattan Beach and work across the South Bay, and once I've seen your patio you'll get a written estimate with your own figure.
How we handle patio cover installation
I start every cover by looking at which way your patio faces and how much afternoon sun it takes, because that decides whether you need a solid roof or something lighter. Then we weigh aluminum against wood together, and near the beach I also ask what grade of hardware the cover will be built with, since salt air is hard on metal. Once the material and style are settled, I measure and plan how the cover meets the house or stands on its own posts, and after that our crew sets the posts, builds the frame, puts on the roof and cleans up.
Some owners want shade now and a full room later, and if that's you, our sunroom design work lets us plan the cover so it fits the room you'll add. If you'd rather close the space in with frames that need little care, our vinyl sunrooms page explains how that works.
Solid or louvered roof for afternoon sun
A west-facing patio takes the hottest afternoon sun, so a solid roof or a louvered pergola with slats that tilt to let light in or shut it out does the most to keep it cool. This suits owners who want to sit outside through the late afternoon.
Lattice or open pergola for morning light
An east-facing patio gets softer morning light, so lattice or an open pergola is usually enough and is the lower-cost way to get shade. The light comes through in patches, and how much shade you get depends on how far apart the slats sit and which way they run.
Patio cover installation in Manhattan Beach starts with the Coastal Zone
The city's Planning Division says every project inside Manhattan Beach's Coastal Zone needs a coastal permit unless it's exempted or excluded, so the first thing to find out is whether your house sits in that zone. You can check on the city's Coastal Zone map, and the Planning Division takes questions at (310) 802-5520. Whatever the map shows, we check with the city about what your cover needs before work starts, then prepare and file the paperwork for any permits it calls for.
Many houses here sit on narrow lots with the patio tucked against the house or a side wall, so a good share of our planning goes into where the posts land and which way the roof sheds water. We see the same tight patios on jobs in Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach, and we plan them the same way.
Why Manhattan Beach homeowners call Manhattan Beach Sunrooms & Patios for a patio cover
The owner plans every cover
I come out myself to look at every job, measure it and plan the cover, and our own crew does the building. The person you talked through the sun and the attachment with is the one who planned what gets built.
Our own business since 2023
I learned this trade building patio covers and enclosures, then came back to it and started this business in Manhattan Beach in 2023. I did it so I could build the way I was taught, planned with care and finished cleanly.
Licensed and fully insured business
Manhattan Beach Sunrooms & Patios is licensed and fully insured. I'd rather you know that, and everything else you're getting, before you sign anything.
Coastal details settled at the estimate
Before you see a price, I look at whether your address falls in the city's Coastal Zone and talk through the hardware grade for salt air. Both can change what we order and when we can start, so you hear about them up front instead of halfway through.
Satisfaction guaranteed on every job. When you're ready, tell us about your patio or call (424) 290-8610, and I'll take it from there.
Request a quoteGet a written estimate for your patio cover
We'll reply within one business day to set up a time for me to come out and look at your patio. The on-site estimate is free, and there's no pressure to book once you have it in writing.
What happens after you call about a patio cover in Manhattan Beach?
Call or send a request
Call (424) 290-8610 or use the form with a few lines about your patio, and we'll set up a time for me to come out. It helps if you know which way the patio faces.
I come out and measure
I measure the patio, look closely at what the cover will sit on or tie into and talk through the shade you're after. You then get a written estimate, so you can see what the cover includes and what it costs before you sign anything.
We file permits, then build
We take care of the permit paperwork the city calls for, then our crew builds in stages. The posts and frame go up first and the roof goes on last.
Walk through the finished cover
Before we call the job done, we walk through the finished cover with you. It's your chance to ask about anything that's still on your mind.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a patio cover cost in Manhattan Beach?
Across the US, patio cover installation usually costs about $20 to $60 per square foot installed. That's a national range for the finished cover, not our price, so for your patio in Manhattan Beach I'll give you a written figure after I've measured it.
Should I choose an aluminum or wood patio cover?
For most homeowners here I'd lean toward aluminum, because termites can't eat it, it won't burn and it needs almost no care. Wood looks warmer, but it needs sealing from time to time and can attract termites, so it's a good fit if you don't mind that upkeep.
What is the best way to attach a patio cover to my house?
The best way is to settle early whether the part of your house the cover ties into can carry the extra load, before anything is ordered. One maker's evaluation report says that where the local jurisdiction requires it, a registered design professional has to justify that structure, and the code official has to approve it. I look closely at that wall or roofline at the estimate, so if the city asks for that review, it's part of the plan from the start.
What causes rust on patio cover hardware near the beach?
Salt in the coastal air is what works on the metal, and one maker of the connectors used in covers notes that even stainless steel can corrode. Type 316 stainless resists corrosion better than Type 304, especially near the coast, so the grade matters on a new cover. Some corrosion doesn't by itself mean the parts can carry less weight, but when you see significant corrosion, the maker advises having a qualified engineer or inspector check the wood, fasteners, anchors and connectors.
How much can a contractor ask for up front on a patio cover in California?
California's contractor board limits the down payment on a home improvement job to $1,000 or 10 percent of the total contract price, whichever is less. Any later payments have to be listed clearly in the contract and based on work already done or materials already delivered to your house.
What license does a contractor need to install a patio cover in California?
California's contractor board places aluminum, metal, vinyl and canvas patio covers, freestanding or attached, under its awning contractor classification. Patio enclosures and carports fall outside that classification, so a cover and an enclosed room aren't the same kind of work in the board's eyes.
Related services
Sunroom design
Worth a look if you might add walls and windows later and want the cover planned to fit that room.
Vinyl sunrooms
A good fit if you'd like the patio fully closed in with frames that need little upkeep.
Manhattan Beach, CA
Get your patio cover planned right
If you call or send the form with your patio's direction, its rough size, whether the cover attaches to the house and what the city's Coastal Zone map shows, I can come out already knowing what to look at.