i30 Builders · Garland, TX
Pergolas and Patio Covers in Garland
We build patio covers and pergolas in Garland, lakeside lots included. This is what the city asks for.
Permits handled · Written scope and price before any deposit
Free site visit · written scope · lump-sum price
Rated 5.0 on Google$1M GL + $1M Umbrella1-year workmanship warranty
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Four fields. We call back within one business day to set up the site visit.
- GL + umbrella coverage
- $1M + $1M
- Workmanship warranty
- 1-yr
- Cities served
- 33
What does Garland require for a patio cover or pergola?
A building permit, attached or freestanding, and a cover built from materials the city accepts: no unpainted wood, no corrugated metal or plastic roof, and an engineer on any metal cover. On Lake Ray Hubbard the sublease, the erosion protection and a Garland building permit all come before anything goes up.
The Garland permit
- Garland requires a building permit for a patio or porch cover whether it is fixed to the house or stands out in the yard. City of Garland, Types of Building & Construction Permit
- The cover permit is $150, plus a nonrefundable plan review charge that grows with the cover's square footage. Building Inspections then adds a 4.5 percent technology surcharge to every permit it issues, and that is not refunded either. City of Garland, Patio Cover
- The application asks what the support posts are made of, what the roofing is, how tall the posts are, how tall the roof is and how many square feet the project covers. Those choices are made before it is filed, not after. City of Garland Permit Application for Residential Construction, rev. 11/23
- The permit holder may use only subcontractors licensed, registered or bonded with Garland where that applies, and a subcontractor validation form goes in with the application. City of Garland Permit Application for Residential Construction, rev. 11/23
- The same form says outright that a city permit is no substitute for HOA sign-off, which the homeowner gets before construction starts. City of Garland Permit Application for Residential Construction, rev. 11/23
Read from the city’s own documents on the dates linked. Codes and fees change and city staff interpret them, so we confirm for your address before we pull the permit.
What it is made of, and how far the roof reaches
Garland publishes a materials list for patio covers, and it rules out some things people often build with.
- A cover has to be built of typical building materials. Unpainted wood sits on the not-allowed list with tin, plastic, plain block, corrugated metal, canvas and vinyl, so a cedar frame needs a finish the city accepts. City of Garland, Patio Cover
- For the roof, composition shingles work at a 2:12 pitch or steeper. Rolled roofing, built-up roofing and certain metal panels are accepted too, as is anything the Building Official approves. Corrugated metal and plastic are not, and a metal cover of any kind has to be engineered. City of Garland, Patio Cover
- Setbacks are measured from the posts, not the roof edge. The roof may then run 2 feet past the posts into the rear yard, and 3 feet on a front porch cover or a cover in a side yard. City of Garland, Patio Cover
Read from the city’s own documents on the dates linked. Codes and fees change and city staff interpret them, so we confirm for your address before we pull the permit.
A pergola or gazebo that stands alone
- Garland files gazebos and detached patio structures as accessory buildings. One larger than 20 square feet needs a permit, and from October 1, 2026 that permit is a flat $150 plus the surcharge. City of Garland, Accessory / Storage Building
- Behind the house it stays 3 feet off the side and rear property lines. Past 144 square feet it also has to stand at least 6 feet from the house, and on a corner lot it meets the same setbacks as the house. City of Garland, Accessory / Storage Building
- Walls top out at 10.5 feet and the average height at 15 feet, and it can never be taller than the house. Over 500 square feet the finish has to resemble the house. City of Garland, Accessory / Storage Building
- At 400 square feet and up the structure needs a slab or pier and beam foundation. A smaller one not fastened to a foundation by its plates needs a tie-down at each corner, and piers of any material are spaced no more than 8 feet on center. City of Garland, Accessory / Storage Building
Read from the city’s own documents on the dates linked. Codes and fees change and city staff interpret them, so we confirm for your address before we pull the permit.
Backing onto Lake Ray Hubbard
Past a lakefront lot's back line is the Take Area, owned by Dallas and leased to Garland, which subleases tracts to the owners beside them.
- The first sublease payment is $750. A survey can add $900 on tracts 11 through 49 or $675 on the rest, and it is waived when the tract's original corner pins are still there and undisturbed. City of Garland, Lake Edge Zoning FAQs
- The sublease is started with Engineering's Drainage and Development group. Building anything on the tract then takes a building permit application to Building Inspection. City of Garland, Lake Edge Zoning FAQs
- Erosion protection along the tract has to be finished before construction of any improvement begins. Anything out of compliance or encroaching is not grandfathered. City of Garland Lakeshore Residential Sublease Agreement, rev. 07/29/2020, p. 9
- Habitable structures, propane tanks and toilets are barred from the tract unless Garland and Dallas both approve in writing, which rules out a tank-fed grill under a lakeside cover. City of Garland Lakeshore Residential Sublease Agreement, rev. 07/29/2020, Section 5(F), p. 6
- Dallas Water Utilities has to approve any construction on its lake property. Its lake structure permit refuses treated wood and creosote, and says the applicant will not build it themselves; a contractor approved by the local city does. City of Dallas Lake Structure Permit, DWU-FRM-001-RHRM.OM rev. 2, posted by the City of Garland
Read from the city’s own documents on the dates linked. Codes and fees change and city staff interpret them, so we confirm for your address before we pull the permit.
Garland Questions
What people in Garland ask us
Does a pergola need a permit in Garland?
Yes once it passes 20 square feet freestanding, at a flat $150 plus the surcharge. A patio cover needs one whether it is attached or not.
What roof can go on a Garland patio cover?
Shingles at a 2:12 pitch or steeper, rolled or built-up roofing, certain metal panels, or something the Building Official approves. Not corrugated metal and not plastic. A metal cover has to be engineered.
How far can the roof hang past the posts?
Two feet into the rear yard. Three feet on a front porch cover or a cover in a side yard. The setback itself is measured to the posts.
Can I leave the cedar bare?
Garland's list of materials it does not allow starts with unpainted wood. We settle the finish with the city before the drawings are final, so the inspector and the finish agree.
I'm on Lake Ray Hubbard. What happens first?
The sublease, then erosion protection along the tract, then a Garland building permit, with Dallas approving anything on its lake property. No propane tanks out there without both cities saying yes in writing.
How is a Garland patio cover priced?
We walk the yard, agree the scope and give you the price in writing. It holds unless the scope changes.
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Tell us what you want built and roughly how big. We check the city and HOA rules for your address and price the scope in writing.
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