Enclosed patio rooms in Rancho Santa Margarita CA - a patio you'll actually use
Patio too hot, buggy or windy to enjoy? We close it in with screens or glass so it becomes a room you use.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
How do you enclose a patio in Rancho Santa Margarita?
An enclosed patio room in Rancho Santa Margarita closes in the patio you already have with screens or windows under a roof, so you get a shaded, bug-free spot you can use through more of the year without a full addition.
Most people who call me have a patio out back that's too sunny, too buggy or too windy to enjoy, and they want more room without tearing into the house. The price moves mostly with the size of the room, whether it's screens, glass or a fully heated room, and whether the slab needs work first, while the schedule usually turns on city plan review and any association approval. The estimate puts the plan and the price for your patio in writing, so you can weigh it before anything starts.
How do you know your patio is ready to be closed in?
Bugs and dust drive you in
If you head inside every evening because of bugs, or you're wiping dust and leaves off the furniture every morning, an open patio just isn't working for you. Screens fix most of that, and every season you wait is another one of hauling cushions in and out.
Too hot by mid-afternoon
When the sun hits the patio and nobody can sit out there after lunch, the space needs more than an umbrella, whether that's a solid roof, glass or a heated and cooled room. That's the time to figure out which, because a room that's too hot to sit in is a hard thing to fix after it's built.
Cracks or puddles on the slab
Fine hairline cracks are common and usually nothing to worry about, but concrete that's lifting, buckling or holding water near the house needs a look before any walls go on it. Left alone, water and movement turn a small fix into a bigger one, and it's far easier to deal with before a room sits on top.
Our enclosed patio room work, from slab to finished room
I start by looking at your slab, how it sits against the ground around it and whether the cracks are just hairline ones or real trouble, because the walls and tracks of the new room sit right on that concrete. Then we talk through screens, glass or a fully heated room so you know what each one gets you, and I'll ask plenty about how you actually plan to use the space. Once the plan is set, our crew frames the walls, ties into the roof, sets the screens or windows and the doors, and cleans up so you're left with a room and not a job site.
Some patios need a little work before they can be closed in. If there's no roof over yours yet, or the old one is tired, patio cover installation usually comes first, since the new walls need something solid to meet. If you'd rather have glass overhead and as much daylight as you can get, solarium installation may suit you better than a solid-roof room.
Screened patio room
Good if your main complaint is bugs, leaves and dust and you mostly sit out in mild weather. It keeps the breeze and is the simplest of the three, which makes sense when you don't need heat.
Enclosed patio with windows
Suits you if wind and dust are the trouble and you want the room most of the year without heating it. The windows close it up, but without insulation it'll still run warm in strong sun and cool on winter nights.
Four season room
The pick if you want a real room you can sit in any afternoon of the year, with insulated walls, all-weather windows, and heating and cooling. It's the bigger investment, and it's the one to choose up front if you think you'll want it someday.
Get a written plan and price for your patio room
We reply to every call and message within one business day. I come out, measure your patio and look at the slab, then put the plan and the price in writing, and the estimate is free with no pressure to book.
(949) 353-6626What changes an enclosed patio room job in Rancho Santa Margarita
The city's Building and Safety Division decides whether your project needs a permit, and its permit list names additions, decks and heating systems but not patio enclosures, so we ask the city about your room before any plans go in. When a permit applies, we prepare the paperwork and pull it as your contractor, and the plans may also go to other city departments like Planning or to an outside agency like the Orange County Fire Authority. Once the city approves the plans, we build to them, because changes made without the city's okay can make the permit invalid. Parts of the city also fall into fire hazard zones on its draft fire hazard maps, and properties on those maps face wildland-area building standards for new construction, so check your own address with the city and we'll plan around what applies.
Many homes here sit in an association. If yours is in SAMLARC, its Architectural Review Committee reviews home improvement applications twice a month, and if you're also in a Subordinate Maintenance Corporation, that group signs off first, so we start that paperwork early. We're based in Rancho Santa Margarita and work across Orange County, and we see the same association reviews and older concrete patios on jobs in Mission Viejo and Ladera Ranch.
What happens after you call about an enclosed patio in Rancho Santa Margarita?
Call us or send the form
We talk through your patio and how you want to use it. It helps to know roughly what's out there now, whether that's a bare slab, a deck or an old cover.
I measure and check the slab
I come out to measure and look at what's there, then put the plan and the estimate in writing. You'll see the room type, the size and the price on paper before you decide anything.
We line up the approvals
I check what the building office and any association will want, and we settle the design with you before anything goes in for review. That way the plan they see is the room you actually want.
Our crew builds the room
Our crew builds it, and I walk the finished room with you before we call it done. That's your time to point out anything that doesn't look right to you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an enclosed patio and a four season room?
An enclosed patio has uninsulated windows or screens and usually isn't heated or cooled, while a four season room is fully enclosed with all-weather windows and heating and cooling. A screened patio is the simplest of all, with screens only. I'd choose based on when you'll sit in it, because a room you want on a hot July afternoon or a cold January night needs to be built for that from the start.
How much does an enclosed patio room cost in Orange County?
A sunroom in Orange County usually costs about $120 to $200 per square foot, and that's the going rate across the area, not a quote from us. Larger rooms that need a foundation and have heating and air conditioning land at the higher end. I'll put the price for your patio in writing once I've measured it.
How do I find out if I need a permit to enclose my patio in Rancho Santa Margarita?
You ask the city's Building and Safety Division, and we do that for you before any plans go in. If you're thinking about a heated room, keep in mind that heating systems are on the city's permit list, so that choice is worth raising early.
How much can a contractor ask for up front in California?
State rules let a contractor ask for a down payment of no more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. Any other payments have to be listed in the contract and tied to work done or materials delivered to your home, so read that part before you sign with anyone.
Can I insulate an enclosed patio room later?
You can, but insulated windows and insulation in the walls, floor and roof are much easier to put in while the room is being built, and adding them later can often cost more. That's why I settle insulation with you at the design stage, even if you're not sure you'll ever heat the room.
How do I take care of an enclosed patio room?
Most of it is a yearly check of the roof and gutters and keeping the door and window tracks clean inside and out, which is what one maker's guide suggests. The same guide recommends a pure silicone spray on the tracks, since oil-based lubricants tend to pull in dirt, and says the small weep holes that let water out of the tracks should be kept clear.
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Book your enclosed patio room estimate
Have your patio's rough size, the kind of room you're leaning toward and your association's name handy when you call (949) 353-6626 or send the form, and we'll get a lot further on that first conversation.