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Patio Covers in Wasco, CA

Wasco sits 24 miles north-west of Bakersfield, in the valley floor at 312 ft. Record highs of 116 degrees. Shade is the entire argument here.

312 ft0 psf ground snowWasco city hall
Covered porch with rocking chairs and a ceiling fanVine-covered pergola
27,047Population
312 ftElevation
0 psfGround snow load
LocalPermit authority
The place

What shaped Wasco

Wasco was the rose capital of the United States, growing more than half the country's roses in and around the town in 2007. Oil arrived in 1938 and the state prison later.

Record highs of 116 degrees. Shade is the entire argument here.

The permit

Who decides here

Wasco is an incorporated city with its own building department, so the permit is issued locally rather than by Kern County. Confirm submittal requirements with the city before assuming the county process applies.

Whichever department applies, the 120 square feet exemption does not cover an attached patio cover, and the openness threshold that separates a cover from an enclosure is a state rule that applies everywhere in California.

Costs

Planning ranges that apply in Wasco

StructureInstalled rangeUnitTypical
Lattice patio cover$22 - $40per sq ft$30
Alumawood patio cover$28 - $48per sq ft$38
Solid patio cover$30 - $52per sq ft$40
Insulated patio cover$38 - $68per sq ft$52
Louvered or motorised pergola$75 - $150per sq ft$110

Planning ranges for the Bakersfield market, not quotes. They cover the structure as installed and exclude the permit, which is set by the authority having jurisdiction and is not published as a fixed figure here.

Questions

Patio covers in Wasco

Who issues a patio cover permit in Wasco?

Wasco is an incorporated city with its own building department, so the permit is issued locally rather than by Kern County. Confirm submittal requirements with the city before assuming the county process applies.

Is there a snow load to design for?

No. At 312 ft this sits below the 3,500 foot threshold in Kern County Code of Building Regulations 17.06.140, so the ground snow load is 0 psf. The design case here is heat, sun and wind rather than weight on the roof.

What does a patio cover cost in Wasco?

The same planning ranges apply across the county: roughly $22 to $40 per square foot for lattice, $28 to $48 for Alumawood, $30 to $52 for solid, $38 to $68 insulated and $75 to $150 for a louvered system. Distance from Bakersfield and site access can move the labour component.

Does the 120 square foot exemption apply?

No more here than anywhere else in the county. The 120 square feet exemption is for detached accessory structures, and Kern County reads that as sheds and playhouses rather than patio covers.

Does a contractor need a licence for this work?

Yes. The $1,000 minor-work exemption does not apply where a permit is required, and a patio cover requires one. Licence status is checkable free on the CSLB website.

Nearby communities

The permit path changes across Kern County more than the work does. Check the one that matches your address.