What Happens at a Free Patio Cover Estimate

Getting a patio cover estimate can feel like inviting a stranger to size up your house. It shouldn't. Done properly, the visit is closer to a working session: somebody who builds these things walks your property, looks at what you have, and talks through what makes sense. Here's what that looks like with Action Installations LLC, and how you can get the most out of it.

They come to you

The company's line is simple: they'll come to you for a free estimate. That matters more than it sounds. A patio cover is a custom fit to a specific house, so the details that decide the design, like the height of your eave, the slope of the yard, and where the sun hits at four o'clock, can't be judged from a phone call or a photo alone. The visit gets those details on the table early.

Business hours run Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, with Sunday by appointment. You can reach the team at (253) 886-3525, and they cover Western Washington from Everett to Olympia. Select projects east of the mountains, in places like Moses Lake, Quincy, Ephrata and Othello, are considered case by case. If you're in that part of the state, the company asks that you reach out with a few project details and photos.

Sample pieces on the table

Materials look different in person. Glass, polycarbonate, aluminum and insulated panels all have their own presence, and the three glass shades (clear, bronze and reflective) are hard to judge from a picture. Teresa McCausland, in her Google review, wrote that "The estimate with Travis was informative and the sample pieces helped us decide which product to have installed."

That's what the samples are for. Hold them against your siding. Set one on your deck and look at it under your actual sky, which on a typical Puget Sound day is overcast. You'll learn more in a few minutes than you would from an afternoon of browsing.

Measuring and planning around your home

The company's approach to its specialty glass covers is to measure, plan and install around your home's layout and style. During the visit, expect measuring tape, a look at how the cover will meet the house, and conversation about the layout. Where does the cover attach? Where will rain run off? How does it sit relative to the doors and windows? Does it need to clear a railing, a hot tub, an outdoor kitchen or a view of the water?

Those questions are normal. They're the difference between a cover that looks like it belongs to the house and one that looks bolted on afterward.

What to have ready

You don't need to prepare much, but a few things make the visit smoother. Think about how you use the space now and how you'd like to use it, and walk the yard beforehand at the time of day you most want to be outside. Note the places where the sun is a problem and the places where rain gets in. If you have a rough idea of the look you like, whether that's bright and open or solid and shaded, say so early.

• Where the sun hits the patio in the afternoon, and where the rain blows in from.
• Any furniture, grill or hot tub that has to stay under the cover.
• Doors, windows and railings the cover will sit near.
• Photos of other covers you like, even if they're on a neighbor's house.
• Questions about maintenance, materials and the lifetime guarantee the company advertises.

How long the install takes

The company says that with its skilled installers, most installs take 1 to 2 days. One customer on their site, Jason in Enumclaw, wrote that "the job was done in one day," and that his only regret was not calling sooner. Timing depends on the project, of course, and a larger or more custom structure may take longer, so ask what to expect for yours.

Discounts and the family-owned part

Action Installations LLC offers discounts for seniors, military members and first responders on every installation. If that applies to you, mention it when you call. The company is family-owned, and it describes treating every home install as an install on its own home. That tends to show up in the small decisions, like the way a design problem is handled after the job. Anthony Pinke wrote that when a design issue came up after the project, "they didn't hesitate to come back and make it right."

When you're ready for an estimate, call (253) 886-3525. If your house is in Orting, on the Narrows, or somewhere farther up the Sound, Travis and the crew will come out, show you the samples, and walk through the options on the spot. There's no charge for the visit.