Patio Cover Plans PDF

What are Patio Cover Plans?

Patio cover plans are comprehensive house plans developed by architects, designers, and construction experts when they build patio covers suitable for residential areas. Used only for recreational and outdoor living purposes, patio covers are one-story structures not exceeding 12 feet in height, open on two sides or more, and attached to the existing residence. These plans help architects and other construction professionals like structural engineers gain in-depth insight while they are working on the design and structure of a patio cover for a residential house. The construction drawings in the patio cover plans must be accurate, complete, and legible.

If you want to create a DIY design strategic plan for your patio cover, consult a licensed and professional architect and a structural engineer as they have the skills and expertise to determine the capability of your building structure to support the additional load factors of a patio cover. Designers and homeowners need to highly consider their local building codes as they can differ significantly among the regions. The local building code determines the actual measurements of concrete footings, slabs, fasteners, and wood structural members to be used for a patio cover. 

Design Factors to Consider for Patio Cover Plans

Some of the requirements for your patio cover plans are plot plans, cross-section drawings, roof framing plans, exterior elevation plans, and other construction details. Other than the requirements, consider the major design factors for patio cover plans and your roofing scope of work in PDF.

Purpose: Think carefully about the primary uses for your patio. The way you want to spend time on your patio will influence most of your design decisions. You need some brainstorming sessions with everyone involved in the household. Some common uses of patios are dining, enjoying the view, entertaining, playing with the kids, and sunbathing. After that, accommodate all of those activities and tasks within an enticing and practical design. So, determine the patio and its cover design, location size, and materials to be used based on its intended purpose. Budget: Use budget spreadsheets to assess your budget for the construction and design of your patio cover. Understand what you can afford for the patio cover design project. After analyzing your project budget, plan a patio and a patio cover that fits your financial capability. Roof Design Load and Roof Slope: This design factor is a combination of the dead load or the weight of the framing material and the live load or the additional weight from external factors like snow for your area. Take note of this essential factor from the International Building Code and from your local building code authorities. The roof slope must have enough pitch necessary for the type of roofing that will be used. Obtain this information from the roofing manufacturer. Rafter Size, Length, and Spacing: When you are finally aware of the roof load and roof slope, determine the sizes, lengths, and spacing of rafters according to the species and grade of the lumber being utilized. Go to the American Wood Council website to use the span calculator and make your calculations. Select the different options for species and spacing and compare their results. Beams, Posts, and Footings: Multiply the lbs/ft² by the length and width of the roof to measure the total weight of the roof (live and dead load). Consider the footings as well because solid conditions vary in different places. For instance, deeper footings are required for areas in the far northern and far southern hemispheres due to frost line factors. Determine the footings of your patio cover according to the International Building Code and your local building codes. Roof Patio Materials: Select the material for the roof addition over your patio. Choose the same material for your outdoor space to make the design seamless. The most popular choice among customers is aluminum because many homeowners prefer its durability, lightweight, and low maintenance. It can withstand intense sunlight and heavy rain without any obvious tear or wear. Choose from eclectic colors, designs, and styles. Roof Patio Styles: If you live in an area that can get a lot of snow or heavy rainfall, consider the right roof patio style for your patio cover like solid patio covers. These patio covers can cover your deck or patio completely and protect it from harsh weather conditions. Or you may opt for pergolas as they are exceptional roof addition over a patio due to their metallic or wooden beams extending from supporting columns or walls. If you want a very intimate setting, especially in the evening, choose pergolas as they allow some light from natural sources like the moon, sun, or the stars while offering protection at the same time.

Types of Patio Covers 

Cover an existing patio at home using different types of patio cover plans. Knowing various patio covers for your DIY patio cover project helps you construct a compelling and well-coordinated design plan to level up the appearance of your home, boost the value of your home, and increase the amount of time you can use the outdoor space every year.

DIY Patio Cover with A-Line Roof: Recommended for climates that have a lot of rain or snowfall, the A-line roof inclusion to your patio cover facilitates drainage, makes snow more convenient to remove if needed and allows for maximum sunlight to shine on the patio while keeping the weather elements out.Insulated Patio Cover: Replace your old patio cover with an insulated patio cover. The insulated patio cover has the capability of keeping the outdoor living space cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. In this way, you can spend fun times outdoors. Under your insulated patio cover, you can entertain your guests, grill some food, let the kids play, have some relaxation time, or do other fun recreational activities. Clear Panel Patio Cover: Enjoy the view of the lovely sky without getting burned by the sun or drenched by the rain. Clear panels on your patio cover are slightly tinted to block the harmful UV rays from the sun while being clear enough to let the sunlight light up the outdoor living area. Choose this type of patio cover if you like to watch the rain falling without getting wet and feel the calming, soothing sound of the rain falling on the panels. Polycarbonate Covered Patio: Polycarbonate makes a fantastic roofing material for a sunny patio because it is inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to work with. It allows the sun to shine through while giving some protection from the sun’s direct rays. So, this roofing material lets sufficient sunlight shine through, great for flower plants that can be grown on the patio. With a polycarbonate-covered patio, you can grow a container garden and reap the benefits of having fresh food and flowers from there.

How to Build Patio Cover Plans

A balanced and well-structured patio cover plan is required for a patio that is good for entertaining and other everyday uses. Remember the following steps so that you can easily build your patio cover plans.

Step 1: Follow the Requirements and Standards

Strictly follow the requirements and standards implemented in your local area when building patio covers. For example, make sure that all construction, material, and workmanship conform to the latest adopted edition of the New York Building Code, all parts of the structure must be interconnected to create a stable structure, and the entire lateral stability of the patio cover structure is subject to the approval of the building inspectors.

Step 2: Consider Climate Control

Control or use sunlight and shade, wind, and natural air current to make your covered patio the coziest place in your outdoor landscape. For instance, the sun’s path changes throughout the year: it rises high in the sky during summer along the east-west axis, while the sun’s angle is relatively low during winter as it produces long shadows in the northwest, north, and northeast directions. Consider the amount of sunlight your patio will receive. After that, determine the direction of prevailing winds affecting your patio.

Step 3: Describe the Patio Cover Materials and Orientation

The patio cover material you choose can also influence the patio environment. Dark-colored, solid surfaces like brick or dark stone can absorb plenty of heat during the day. But, as the sun goes down, the stored heat released from the paving can warm the air on the patio. While constructing your patio cover for shade, try to experiment with alternative materials like bamboo screening or fabric to control wind and filter sunlight.

Step 4: Draw your Patio Cover Plans

Sketch your basic ideas and plans in your paper. Use scaled drawings to demonstrate relationships between elements and whole proportions within a plan and to help you estimate materials and create shopping lists. Work from a base map or site plan, an aerial perspective of the patio project site.


FAQs

What is the standard patio cover size?

The standard patio cover size is around 10×10, and larger patio covers could be around 15×15 or 20×20.

What is the purpose of a hip roof?

A hip roof makes one’s home safer from weather disturbances such as storms and hurricanes. It only needs less support compared to other common roof types due to its complexity and capability to shield the building from strong winds, continuous rains, and snow.

Is tin roof and metal roof similar?

A tin roof is a type of metal roof, but these words are not interchangeable and mean different things.

Is a shed roof a pitched roof?

A shed roof is also referred to as a single-pitched roof surface, a catslide, a lean-to roof, and a pent roof.

What materials are needed to build a patio cover?

The patio cover materials commonly used are wood, aluminum, and vinyl. Wood is a timeless piece that can be used due to its beauty and strength. Vinyl is a high-quality material more durable than wood as it is less likely to crack, peel, or rot. Aluminum is inexpensive, has great durability, and low maintenance due to its strong but lightweight quality, providing superior protection from the natural elements without compromising ease and comfort.

Whether you want a grand patio cover for your large suburban house, skylights on your patio cover for a dramatic night view of the sky, or a casual and organic feel on your patio, consider the major design factors and requirements when building patio cover plans. Determine your purpose, budget, roof design load, roof slope, rafter size, length, spacing, beams, posts, footings, roof patio materials, and roof patio styles. To fully guide you in your patio cover construction, Sample.net offers a unique collection of well-designed PDF document templates including a design quality control plan in PDF, a project assessment plan in PDF, and a construction completion report in PDF.