Why Quality Patio Covers Are Worth the Investment
Quality patio covers are one of the smartest upgrades you can make to your backyard — here’s a quick overview of what to know before you buy:
| What to Know | Quick Answer |
|---|---|
| Best material | Aluminum or Alumawood — no rot, warping, or fading |
| Main styles | Solid, lattice, combo, freestanding, attached |
| Key benefits | Weather protection, UV filtering, energy savings, home value |
| Lifespan | Decades with proper installation and quality materials |
| Home value boost | Up to 5–10% increase in property value |
| Energy savings | Up to 30% reduction in cooling costs |
| Who installs | Always use a licensed, experienced local contractor |
Your backyard should be a place you actually want to spend time in. But without the right shade structure, harsh sun, rain, and wind can make it uncomfortable — and leave your outdoor furniture looking worn within a few seasons. A well-chosen patio cover changes that completely. It turns an exposed slab into a true outdoor living room you can enjoy year-round.
The good news? Today’s patio covers come in more styles and materials than ever before. Whether you want a sleek solid roof that keeps out rain, an open lattice that lets in the breeze, or a custom freestanding structure away from the house — there’s a solution built for your space, your climate, and your budget.
But not all patio covers are created equal. The difference between a cover that lasts two years and one that lasts a lifetime often comes down to material quality, proper sizing, and professional installation.
At Awnings Unlimited, we’ve been installing quality patio covers across Northern Utah since 1976 — that’s nearly five decades of experience helping homeowners find the right fit for their outdoor space. We specialize in durable, low-maintenance solutions using Alumawood by Amerimax, backed by an industry-leading warranty on every installation.
Types of Quality Patio Covers and Their Functions
When you begin planning your backyard upgrade, you will quickly realize that shade structures are not one-size-fits-all. The right design should match your home’s architectural style, provide the exact level of weather protection you need, and fit naturally into your overall backyard design.
Choosing the right structure is all about balancing form and function. To dive deeper into how different styles function, check out The Ultimate Guide to Patio Cover Types: Insulated, Modern, Freestanding and More to see which configuration matches your lifestyle.
Solid and Lattice Designs
The two primary styles of quality patio covers are solid roofs and lattice systems. Each serves a very different purpose depending on how you plan to use your outdoor space.
- Solid Roof Patio Covers: If your goal is 100% protection from the elements, a solid roof is the way to go. These structures block out the sun entirely, keeping the patio significantly cooler, and they provide a completely watertight barrier against rain and heavy Utah snow. A solid roof allows you to use your outdoor space during a summer rainstorm or a winter flurry without a second thought. For a detailed breakdown of these systems, read our Non-Insulated Patio Covers Guide 2026.
- Lattice Patio Covers: Often referred to as pergolas, lattice covers feature spaced beams that filter sunlight rather than blocking it entirely. Typically, a lattice cover reduces direct sun exposure by 40% to 60%. This style is perfect for homeowners who want to maintain a bright, airy feel, enjoy natural starlight at night, and allow warm air to rise and escape freely.
- Combo Designs: Can’t decide between the two? A combo design gives you the best of both worlds. You can have a solid roof over your outdoor kitchen or dining table to keep them dry, transitioning into a beautiful lattice cover over your seating area to let in natural light and airflow.
Freestanding and Attached Custom Designs
Another major decision is how your patio cover will connect to your property.
- Attached Patio Covers: These are structurally anchored directly to your home’s ledger board or roofline. Attached covers act as a seamless extension of your indoor living space, making your patio feel like an extra room of the house. They are incredibly stable and generally require fewer support posts, which keeps your patio layout open and uncluttered.
- Freestanding Structures: If you want to build a backyard oasis away from the main house—perhaps next to a swimming pool, over a detached deck, or in a quiet corner of your garden—a freestanding cover is the ideal choice. Supported entirely by its own columns, a freestanding design gives you complete freedom to position your shade structure wherever it looks and functions best.
Material Comparison: Choosing the Best Foundation
The material you choose for your patio cover dictates how much time you will spend maintaining it, how well it will withstand the harsh Wasatch Front winters, and how much it will cost over its lifespan. Making the right material selection is the key to ensuring structural integrity and long-term satisfaction.
To help you compare, we have put together a comprehensive look at the most common materials used today. For a deeper dive into these options, see Patio Covers 101: Materials, Styles and Maintenance Tips.
| Material | Average Cost | Durability | Maintenance Required | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alumawood / Aluminum | Moderate | Extremely High | Virtually None | Won’t rust, warp, rot, or burn; looks like wood | Higher upfront cost than cheap fabric covers |
| Traditional Wood | High | Moderate | High (Painting/Staining) | Classic, heavy look; highly customizable | Vulnerable to rot, termites, warping, and cracking |
| Polycarbonate | Moderate | High | Low | Allows natural light through; impact-resistant | Can scratch; requires occasional washing |
| Fabric / Canvas Patio Covers | Low | Low | Moderate to High | Inexpensive upfront; lightweight | Fades, tears, and must be replaced every few years |
Aluminum and Alumawood Durability
For homeowners looking for the ultimate balance of beauty and longevity, aluminum and Alumawood are the clear winners. Aluminum frames are incredibly strong yet lightweight, meaning they won’t put unnecessary stress on your home’s foundation.
Alumawood is a premium engineered aluminum that is embossed with a realistic wood-grain texture and coated with a heavy-duty paint finish. It gives you the rich, warm aesthetic of natural wood without any of the associated headaches. Because it is highly resistant to weather, it is also an incredibly sustainable, long-term choice for your property. Learn more about these benefits in our guide to Eco-Friendly Patio Covers: Sustainable Options for the Modern Home.
Why Alumawood and Aluminum Outperform Traditional Wood
While natural wood has a classic appeal, the reality of owning a wood patio cover in Utah or Wyoming can be exhausting. The extreme temperature swings—from scorching summer days to freezing, snowy winters—cause wood to expand, contract, warp, and crack.
Here is why Alumawood and aluminum outperform traditional wood:
- Zero Rot and Termites: Wood is organic, making it a target for moisture rot and wood-boring insects. Aluminum is completely impervious to both.
- No Painting or Staining: A wood cover needs to be sanded, primed, and repainted or restained every 2 to 4 years to keep it looking decent. Alumawood features the Aluma-Shield paint system with Teflon, which repels dust, dirt, oil, and stains. It never peels, chips, or fades, saving you thousands of dollars and countless weekends of labor.
- Fire Safety: Wood is combustible. Aluminum is non-combustible, adding an extra layer of safety to your home, especially if you enjoy grilling or hosting backyard fire pits.
- Long-Term Value: While a cheap wood or fabric patio cover might seem cheaper at first, the ongoing maintenance costs and eventual replacement expenses mean aluminum and Alumawood offer far superior long-term value.
Essential Buying Guide for Homeowners
Purchasing a patio cover is an investment in your home’s structure and your family’s comfort. To get the most out of your project, you need a solid backyard planning strategy.
Before making a final decision, review our Patio Covers 101: Everything You Need to Know Before You Buy to make sure you have covered all your bases.
Key Factors to Consider When Selecting Quality Patio Covers
When choosing quality patio covers, you must look beyond aesthetics and consider local structural demands:
- Snow Load Capacity: This is non-negotiable along the Wasatch Front. A cheap retail kit designed for mild climates will buckle under the weight of a heavy Utah snowstorm. Your cover must be engineered to handle the specific snow load requirements of your city, whether you live in Salt Lake City, Sandy, or up in Park City.
- Wind Resistance: Mountain winds can be incredibly powerful. Your patio cover must be securely anchored to deep concrete footings or a reinforced deck to prevent uplift during high-wind events.
- HOA Guidelines: If you live in a homeowner’s association, there are likely strict rules regarding the height, color, material, and placement of any outdoor structures. Working with an installer who understands how to navigate these guidelines is essential.
- Building Permits: Most municipalities along the Wasatch Front require a building permit for permanent outdoor structures. Professional installers will handle the engineering calculations, architectural drawings, and permit submissions for you. To understand local regulations better, consult our Patio Covers Utah Guide 2026.
Integrating Seamless Gutters and Roller Shades
To turn your patio cover into a truly high-functioning outdoor living space, consider integrating these two essential accessories:
- Seamless Rain Gutters: A solid roof patio cover collects a massive amount of rainwater and melting snow. Without proper water drainage, this water will spill over the edges, eroding your landscaping, flooding your patio, and potentially leaking back toward your home’s foundation. Installing 5-inch or 6-inch case-style seamless gutters directs water safely away from your living area.
- Roller Shades / Solar Screens: While a patio cover protects you from overhead sun, the morning or late afternoon sun can still stream in horizontally, causing glare and sunburn. Installing automated or manual roller shades provides adjustable UV filtering and wind protection on demand, keeping your patio up to 15 degrees cooler. For those interested in expanding their outdoor projects, exploring Utah custom patio design options can provide great ideas on how to integrate these accessories seamlessly.
Long-Term Benefits of Outdoor Shade Structures
Investing in a permanent, high-quality outdoor shade structure does more than just block the sun—it fundamentally changes how you interact with your home and your property.
If you want to see how a professional installation can elevate your entire property, check out Transform Your Backyard: A Guide to Quality Residential Patio Covers for inspiration and design ideas.
The Financial and Lifestyle Value of Quality Patio Covers
Installing a premium patio cover pays dividends in several ways:
- Increased Home Value: A custom, durable patio cover acts as an extension of your home’s usable square footage. Because it enhances curb appeal and creates a ready-to-use outdoor living room, a quality cover can increase your home’s overall value by 5% to 10%. To see how this works in our local market, read Do Custom Patio Covers Increase Home Value?.
- Improved Energy Efficiency: When direct sunlight beats down on your patio doors and windows, it creates a greenhouse effect inside your home, forcing your air conditioner to work overtime. By shading these entry points, a patio cover can reduce solar heat gain and save you up to 30% on your summer cooling bills.
- Furniture and Deck Protection: UV rays are incredibly destructive. They cause wood decks to crack, plastic to become brittle, and expensive outdoor cushions to fade and rot. A protective cover can extend the lifespan of your outdoor furniture by 2 to 3 times, saving you money on replacements.
Professional Installation vs. Retail DIY Kits
It can be tempting to order a cheap, pre-packaged patio cover kit online to save a few dollars. However, retail kits come with significant limitations:
- Inferior Materials: Most retail kits use thin, lightweight aluminum and cheap plastic connectors that are prone to bending, rusting, and leaking.
- Lack of Engineering: DIY kits are rarely engineered to meet the strict snow load and wind requirements of Northern Utah. A single heavy winter storm can completely collapse an un-engineered structure.
- Warranty Pitfalls: If you install a retail kit yourself and it leaks or buckles, the manufacturer will almost always blame “incorrect installation” and deny your warranty claim.
- Safety Risks: Working with heavy beams, anchoring structures to your home’s roofline, and ensuring perfect structural alignment requires specialized tools and expertise.
Choosing professional installation ensures your cover is structurally sound, fully permitted, and built to stand the test of time. To understand why this is the safest and most cost-effective route, read our guides on Why Choose Professional Patio Cover Installation and compare it with the realities of self-assembly in our Patio Cover Kits Utah Guide 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions about Patio Covers
How long do aluminum patio covers last?
Aluminum and Alumawood patio covers are engineered to last a lifetime. Unlike wood, which can rot within a decade, or fabric, which tears after a few seasons, high-grade aluminum does not rust, warp, crack, or peel. With professional installation, your aluminum cover will easily last 30 to 40+ years with almost zero structural degradation. For tips on keeping your low-maintenance cover looking pristine, check out Low Maintenance Patio Covers: Maintaining Your Outdoor Space.
Do patio covers require building permits in Utah?
Yes, in most cities across the Wasatch Front and Northern Utah, any permanent structure attached to your home or exceeding a certain size (typically 120 to 200 square feet for freestanding structures) requires a building permit. This ensures the structure is safely engineered for local wind and snow loads. When you work with professional patio cover builders or patio cover installers, they will handle the permitting process from start to finish. For more details on local guidelines, see our Patio Covers Utah Guide 2026.
How much maintenance do quality patio covers need?
Virtually none! While wood requires constant sanding, painting, and sealing, Alumawood and aluminum only require a quick wash once or twice a year. Simply spray the structure down with a garden hose to remove accumulated dust, pollen, and cobwebs. For stubborn spots, a mild detergent and a soft-bristled brush are all you need. To keep your cover in top shape year-round, read our Seasonal Patio Cover Maintenance Tips for Every Season.
Conclusion: Transform Your Backyard with Awnings Unlimited
A beautiful, high-quality patio cover is more than just a home improvement project—it’s an investment in your family’s comfort, your home’s value, and your everyday lifestyle. Whether you want to escape the scorching summer heat, host weekend barbecues rain or shine, or simply enjoy a quiet cup of coffee outdoors, the right shade structure makes it possible.
If you are ready to upgrade your backyard, do not trust the job to just anyone. Awnings Unlimited is a local, family-owned business that has been serving Utah and Wyoming since 1976. We specialize in custom-designed, professionally installed Alumawood patio covers that are engineered specifically to handle our unique mountain climate.
From our home base in Salt Lake City, we proudly serve communities across the entire Wasatch Front and Northern Utah, including:
- Salt Lake County (including Sandy, Draper, West Jordan, South Jordan, Herriman, Bluffdale, Cottonwood Heights, and Magna)
- Utah County (including Provo, Orem, Lehi, Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain, Spanish Fork, Alpine, Highland, and Cedar Hills)
- Davis and Weber Counties (including Ogden, Layton, Bountiful, and Farmington)
- Cache and Box Elder Counties (including Logan and Brigham City)
- Summit, Wasatch, and Tooele Counties (including Park City, Heber City, and Tooele)
We are committed to delivering the absolute best patio covers Utah has to offer, backed by our unmatched workmanship and premium manufacturer warranties.
Don’t spend another summer hiding indoors from the heat or watching your outdoor furniture fade in the sun. Contact us today at Awnings Unlimited to schedule your free estimate and take the first step toward creating your perfect backyard oasis!