Patio Cover Kits
A patio cover kit is a pre-cut timber package for building shade or a solid roof over a patio. The main timber parts arrive cut for the project. You assemble the frame on site. If you want full building steps instead, see How to Build a DIY Patio Cover.
Western Timber Frame kits use CNC-cut timber. CNC is a computer-controlled cutting machine. The kits also use dovetail joinery. A dovetail is an interlocking joint that locks two timbers together. Western Timber Frame has built more than 7,000 structures.
The first choice is the type of cover you want. If you want open rafters with filtered shade, compare a pergola kit. If you want a large outdoor room with a solid roof, see gazebo and pavilion kits. You can also see a custom timber pavilion. For a freestanding structure with a shaped solid roof, see a custom gazebo. For a covered poolside room, see a custom cabana. You can also compare timber cabana kits. For a garden walk-through frame, see arbor and trellis kits.
To compare pergolas, pavilions, gazebos, and cabanas before choosing a kit, see our covered patio ideas comparison.
If you are choosing a gazebo-style kit, these gazebo shapes and ideas can help you compare layouts before you choose.
What Patio Cover Kit Sizes Are Available?
Patio covers do not have to fit one store-box size. Western Timber Frame cuts structures to order. Sizes run from 10×10 through 30×30, 40×40, and beyond. In-between sizes such as 12×14 and 16×18 are standard. Choose the size by measuring the area you want to cover. Source: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/pergola-kits/.
The published pricing page also explains that custom sizes and shapes can be made between listed sizes. Source: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/custom-timber-structure-pricing/.
| Common size | What it is often used for |
|---|---|
| 10×10 to 12×12 | A compact seating area, a hot tub, or a small outdoor room |
| 12×14 or 16×18 | An in-between size cut to fit the patio |
| 16×20 | A dining or family area. See the 16×20 planning example below. |
| 20×20 | A larger gathering cover. See the 20×20 covered-patio example below. |
| 20×30 | A longer attached shade cover. See the 20×30 example below. |
| 30×30, 40×40, and larger | A large yard or a custom footprint |
Real projects can help you picture the scale. This Covered Patio is a 20-foot by 20-foot project. Another planning example is Plan For An Easy 16′ x 20′ DIY Solid Wood Pergola or Pavilion. A larger attached example is the “WOW” 20′ x 30′ White Timber Fast & Easy Patio Shade.
For a tight yard, look at Small Backyard Pavilion Ideas. If the patio is on more than one level, see a 2-Story Timber Pergola Deck.
Before choosing a footprint, mark the planned posts on the patio with tape. Check doors, walkways, stairs, windows, chairs, and grills.
What Comes in a Patio Cover Kit?
The main structure is CNC-cut before it reaches the site. Western Timber Frame uses dovetail joinery. The Dovetail Difference uses interlocking joinery so one timber locks into another. The structure is made for assembly after the site and supports are ready.
A published kit includes:
- CNC-cut timbers
- Pre-drilled and pre-marked parts
- Plans
- Finish materials
- Specified hardware
Source: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/pergola-kits/.
The exact packing list can change with the structure and roof. Solid-roof materials also depend on the roof design. Roof panels are sourced from multiple manufacturers, so the roof package is not the same for every project. If you are comparing translucent roof materials, see our polycarbonate pergola roof panels guide. A smaller single-slope roof can be seen on the 14×16 Timber Frame Cabana (Single-Slope, Shed-Style Roof). For a larger hip roof, see the 22’x24′ Hip Roof Pavilion w/ Integrated Self-Contained Power.
The timber species can also change. Base pricing assumes Douglas Fir Grade A. For help comparing woods, see Best Wood Species for a Timber Pergola.
How Much Does a Patio Cover Kit Cost?
Western Timber Frame structures start at $3,900 for the smallest sizes and can run into six figures for the largest projects. Base pricing assumes Douglas Fir Grade A. The published price is the same in every state. Freight is included in the lower 48. Alaska, Hawaii, and hard-to-reach sites are quoted separately.
| Structure type | Published starting price | What that cover is |
|---|---|---|
| Pergola | from $4,300 | Open rafters and filtered shade |
| Pavilion | from $6,300 | A solid roof for full overhead cover |
| Pool cabana | from $7,600 | A covered poolside room |
| Gazebo | from $10,700 | A freestanding cover with a shaped solid roof |
| Trellis | from $4,900 | A garden screen rather than a full patio sitting cover |
Source: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/custom-timber-structure-pricing/.
A patio cover with open rafters is commonly planned as a pergola. A patio cover with a solid roof is commonly planned as a pavilion. Size, roof type, options, and local wind or snow needs can change the final number.
For a fuller budget breakdown beyond kit starting prices, see how much a covered patio costs.
For a fuller budget breakdown beyond kit starting prices, see how much a covered patio costs.
How Roof Choices Work
The roof package depends on the kit and roof design. Roof panels are sourced from multiple manufacturers, so the exact panel package can vary by project.
For details about how solid roofs handle rain, see the covered-pergola rain guide.
Do You Need a Permit for a Patio Cover Kit?
The local building office decides which permits and rules apply at the project address. Ask that office before you build.
The current 2025 California Residential Code places patio-cover provisions in Appendix BF. Source: https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/CARC2025P1/appendix-bf-patio-covers.
Appendix BF covers qualifying patio covers used for recreational outdoor living and limits them to one story and no more than 12 feet high. The local building department still decides how the current California code and local amendments apply to the project. Source: https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/CARC2025P1/appendix-bf-patio-covers (BF101.2 and BF104.1).
The same 2025 California Residential Code Appendix BF says patio covers must carry dead load (the weight of the structure itself — the posts, beams, and roof). It also calls for vertical live load (extra weight that comes and goes, like snow or a person on the roof) of at least 10 psf, which means pounds per square foot — how much weight each square foot has to hold. Where the required snow load is higher, that snow load applies instead. The cover must also be designed for the required wind load. Source: https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/CARC2025P1/appendix-bf-patio-covers (BF105.1).
An attached cover commonly needs more review than a simple uncovered patio. Rules for freestanding covers also vary by size and location. Western Timber Frame does not guarantee permit approval.
Why a Solid Roof Changes the Engineering
A solid roof adds forces that an open shade roof does not handle in the same way. Wind can push up on the roof. That upward force is called uplift. Snow adds weight from above. The posts, beams, joints, anchors, and each footing (the concrete base that supports a post) have to work together as one load path (the route a force takes through the structure and into the ground).
Western Timber Frame’s standard engineering starts at 115 mph wind. Where an area requires more, the structure is engineered for the higher requirement. Source: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/engineering-and-permitting/.
Standard engineering packages use 30 or 50 pounds per square foot of ground snow. Projects that need more can be engineered for the local requirement. Source: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/engineering-and-permitting/.
The engineered drawings also set embedment (how deep a post or anchor sits down in the concrete) for the project.
A real Utah event shows why the full structure and anchoring matter. KSL reported that winds above 50 mph moved a 12-foot by 12-foot metal pergola from one yard into a nearby house in Lehi. That one event does not describe every patio cover or material. It does show why the roof, frame, anchors, and foundation need to work together. Source: https://www.ksl.com/article/news/utah/wind-lifts-metal-pergola-into-lehi-home/51587960.
For more on that lesson, see why the frame, engineering, and anchoring matter in wind.
Attached Patio Cover Kit vs. Freestanding Kit
A freestanding patio cover stands on its own posts. An attached cover sits beside the house and covers the patio directly outside a door or wall. Western Timber Frame sets an attached cover on its own posts beside the house instead of hanging it from the wall.
House-side support can vary by site, so see our attached patio or porch cover guide for the full connection and water-control details.
A solid roof beside a house still has to be designed for the forces at that site. See how wind, snow, and seismic load combinations work on a timber structure.
What We Found
Here is what the cited sources say, in normal words.
A deck ledger (a structural board fastened to suitable house framing) is not just a board screwed onto siding. The house framing has to be able to support it. The American Wood Council DCA 6 deck guide also calls for flashing (water-shedding material that directs water away from a connection) at the ledger connection. Its non-ledger deck detail shows another way to carry vertical weight: an added beam and posts near the house. Source: https://awc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/AWC-DCA62012-DeckGuide-1405.pdf.
Western Timber Frame uses the same basic load-path idea for patio covers wherever the site allows. Posts are placed next to the house and bolted to concrete. The roof stands on those supports rather than depending on the house wall for its vertical roof load. The water-resistive barrier (the layer behind the outside finish that helps keep water out) is part of the wall’s moisture control. The exact patio-cover engineering still comes from the drawings for that project.
Wind and snow also change the frame. Standard engineering starts at 115 mph wind. Where an area requires more, the structure is engineered for the higher requirement. Standard packages also use 30 or 50 pounds per square foot of ground snow, with higher loads engineered when needed. Source: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/engineering-and-permitting/.
The 2025 California Residential Code Appendix BF limits patio covers under that appendix to one story and no more than 12 feet high. It says they are for recreational outdoor living rather than use as a carport, garage, storage room, or habitable room. It also calls for dead loads plus at least 10 psf of vertical live load, or the required snow load when that is higher, along with the required wind load. Local rules still decide what applies at a specific address. Source: https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/CARC2025P1/appendix-bf-patio-covers.
The KSL report is a real example of why anchoring and the full load path matter. A 12-foot by 12-foot metal pergola was moved from a yard during winds above 50 mph and hit a nearby house. That one event does not tell you how every patio cover or material will behave. Source: https://www.ksl.com/article/news/utah/wind-lifts-metal-pergola-into-lehi-home/51587960.
| What the source says | What that means in plain English |
|---|---|
| The American Wood Council DCA 6 deck guide says the exterior finish system is removed at a deck ledger and corrosion-resistant flashing is required at the connection. Source: https://awc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/AWC-DCA62012-DeckGuide-1405.pdf. | A structural wall connection needs suitable framing and water control. It is not just a board fastened over siding. |
| The DCA 6 guide shows a non-ledger deck with an additional beam and posts near the house for vertical loads. Source: https://awc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/AWC-DCA62012-DeckGuide-1405.pdf. | Posts and a beam can carry vertical weight instead of making the exterior wall carry that weight. |
| Western Timber Frame lists 115 mph as its standard wind starting point. Standard ground-snow packages are 30 or 50 psf. Source: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/engineering-and-permitting/. | The site still matters. Higher local requirements mean the structure is engineered for more. |
| The 2025 California Residential Code Appendix BF limits patio covers under that appendix to one story and no more than 12 feet high. It also sets minimum structural load rules. Source: https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/CARC2025P1/appendix-bf-patio-covers. | The California code sets basic limits for patio covers covered by that appendix. The local building office decides what applies to the project. |
| KSL documented a 12-foot by 12-foot metal pergola moving into a neighboring house during winds above 50 mph. Source: https://www.ksl.com/article/news/utah/wind-lifts-metal-pergola-into-lehi-home/51587960. | Anchoring and the full load path matter when wind pushes on an outdoor structure. |
Shipping and Delivery
Western Timber Frame publishes one price nationwide. In-state and out-of-state homeowners pay the same published price. Freight is included in the lower 48. Alaska, Hawaii, and hard-to-reach sites are quoted separately. Source: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/custom-timber-structure-pricing/.
Most structures ship in 2 to 6 weeks in spring and summer. Most ship in 1 to 3 weeks in fall and winter. Exact timing depends on the project and delivery location. Source: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/custom-timber-structure-pricing/.
Western Timber Frame’s shipping information explains how large timber packages are delivered and what the homeowner should plan for when the shipment arrives. Source: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/shipping-faqs/.
Assembly at a Glance
A patio cover kit is made to reduce the cutting and fitting that would happen in a build-from-scratch project. The timber is CNC-cut before shipping, and the joinery is made at the shop. Western Timber Frame cuts those patio cover timbers from Douglas Fir Grade A, with Coast Redwood and Cedar also offered.
Many kits assemble in an afternoon with two or three people. Actual time depends on size, site prep, lifting, and crew experience. Source: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/pergola-kits/.
This page does not give full footing, framing, roofing, or tool instructions. Those belong in the DIY patio cover building guide.
If you are covering a vehicle or RV instead of a sitting area, use the Timber Frame Carport & RV Cover guide. For a more detailed RV example, see Building an Easy DIY RV Cover – Western Timber Frame.
Choosing a Patio Cover Kit for Your State
The published structure price does not change by state. The engineering can. Wind, snow, the site, and local building rules can change the final design. Sources: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/custom-timber-structure-pricing/ and https://www.westerntimberframe.com/engineering-and-permitting/.
Texas and the Gulf Coast. Wind and coastal site conditions can change the engineering. A solid roof has to be designed for the forces at the project address.
Florida. The address matters. Standard engineering starts at 115 mph wind. Where the local requirement is higher, the structure is engineered for the higher requirement.
California. Wind, seismic forces, coastal conditions, heat, and mountain snow can matter depending on the site. The final design should follow the requirements for that address.
Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and other snow areas. Snow adds weight to a solid roof. Standard packages use 30 or 50 pounds per square foot of ground snow. A site may require more. Source: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/engineering-and-permitting/.
Permit rules also vary by city and county. Ask the local building office what it needs for the exact site before construction begins. Exact permit-size cutoffs by town are outside the scope of this page.
Patio Cover Kit FAQs
What is a patio cover kit?
A patio cover kit is a pre-cut package used to build shade or a roof over a patio. The main timber pieces are cut before delivery so the frame can be assembled at the site.
What Patio Cover Kit Sizes Are Available?
Sizes run from 10×10 through 30×30, 40×40, and beyond. In-between sizes such as 12×14 and 16×18 are standard. Choose the size by measuring the area you want to cover. Source: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/pergola-kits/.
What comes in a patio cover kit?
A kit includes CNC-cut timbers, pre-drilled and pre-marked parts, plans, finish materials, and specified hardware. The Dovetail Difference uses interlocking joinery. The exact packing list can change with the structure and roof. Source: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/pergola-kits/.
How much does a patio cover kit cost?
Structures start at $3,900 for the smallest sizes and can run into six figures for the largest projects. Pergolas start at $4,300, pavilions at $6,300, pool cabanas at $7,600, gazebos at $10,700, and trellises at $4,900. The published price is the same in every state. Freight is included in the lower 48. Alaska, Hawaii, and hard-to-reach sites are quoted separately. Source: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/custom-timber-structure-pricing/.
Do I need a permit for a patio cover kit?
The local building office decides. The 2025 California Residential Code Appendix BF limits patio covers under that appendix to one story and no more than 12 feet high. It also sets structural load rules for patio covers. Other states and local governments can have different rules. Source: https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/CARC2025P1/appendix-bf-patio-covers.
How long does assembly take?
Many kits assemble in an afternoon with two or three people. Actual time depends on size, site prep, lifting, and crew experience. Source: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/pergola-kits/.
Are the timber parts cut before shipping?
Yes. Western Timber Frame cuts its custom structures to order with CNC equipment before they ship. Source: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/custom-timber-structure-pricing/.
What kind of joints do the kits use?
They use dovetail joinery. A dovetail is a shaped joint that lets one timber lock into another.
Is shipping included?
Freight is included in the published price in the lower 48 states. Alaska, Hawaii, and hard-to-reach sites are quoted separately. Source: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/custom-timber-structure-pricing/.
Does the structure cost the same in every state?
Yes. Western Timber Frame publishes one nationwide price. In-state and out-of-state homeowners pay the same published structure price. Source: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/custom-timber-structure-pricing/.
Can a patio cover kit meet local wind rules?
Standard engineering starts at 115 mph wind. Where an area requires more, the structure is engineered for the higher requirement. Source: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/engineering-and-permitting/.
Can a patio cover kit be engineered for snow?
Yes. Standard packages use 30 or 50 pounds per square foot of ground snow. Higher requirements can be engineered for the project. Source: https://www.westerntimberframe.com/engineering-and-permitting/.
Can a patio cover kit go next to the house?
Yes. Wherever the site allows, Western Timber Frame sets posts next to the house and bolts them to concrete so those posts carry the vertical roof load. Some sites may still need a ledger or another engineered connection. Flashing still matters anywhere the roof meets the wall.
Are the roof panels made by Western Timber Frame?
No. Roof panels are sourced from multiple manufacturers. The panel package depends on the roof design and project.
Can a homeowner assemble the kit?
Yes. The parts are made for on-site assembly. Many kits assemble in an afternoon with two or three people. Actual time depends on size, site prep, lifting, and crew experience. For full building steps, use the DIY patio cover guide linked above.
Is a patio cover kit the same as a carport kit?
No. They may use similar structural ideas, but they serve different spaces. A patio cover is planned around an outdoor living area. A carport or RV cover is planned around a vehicle. The 2025 California Residential Code Appendix BF says patio covers under that appendix are not for use as carports. Source: https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/CARC2025P1/appendix-bf-patio-covers.
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Not Sure What Your Covered Patio Kit Should Include?
You don’t have to have every detail figured out before you start. The size of your space, roof style, connection to your home, local conditions, and how you want to use the patio can all influence the right design.
Bring us what you know so far. Our team can help you think through the possibilities, answer your questions, so you can determine what makes sense for your project.
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