Combo systems for Las Vegas patios.
Patio cover, screen enclosure, drop shades. When the combination earns its keep, when it's overkill, and what each piece costs bundled vs added later.
A "combo system" in the valley usually means a patio cover plus a screen enclosure, often with motorized drop shades on the open faces. Done together, expect $12,000 to $24,000 for a 12 × 16 ft patio. Done piecemeal over three years, the same setup runs about 20% more — but it lets you see what you actually use before you commit.
The three pieces, briefly
- Patio cover — overhead shade and rain protection. The structural anchor for everything else.
- Screen enclosure — vertical screens that wrap the open sides of the cover and turn the patio into a bug-free outdoor room.
- Drop shades — retractable fabric panels for low-angle afternoon sun the cover and screen can't block.
Each piece is covered in detail in its own field note: screen rooms, drop shades, solar screens for the windows behind the patio.
Cost: bundled vs piecemeal
| Setup | Bundled | Piecemeal | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cover only | $7,500 – 9,500 | $7,500 – 9,500 | Solid-panel aluminum, 12 × 16. |
| Cover + screen room | $10,500 – 14,000 | $12,500 – 16,000 | Same cover. Screen panels mounted to the cover frame. |
| Cover + screen + 2 drop shades | $13,000 – 18,000 | $15,500 – 21,000 | Drop shades on the two open faces. |
| Cover + screen + 2 motorized + insulated panels | $18,000 – 24,000 | $22,000 – 29,000 | The "I'm going to use this every day" build. |
Why bundled costs less
Three reasons the bundle wins on price:
- One mobilization. The crew shows up once, sets up once, and stages all the materials at once. Coming back for screens after the cover is built means a second mobilization fee — about 8-10% of project total.
- Engineering is shared. The screen room frame anchors to the cover frame. If the screens go in later, the screen contractor often has to add their own structural members instead of using the existing ones.
- Permit single-pull. Clark County permits everything attached to the house at once. A retroactive screen-room addition is a second permit and a second inspection.
Why piecemeal still wins for some
The 20% premium for piecemeal is the price of optionality. Build the cover this year. Live with it for one summer. If you're constantly batting bugs off the patio in May, add screens. If you're squinting into the 4pm sun in July, add drop shades. If both, build the full combo year two — but with the data of having actually used the patio.
We've watched homeowners commit to a full bundle, then never close the screen panels because they liked the airflow. Someone else's mistake doesn't have to be yours.
The build order if you go piecemeal
- Cover first. Always. Nothing else attaches to anything else without the cover frame.
- Screens second if bugs are a problem. Spring evenings on a covered-but-unscreened patio in the valley are the test.
- Drop shades third if low-angle sun is the remaining problem. Often you discover the screen room's vertical fabric already cuts enough afternoon sun that the drop shades are optional.
When the combo is overkill
- North-facing patios — the sun rarely hits the floor at low angle, so drop shades are a fix for a problem you don't have.
- Wind-protected courtyards — the screen room solves a bug problem more than a wind problem.
- Single-occupant homes with a small patio — a $24,000 build for a space one person uses two months a year is a feel-good purchase, not a rational one.
Bottom line
For a household that actually uses its patio (kids, pets, frequent outdoor meals): the full bundle at $13,000-18,000 is the value pick. The motorized + insulated upgrade pays for itself in usable hours per year. For lighter-use households, build the cover, live one summer, then decide what else to add. The 20% premium for piecemeal is cheap insurance against building something you don't use.