Three season sunrooms in West Covina CA - a patio room that keeps rain out

A three season sunroom is a room closed in with screens, window panes or storm windows that isn't insulated, heated or cooled, and it stays separate from the main house. Think of it as your patio or deck with walls and a roof, while the door into the house stays where it is.

In the Los Angeles area, a three season room usually costs about $8,000 to $60,000 per job, so the spread is wide. Where yours lands comes down to the size, the panels and the base and roof questions I mentioned up top, and the estimate gives you the figure for your own house. Photos of your patio or deck help me come ready.

A deck can work, but it will typically need added beams, posts or footings to carry a new room. A local structural engineer can tell you whether your deck is up to it, so that check comes before you settle on the spot. On a patio slab where there's no frost depth to build below, footings may only be needed where the room's structure calls for them, and the city's building staff can tell you whether its code sets a frost depth or footing rule.

The city's Building Section issues permits for private work in West Covina and handles plan review and inspections. The city no longer takes applications by email, so plans and documents go through its One Stop Building Permit Center portal, which you'll find through the Building Division. We're based in West Covina and work in the cities around it, and when your room needs a permit, we take care of the paperwork and inspections with the city or county office that covers your address. Check the fire zone early too, because a city code document says structures within a CAL FIRE fire hazard severity zone shall use fire-resistant materials and design for wildfire exposure, so if your address sits in one, we plan the room's materials around it.

No more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less, because that's the state licensing board's cap on a home improvement down payment. The board also says any other payments have to be listed clearly in the contract, each one based on work already done or materials delivered to your home.

One maker's guide says you can rinse the roof and walls with water and clean inside and out with mild soap or any non-abrasive cleaner. The same guide suggests checking the roof and gutters once a year and staying off the roof unless you need to be up there.