The short answer
- An insulated patio cover is a solid aluminum roof with a foam core between the layers: full shade, and rain stays off the patio.
- It earns its place over a patio you use in summer, when normal July highs in Las Vegas are 103–105°F.
- Alumawood says the foam core makes rain on the roof quieter, and both Alumawood and Duralum offer ways to add ceiling fans and lights.
- Choose lattice instead for filtered sun and moving air, or a combo roof that puts insulated panels and lattice on one cover.
- We don't publish prices or "degrees cooler" numbers. Most Alumawood covers are quoted on the spot at a free site visit.
What is an insulated patio cover?
An insulated patio cover has a roof of aluminum panels with a foam core between the layers. It does what a solid cover does: full shade, and rain stays off the patio. The difference is inside the panel.
On Alumawood and Duralum covers, the insulated options are:
- Alumawood Insulated Panel: tongue-and-groove panels that lock together into a solid roof, in white or desert sand.
- Duralum Weatherwood Monterey: layered foam-core panels 3, 4¼ or 6 inches thick. Duralum sets the thickness by wind load, snow load and engineering.
We build insulated covers attached to the house or freestanding.
Why heat is the real question in Las Vegas
Las Vegas summers are long. National Weather Service normals for July (1991–2020) put the average high at 103–105°F, and the average low never drops below 80°F. On July 7, 2024, Las Vegas hit 120°F, its all-time record.
A roof in that sun gets hot. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, heat flows from a warmer material to a cooler one, and warm objects give off heat that travels across open space to cooler objects. Insulation works by trapping pockets of air and keeping heat from passing through.
That's the case for a foam core: it sits between the sun-baked top of the roof and the patio below. Duralum says its Monterey core slows heat transfer and calls it the right pick when radiant heat is what keeps you off the patio in summer.
What we won't give you is a "degrees cooler" number. We haven't measured one, and every patio is different. Be wary of anyone who quotes one without saying how they measured it.
Insulated vs solid vs lattice roofs
- Insulated
- Shade: Full shade
- Rain: Stays off the patio. Quieter: Alumawood says the foam core absorbs the impact
- Good fit for: Patios used through the summer, fans and lights, covers near bedrooms
- Solid
- Shade: Full shade
- Rain: Stays off the patio, with a distinct rain sound (Alumawood)
- Good fit for: Full shade and rain cover in more styles: wood look, flat pan or 4K's modern panels
- Lattice
- Shade: Filtered: Alumawood says 40% to 60% less sun
- Rain: Falls through
- Good fit for: Softer shade with a breeze moving through
| Roof | Shade | Rain | Good fit for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insulated | Full shade | Stays off the patio. Quieter: Alumawood says the foam core absorbs the impact | Patios used through the summer, fans and lights, covers near bedrooms |
| Solid | Full shade | Stays off the patio, with a distinct rain sound (Alumawood) | Full shade and rain cover in more styles: wood look, flat pan or 4K's modern panels |
| Lattice | Filtered: Alumawood says 40% to 60% less sun | Falls through | Softer shade with a breeze moving through |
More on each roof: insulated, solid and lattice. For every roof and setup side by side, see the types of patio covers guide.
When an insulated cover is worth it
- You'll use the patio through the summer, not only in spring and fall. Duralum calls insulated covers a good fit for hot climates and patios used through the summer.
- You want ceiling fans or lights. Alumawood offers ceiling fans and lights for its insulated roof, and Duralum's Monterey has optional hidden electrical raceways for them.
- The cover is near a bedroom, or rain noise bothers you. Alumawood suggests insulated roofs for sound-sensitive homeowners and bedrooms nearby.
- You might enclose the patio someday. Duralum notes that with an insulated Monterey cover, an enclosure is "already half done."
When another roof fits better
- You want filtered light and air moving through. That's what lattice is for: Alumawood says its lattice cuts sun exposure by 40% to 60% while letting breezes through.
- You want a color other than white or desert sand. Those are Alumawood's two insulated colors; its solid and lattice systems come in seven.
- You're deciding on price. Ask us to quote both roofs at your site visit and compare them side by side.
Can you mix insulated and lattice?
Yes. A combo roof puts insulated panels and lattice on the same cover, so part of the patio gets a closed roof and part gets filtered light. Duralum sells this as the Combo (Monterey with Phoenix lattice), and we build combos on other systems too, like this 4K Aluminum cover.
Fans, lights and the permit
Patio covers need a building permit in the City of Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas and unincorporated Clark County, and we pull the permit on every job. Adding wiring adds paperwork: the City of Las Vegas patio cover application asks for electrical plans, and load calculations once a cover has more than 5 electrical devices. The city counts a ceiling fan as 2.
The permits guide covers what each office asks for.
What does an insulated patio cover cost?
We don't publish a price list, because every cover is custom. The price depends on the size, the panel and your site. Most Alumawood covers are quoted on the spot at your free site visit, quotes are good for 30 days, and financing is available through Hearth.
The cost guide explains what goes into a quote. When you're ready, book a free site visit or text Armando a photo of your patio.
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