Patio enclosures in Irvine CA - a sheltered room under your patio cover
If wind, dust and bugs keep you off your patio, we close it in with screens, glass or insulated walls so you'll actually use it.
What does it take to enclose a patio in Irvine?
A patio enclosure in Irvine adds screen, glass or insulated walls under or around your existing patio cover, so an open patio becomes a sheltered room that keeps out wind, dust, bugs and the chill that comes in on cool evenings.
Most people who call us have a patio they like but hardly use, because it's too breezy, too buggy or too cold once the sun goes down. The price comes down mostly to the walls you pick and whether the cover and slab need work first, and the schedule turns on that same work plus any city permit and HOA approval, so the estimate is where you'll see what your patio needs. If you don't have a cover yet, a patio cover installation comes first and the enclosure can follow.
How we build a patio enclosure
I look hard at the cover overhead and the slab underneath before we talk about walls, because the enclosure leans on both and either one can need work before anything goes up. The cover becomes the roof of your room, and the slab is usually the floor and the base, so if it slopes too much, has cracked or has settled, we level or repair it first so the walls sit square and seal properly. A slab that stops short of the cover's edge may need extending, too. Once those are right, our crew sets the frame, fits the screens, glass or insulated panels you chose, ties the room into the house and seals it up.
Some homeowners get partway into planning and realize they want more of a real room, with its own layout, windows and finishes, and that's where custom sunrooms come in. When the cover or slab is past saving, we'd rather build the room new from the ground up, which is our sunroom construction work.
Patio enclosure permits and HOA rules in Irvine
The city's permit list names patio covers, not patio enclosures, so whether your enclosure needs a permit of its own isn't something I assume either way, and I check with the City of Irvine for your project. One rule worth knowing up front is that when the city permits work valued at $1,000 or more, the home has to add smoke detectors. The city also asks you to look at your HOA's policies before design plans are drawn, since many associations run their own approval, and condominium owners have to submit a copy of the HOA-approved design plans. We take care of the permit steps with the city when a project calls for them, and we help you get together what your HOA asks to see.
On jobs around Irvine, the patio is usually a slab that was poured long before anyone thought about walls, often with edges that have settled a little. We find the same thing on enclosure jobs in Tustin and Costa Mesa, and since we're based in Irvine and work across Orange County, checking the cover and slab is part of every visit.
How a patio enclosure gets built
Call or send the form
Tell us a little about your patio and cover, and send photos if you have them. We'll set a time for me to come out.
Walk the patio with me
I come out myself to look at the cover, the slab the room will sit on and how it will tie into the house, and I walk you through screens, glass and insulated walls right there. I'd rather spend an extra half hour at the kitchen table than have you surprised by the room later.
Get a plain written estimate
Your estimate spells out the room type, windows and insulation we talked about, along with any cover or slab work. That way you can see exactly what's driving the price before you decide.
Our crew builds the room
Our own crew does the build, and I check in along the way. When it's done, I walk the finished room with you.
Get a written estimate for enclosing your patio
We reply within one business day to set up a visit. The estimate is free, done at your property, and there's no pressure to book. I'll come out myself, look at your cover and slab, and go over your wall options with you before anything is written up.
Questions before you enclose your patio
Should I get a screen room or glass walls for my patio in Irvine?
Pick screens if you mainly want bugs and debris out and the breeze in, and pick glass or insulated walls if you want to block cold, heat, dust and rain, which screens won't stop. A screen room is usually the lighter, simpler project, so I ask what you'll use the room for before suggesting either one.
Can my lattice patio cover become the roof of an enclosure?
Not as it is, because a lattice or open-slat cover has to be replaced or topped with solid panels before it can roof an enclosed room. A solid aluminum cover in good shape is a better start, and insulated roof panels can make the room far more comfortable.
Does my patio cover need engineer plans in Irvine?
Under the city's rules, an open-lattice patio cover that meets City of Irvine standards needs no engineer-stamped plans, and every other patio cover needs plans and calculations stamped and signed by a California licensed engineer. Since an enclosure needs a solid roof, expect that step if your project includes a new or replaced cover.
How do I find out if my Irvine home is in a fire hazard zone?
Look up your address on the city's fire hazard zone map, which now reaches into Orchard Hills, Woodbury, Portola Springs, Quail Hill, Turtle Rock, Laguna Altura, Los Olivos and Irvine Spectrum. New construction and major renovations applying for permits in those zones have to meet building and fire code requirements there. If your property is in a Fire Ordinance Zone, the Orange County Fire Authority may need to review the material and design of a patio cover, so it's worth asking about while the design is still on paper.
How much does a patio enclosure cost in Irvine?
The cost depends mostly on the walls you choose and how much work your cover and slab need before those walls go up, so your written estimate is where the real number comes from. Glass and insulated walls run more than screens, and replacing a lattice cover or leveling a slab adds to the job. Watch the afternoon sun, too, because clear glass on that side can make the room uncomfortable for much of the summer, and solid panels or shading there often cost less than cooling the room afterward.
How do I take care of a patio enclosure once it's built?
Plan to look over the roof and gutters once a year, which is what one enclosure maker's construction guide suggests. A yearly check catches clogged gutters and loose roof panels before water finds a way in.
Why Irvine homeowners call Daylight Irvine Sunrooms & Patios to enclose a patio
I come out to every estimate
I look at your patio myself and put the estimate together, so the person explaining your options is the one answerable for them. You'll know why each choice is on the page before you sign anything.
Building in Irvine since 2017
We started this business in Irvine in 2017 and have spent nine years on patios, decks and sunrooms here and in the cities around it. That's why I know what an older cover and slab around here tend to need before walls go up.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured. In California, the awning classification covers patio covers but leaves out patio enclosures, so asking any contractor which license they hold for enclosure work is a fair first question, and one I'm glad to answer.
Our own crew does the build
The people building your room work for us, and I check in with them along the way. That keeps what we decided at your kitchen table tied to what actually goes up on your patio.
On an enclosure, the wall choice is the one I'd slow down on, because it's hard to undo once the glass is in. Tell us about your patio and I'll come out to look at it with you.
Other work that pairs with an enclosure
Custom sunrooms
If you want a room shaped around how your family lives, with your own layout and finishes, a custom sunroom gives you more say than closing in the patio as it stands.
Sunroom construction
When the old cover or slab can't carry new walls, building the sunroom from the ground up is often the cleaner path.
Get your patio enclosure estimate started
Call Daylight Irvine Sunrooms & Patios at (949) 543-1630 or use the form, and have photos of your cover and slab, your HOA rules and your fire zone status handy so I show up already knowing what to look at.
