How to Hire a Patio Cover Contractor in Las Vegas

In June 2025, the Nevada State Contractors Board warned southern Nevada homeowners about a patio cover and awning company whose owners faced felony fraud and theft charges. Forty consumer complaints had been filed with the board. The company had collected more than $137,000 in down payments, with no work done on any of the projects investigated, and the board revoked its license in March 2025.

The board's advice afterward was simple: verify the license of any contractor you bring to your home, and report anything that feels wrong. The warning signs in that case, pressure tactics and big down payments, are the same ones listed below.

Nevada contractors have to show their license number on their ads, bids and contracts. Look it up before anyone measures your patio:

• Search the contractor's name or license number on the Nevada State Contractors Board's online license search (linked in the sources below), use the board's mobile app, or call (702) 486-1100.
• Check that the license status is active.
• Look for any disciplinary actions.
• Check the classification: it should cover the work you're hiring for.
• Check the monetary limit. The board says contracts written above a license's limit are invalid.
• Make sure the name, address and phone on the license match the bid and contract you were given.

Ask to see the contractor's pocket card too. It shows the license number, classification and monetary limit. Our license is #0090522; look it up the same way.

• No license number, or details that don't match the board's records.
• Aggressive sales tactics and 'today-only' pricing.
• A large down payment, the full price before work starts, or cash only.
• Terms that aren't put in writing.
• No references.
• You can't verify the name, address, phone number, license, insurance or bond.
• The contractor asks you to get the building permit.

That last one matters more than it looks. The board says not to pull or obtain the permit yourself, and homeowners who pulled their own permit can't claim from the state's Residential Recovery Fund if the job goes wrong.

The board's consumer checklist puts it plainly: a down payment can't exceed $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less. The only exceptions are contractors who post a $100,000 Consumer Protection Bond with the board, or who were previously granted relief from the license bond requirement. You can check a contractor's bond status on the board's website.

• Don't let payments get ahead of the work.
• Don't pay cash. Pay in a way you can trace, and keep a record of every payment.
• Ask for partial lien releases with partial payments, and a final lien release with the last one. Subcontractors and suppliers who aren't paid $500 or more can have lien rights even if you paid your contractor.
• Don't make the final payment until you're satisfied with the job.
• Keep a file of every paper related to the project.

Get a written contract, dated and signed by both of you, and don't sign until you understand every term. The board says to check that it includes:

• The contractor's license number, classification and monetary limit.
• The exact amount due.
• The start date and how long the work will take.
• The scope of work and the materials.
• Who the subcontractors are, if any.

Any change to the job should be its own written change order, signed by both of you.

The board recommends at least three bids, and warns that a bid far below the others may be leaving work out. These questions show you what each bid really includes:

• Who pulls the permit, and is its cost in the price?
• Is the engineering standard or site-specific for this design?
• Who builds it: your own crew, or a subcontractor?
• Which brand and system is this, and are you an authorized dealer and installer for it? Some manufacturer warranties depend on it. 4K Aluminum's warranty, for example, has to be registered with the original 4K invoice issued to the installing contractor.
• What does your workmanship warranty cover, and for how long?
• How long is this price good for?
• Can I see covers you've built and talk to past customers?

• You can file a complaint with the board against a licensed contractor up to four years after the work is completed.
• Owners who live in their single-family home can apply to the Residential Recovery Fund for damages caused by a licensed contractor, up to $40,000 per claim.
• The fund doesn't cover jobs done by unlicensed contractors, or homeowners who pulled the permit themselves. The board also says a contract with an unlicensed contractor is void by law.
• To report a contractor or ask about one, call the board's Las Vegas office at (702) 486-1100.

• Nevada contractor license #0090522, a $225,000 bond and $1M insurance coverage.
• We pull the permit on every job, and its cost is already in your quote.
• Most Alumawood covers use standard engineering; nearly every 4K Aluminum project gets site-specific engineering.
• Our own crews build every cover, led by owner Armando Ibarra. No subcontractors.
• Authorized dealer and installer for 4K Aluminum, Alumawood, Duralum and Sundance.
• A 2-year warranty on our installation labor; materials carry each manufacturer's warranty.
• Free site visit, and a quote that's good for 30 days. Building covers in the valley since 2014.