Ideas from real back yards.
Gable covers, freestanding pavilions, poolside covers and cedar ceilings, all built by Toby Pence’s crew in Dallas–Fort Worth.
Every patio cover on this page was built by Sierra Outdoor. Use them to figure out what you like: the roof shape, attached or freestanding, the stain, what goes overhead. Then send us a few photos of your back yard and we’ll talk through what fits your house.
The right design depends on where the sun hits, where the cover meets your roof, and how you’ll use the space. How we build patio covers covers that side.
Gable patio covers
A gable cover has a peaked roof with the end left open, so the trusses and cedar detail show. The height keeps the space underneath feeling open, and on a two-story house it holds its own against the wall behind it.
The open end can stay simple or carry real detail, like the king-post trusses in the first photo. Stained dark or left closer to natural cedar, it changes the whole look of the back of the house.
Freestanding pavilions
A pavilion stands on its own posts and doesn't touch the roof of the house. It suits a seating area at the far end of the yard, a spot under a big tree, or anywhere the patio isn't right off the back door.
A sunburst gable, with the rafters fanned out across the open end, turns a pavilion into the centerpiece of the yard.
Poolside covers
A pavilion beside the pool gives you a place to get out of the sun without going inside. With a full roof, shingle or tile like the two here, it looks like a permanent part of the property.
A long cover across the back of the house shades the whole stretch between the back door and the pool.
Cedar ceilings
Tongue-and-groove cedar overhead covers the framing and gives the underside a finished, warm look, stained to match the posts and beams. It's also where ceiling fans and lights mount cleanly, with the wiring planned into the structure from the start.
Covers over outdoor kitchens
Grilling in a Texas summer goes better in the shade. A cover planned together with the outdoor kitchen keeps the cook and the counters out of the sun, and ties the kitchen to the rest of the patio.
Like one of these?
Text Toby a few photos of your back yard and tell him which design caught your eye. Estimates are free.