Updated September 2026
An insulated aluminum patio cover costs $30 to $60 per square foot installed in 2026 according to HomeGuide's covered patio cost guide, which puts a common 12 by 20 attached cover at about $7,200 to $14,400. A non insulated single skin metal cover costs less to buy and more to live with, because it radiates the afternoon heat straight down onto the patio. In North Louisiana, where NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals give Monroe and Shreveport about 91 days a year at or above 90 degrees, the insulated panel is the difference between a patio you use in July and one you use in October.
Sources: HomeGuide, How Much Does a Covered Patio Cost (2026); NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991 to 2020, Monroe Regional Airport and Shreveport Regional Airport stations.
| Cover | Square feet | Typical installed range |
|---|---|---|
| Attached insulated cover, 10 by 16 | 160 | $4,800 to $9,600 |
| Attached insulated cover, 12 by 20 | 240 | $7,200 to $14,400 |
| Attached insulated cover, 14 by 24 | 336 | $10,100 to $20,200 |
| Attached insulated cover, 16 by 24 | 384 | $11,500 to $23,000 |
| Aluminum lattice pergola, 10 by 10 | 100 | $2,100 to $6,400 |
The table multiplies HomeGuide's $30 to $60 per square foot range by common slab sizes; the pergola row is Angi's 2026 professional installation range for a 100 square foot structure, where most homeowners land near $4,250. Every job Donnie Grubbs builds is priced from an on site measure, not from a chart, so treat these as planning numbers.
Five things account for most of the spread. Panel thickness: Structall insulated panels come in 3, 4 and 6 inch cores, and a thicker panel spans farther between posts, insulates better and costs more per foot. Attached or freestanding: an attached cover ties into the fascia or roof on two or three posts, while a freestanding cover carries its own roof on more posts with footings. The roof tie in: a low fascia, a hip roof and a second story wall each need different flashing, and some homes need a riser to get the pitch right for drainage. Electrical: a ceiling fan, recessed lights and outlets each add material plus the electrician's time. And future plans: if screens or glass are coming later, the posts and beams are sized for that now, which costs a little more today and saves rebuilding the roof later.
Often, yes. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW program puts the 2023 average weekly wage in the Monroe metro at $919 and in the Shreveport Bossier City metro at $1,054 against a national $1,392, a local labor index of 0.66 and 0.76. Materials are priced nationally, but the labor share of a cover job tracks local wages, which is why North Louisiana projects often land in the lower half of the national range. Our cost index page shows the index for every metro we serve.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2023 annual averages, all industries.
Yes for nearly every covered structure. Louisiana enforces the 2021 International Residential Code with state amendments, and Appendix AH covers patio covers: one story, not more than 12 feet high, used for outdoor living rather than as a carport, garage, storage or habitable room. The permit itself is issued by the city or parish building office and the plans have to show the cover resists wind uplift. Donnie Grubbs handles the permit paperwork as part of the job, so it is a line on the estimate rather than a chore for you. Our permits guide covers the details.
If you want to sit under it between June and September, yes. A single skin metal cover blocks direct sun and then radiates stored heat down for hours. A foam core panel keeps the underside close to shade temperature and doubles as a finished ceiling that can carry a fan. Homeowners who have owned both tell us the difference is obvious on the first 95 degree afternoon, and with about 91 such days a year in this part of the state, that is most of the summer.
About $7,200 to $14,400 installed for an insulated aluminum cover, using HomeGuide's 2026 range of $30 to $60 per square foot. Fans, lights, a freestanding design or a difficult roof tie in move the number up. Donnie Grubbs prices every cover from an on site measure.
Professional pergola installation runs about $2,100 to $6,400 for a 100 square foot structure per Angi's 2026 data, with most homeowners near $4,250. Aluminum never needs painting, will not rot and does not feed termites, which is why it beats wood in Louisiana.
Once the panels arrive, most attached covers go up in one to two days. Panels are cut to your dimensions after the estimate, so plan on a few weeks of lead time between signing and installation.
Yes. Because a Structall insulated panel has a solid finished underside, wiring for fans, recessed lights and outlets runs inside the beam. Ask for the fan at the estimate so it goes in with the roof rather than as a second visit.
Yes. An insulated patio cover is worth it in Louisiana heat because its foam core roof panel stops the sun's heat that a single skin aluminum roof conducts straight down onto the patio. NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals give Monroe and Shreveport about 91 days a year at or above 90 degrees, and a bare metal cover radiates stored heat for hours after the sun moves, which is why so many covered patios sit unused from June through September. A Structall panel is expanded polystyrene foam bonded between two aluminum skins, in 3, 4 and 6 inch thicknesses, so the shade underneath stays near shade temperature, the underside is a finished ceiling that takes a fan and lights, and thicker panels span farther between posts. The same roof can carry screen or glass walls later, so the cover becomes the roof of a screen room or glass room instead of being torn off. Installed, a 10 by 16 attached insulated cover typically runs $4,800 to $9,600 and a 12 by 20 runs $7,200 to $14,400 at HomeGuide's 2026 rate of $30 to $60 per square foot, and most go up in one to two days.
An installed 10 by 10 aluminum lattice pergola in Louisiana typically runs $2,100 to $6,400, roughly $21 to $64 per square foot across its 100 square feet, with most homeowners near $4,250, according to Angi's 2026 pergola cost data. The low end covers a standard attached lattice frame anchored to an existing concrete slab. The number climbs when the pergola stands free on its own posts, because each post then needs a poured footing instead of a slab anchor, and when the span grows past a standard bay, which calls for heavier beams. Tighter lattice spacing for more shade and wiring for a fan or lights each add cost. Aluminum never needs painting, will not rot and does not feed termites, which is why it beats wood in this climate. For comparison, HomeGuide's 2026 covered patio guide puts a 10 by 16 attached insulated cover with a solid roof at $4,800 to $9,600, so a buyer who wants rain protection rather than filtered light should budget about double. Donnie Grubbs builds both with its own crews and prices every job from an on site measure.
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