Patio Enclosure Ideas for Portland: Screens, Covers and Permits

“Enclose the patio” means something different to everyone who calls the shop. For some it’s a glass room. For most, it turns out to be simpler: a way to sit outside in May and October, out of the wind, away from the mosquitoes, without the low afternoon sun in their eyes.

Here are the five ways we see Portland patios and porches closed in, what each one is good at, and the permit question you’ll want answered before you order anything.

25 ft

Widest single opening for the SummerSpace FlexShade Zip XL screen

5 in

Height of the headbox the Zip XL rolls into

200 sq ft

Portland’s permit threshold for an attached, open-sided patio cover

1 permit

Needed in Portland to enclose a patio cover, porch or carport

Five ways to enclose a patio

1. Zip screens

A zip screen is a roll-down screen whose side edges zip into tracks, so the fabric stays taut and doesn’t flap or blow out of its line. That makes it the strongest option for wind and bugs, and the system we install most for screen patio enclosures in Portland. The SummerSpace FlexShade Zip XL covers openings up to 25 feet wide and rolls into a 5-inch headbox. Screens can run on a motor or a manual crank, with solar mesh fabric if you want to keep the view, or solid acrylic awning fabric if you want privacy.

2. Drop screens

A drop screen (also called a drop shade or outdoor roller shade) hangs free rather than running in tracks. It’s simpler, often suits a porch with posts between bays, and handles low sun and privacy well. It’s less locked-down than a zip screen in a gust. We cover these in more detail in our guide to patio privacy screens.

3. A retractable awning, with or without screens

If the patio is open to the sky, a retractable awning gives you a roof on demand and rolls away when you want the sun. It isn’t meant to stay out in heavy rain or strong wind, so it suits a family that wants shade more than storm cover. Read our retractable awning guide before you choose this route.

4. A fixed canopy or patio cover

A canopy is a stationary fabric roof on posts or a welded frame, so it can stand away from the house over a patio, deck or BBQ area. Add screens to its sides and you have a true outdoor room that sheds rain all year. See patio covers and canopies for the types we build.

5. Framed walls or a glass sunroom

Walls and windows turn a patio into an addition. That’s a construction project for a general contractor, with a building permit, and it isn’t something an awning shop builds. Many people who start there find that a cover and a set of screens gives them most of the use for a fraction of the disruption.

Side by side

Start with the roof

Screens close the sides. They don’t keep rain off the table if there’s nothing overhead. So the first question is what’s above the patio now. If there’s a solid roof or porch cover, screens alone may get you there. If there’s open sky, decide between shade you can put away (a retractable awning) and a roof that stays (a canopy or cover), then add screens to the sides that catch the weather.

Commercial patios work the same way. Restaurants around Portland use screens to keep seating open into the shoulder seasons; Stormbreakers and Providence Park both have motorized screens we installed.

Do you need a permit to enclose a patio in Portland?

Often, yes. Portland Permitting & Development’s list of work that needs a residential building permit includes these two lines:

• Enclosing a patio cover, porch or carport.
• Adding or enlarging a porch cover, patio cover, carport or other open-sided roofed structure over 200 square feet that is attached to the house.

The same page lists work that usually doesn’t need a building permit, including a patio or porch cover not over 200 square feet that’s supported by an exterior wall, and window awnings no more than 54 inches deep, supported by an exterior wall, outside a design zone and not projecting past the property line. Zoning rules still apply even when a building permit isn’t needed, and environmental zones and flood areas add their own requirements.

The city’s list doesn’t single out roll-down screens, and whether a set of screens counts as “enclosing” depends on the project. That’s a question for the city, and it’s one we ask before you order. For storefronts and other commercial awnings, Portland City Code Chapter 32.52 sets the standards.

What’s the least expensive way to enclose a patio?

If you already have a roof over the patio, manual drop screens on the sides that catch the weather usually cost the least. Motors, side tracks, wider openings and more sides add to the price; so does building a roof where there isn’t one. Because every opening is a different width and height, we quote each project after a free consultation. What affects awning and screen cost in Portland walks through the factors.

Planning checklist

1. Photograph each openingStraight on, and one from inside looking out. Note which side gets the afternoon sun and which side the wind comes from.
2. Measure width and heightRough numbers are fine for a ballpark: width between posts or walls, and height from the beam to the deck or patio.
3. Check what’s overheadSolid roof, porch cover, open pergola or open sky. This decides whether you need a cover first.
4. Think about powerMotorized screens need power near the headbox. Manual cranks don’t.
5. Send it to the shopUse the estimate form and add photos of the wall or space; phone photos are fine. We’ll tell you what fits and whether a permit applies.