Patio Covers in Arlington, TX

Why older Arlington slabs need a roof

Many established Arlington neighborhoods were built with a small concrete pad and almost no shade at the back door. In Interlochen the median home dates to 1978, and that era rarely planned for outdoor rooms. The lots are generous though, close to 17,000 square feet, so there is usually room to extend the slab and put a real roof over it.

An attached cover tied into the existing roofline is the most common answer. It keeps rain off the furniture, cuts the direct sun and makes the space feel like part of the house. Where the roofline will not cooperate, a freestanding cover set a few feet off the house works just as well.

July and August highs in Arlington average around 94 degrees. Shade alone does not fix that. We orient the opening away from the worst afternoon exposure, size ceiling fans to the square footage and plan electrical for heaters and shades even if you add them later.

Shades on an Arlington cover, two years apart

In 2024 we added motorized exterior drop shades to a covered patio in Arlington that another builder had put up years earlier. The homeowner wanted to use the space on summer evenings without squinting into the sun. In 2026 the same homeowner asked for one more shade on another opening, and we matched it to the original set. If your cover is already built, shades are one of the fastest upgrades we do.

A cover is often the first phase of a bigger plan. Many Arlington clients add an outdoor kitchen under the new roof or a stone fireplace at one end of the cover a year or two later. If you want filtered shade instead of a solid roof, compare our Arlington pergola options.