Aluminum Patio Covers & Awnings in Orlando, FL

Aluminum patio covers and awnings give you a solid metal roof instead of fabric. They are attached to the house or built freestanding on posts, and they shade a patio, back door, front entry, walkway or carport all year with nothing to roll up and no fabric to replace. In a climate with Orlando's sun and rain, many homeowners choose aluminum for the spaces they use most.

Solid, insulated or lattice

• Solid (non-insulated) panels: interlocking aluminum pans that block sun and rain. Least expensive per square foot, but the metal gets hot and can radiate heat on a summer afternoon.
• Insulated panels: foam sandwiched between two aluminum skins. They keep the space under them cooler, quieter in rain, and can carry ceiling fans and lights with wiring run inside.
• Lattice: open aluminum slats that filter sun but let rain through. Good over a garden walk or part of a patio.

Many projects combine them, for example an insulated section near the house and lattice beyond it.

Attached versus freestanding

An attached cover uses a ledger or header fastened to the house, with posts at the outer edge. It costs less because the house carries one side. Freestanding covers stand on their own posts and footings, which is useful when the wall or roof edge cannot take the load or you want shade out by the pool. With an attached cover, how it connects to the wall or fascia is the critical detail: a stucco-covered block wall, a wood-framed wall and a fascia board each need different fasteners.

Permits and the building code

An aluminum patio cover is a structure, and in Florida that usually means a building permit, with plans that show wind loads, post spacing, footings and connections. Orlando falls under the Florida Building Code's wind design requirements, and the plans have to meet them. Who issues the permit depends on where you live: the City of Orlando inside city limits, Orange County for unincorporated areas, and the relevant city or county farther out. We confirm the jurisdiction for your address, prepare or obtain the plans, and schedule inspections.

Rain and drainage

A solid roof collects every drop of an afternoon thunderstorm and sends it somewhere. We plan the slope, a gutter along the low edge and a downspout that discharges away from the slab, doorways and the pool deck, instead of dumping water where you walk. Where the cover ties into the house, flashing keeps water from running behind it into the wall.

Aluminum awnings over windows and doors

Smaller aluminum awnings, the slatted or panel style common on older Florida homes, shade single windows and entries. They are a durable alternative to fabric where you never need to retract the shade. Hinged versions can be lowered over the window before a storm on some models; check the product's approval and instructions before relying on any awning as storm protection.

HOA review

Many associations have specific rules for patio covers: allowed colors, roof pitch, setbacks from property lines and whether insulated panels or screens are allowed. We prepare the drawings and color selections your HOA needs before anything is ordered.