DIY Patio Cover Permit Requirements

Building departments will have their own requirements based on your regional conditions, typically local requirements include factors such as live load, ground snow load, roof design load, wind speed, wind exposure, seismic load, patio height and setback from your property line.

Local Building Codes (city or county):

Your local building department will have the information for your regions loads including your roof design load, wind factor and seismic load, contact your building department to find out your required design. Our DIY Kits range from a 10lbs live load all the way up to a 60lbs Ground Snow Load, wind rating starts at 110mph and can exceed 130mph.

Learn about our patio cover snow and wind load capabilites.

Roof Design Load

Roof Design Load (RDL) is rated in pounds per square foot, Live Load (LL) and Ground Snow Load (GSL) are determined by your region and elevation. Ground Snow Load is typically higher than the Roof Design Load so make sure you verify what information the building dept. is giving you, LL, GSL or RDL.

Wind Factors

Wind speed is measured in Miles Per Hour, and exposure.

Exposure B: Urban and suburban areas, wooded areas, or other terrain with numerous closely spaced obstructions.

Exposure C: Open terrain with scattered obstructions.

Seismic Rating

Seismic Size Requirments (Ss) is the Maximum Considered Earthquake Ground Motion (0.2 sec).