- Thornton, CO · Serving the Denver Metro
Skip to content A typical outdoor patio in Colorado is usable about four or five months a year. Wind, bugs, afternoon sun, and an early October cold snap take care of the rest of the seasons and make the space difficult to enjoy fully.
A patio enclosure changes that arithmetic. Screen it, and you get bug-free evenings and shade from May through October. Glass it, and you’ll have a room you use in February. Either way, you’re adding usable space for a fraction of what an addition costs, on a surface you already own. An enclosed patio is the cheapest square footage most homes can gain.
Many local homeowners reach out when they want something better or have questions about the feasibility of patio enclosure ideas. We build patio screen enclosures and three-season rooms across Thornton and the north Denver metro, engineered for our snow loads and our sun. An enclosed patio here is the difference between four usable months and eight.
Tell us about your yard and what you want out there, and we’ll measure and put together a written scope.
Decide This First
Almost every patio enclosure conversation comes down to one question, and most people answer it after they’ve started pricing rather than before.
A three-season enclosure — screen, or screen with removable panels — keeps bugs, wind, leaves, and sun out. It’s not heated or insulated, so it tracks outdoor temperature. In this climate, that gives you roughly April through October in comfort, and it costs a fraction of the alternative.
A four-season enclosure — insulated glazing, a thermally broken frame, and usually some heating — is a room. It’s usable in January, it counts as conditioned space, and it’s a considerably bigger project with code implications a screen room doesn’t have.
Most people who come to us picturing a glass room actually want the screen version once they see both numbers. Some genuinely want the glass. The honest conversation is worth having before anyone draws anything, because they’re different builds with different foundations, different roofs, and a price gap most homeowners don’t expect.
Our patio enclosure work covers both, built onto the patio you already have. If you don’t have a patio yet, our patio installation service comes first.
What We Build
Six builds, one set of standards. We frame every enclosure for Colorado snow load and set it on a base that can support it.
The most popular build by a distance. A framed structure with screen panels on an existing or new patio, giving bug-free, wind-protected, shaded space from spring to autumn. A patio screen enclosure is the cheapest route to genuinely more usable square footage, and it’s the one most people choose.
Screened patio enclosures don’t have to stop at mesh. Screen for summer, clear panels clipped in for the shoulder months. You get an extra six to eight weeks at either end of the season without the cost or the code weight of a glazed room. The panels store flat over winter.
Where you want a four-season room, glass patio enclosures give you year-round use with the view intact. Glass patio enclosures are the biggest build on this page and the one worth deciding carefully. These need insulated glazing, a thermally broken frame, proper foundations, and attention to condensation — a glass room built like a screen room is unpleasant in January.
If you already have a roof over the patio, enclosing the sides is the fastest and cheapest version of this project. We check whether the existing structure can carry the walls and the loads before anything else — many can, some can’t.
Where there’s no roof yet, we build the structure and the enclosure as one. Designing them together means the roof pitch, drainage, post positions, and wall framing all work with each other rather than being reconciled afterward.
Screen doors, sliding panels, pet-resistant mesh, solar screen that cuts heat gain, and hardware rated for daily use. People notice the components they touch every day, and cheap hardware on a good structure is a false economy.
Not sure whether you want screen, panels, or glass? That’s what the comparison below is for — and what the free estimate visit is for after that.
Materials
Patio enclosure materials decide three things: how much weather you keep out, how much maintenance you sign up for, and how the structure handles our climate.
| Material | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Powder-coated aluminum | Screen and glass enclosures | Light, won’t rot or rust, longest clear spans, zero maintenance |
| Timber (cedar, PT pine) | Enclosures matching an existing deck or home | Warmest look; needs sealing every 1–2 years at altitude |
| Vinyl-clad | Low-maintenance mid-range | Good thermal performance; limited color range |
| Steel | Large spans and heavy snow load | Strongest; needs coating maintained |
| Material | Season range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fiberglass screen | Three-season | Standard mesh; cheapest to replace when damaged |
| Solar / shade screen | Three-season | Cuts heat gain significantly; noticeably darker |
| Pet-resistant screen | Three-season | Heavier weave; worth it with dogs or cats |
| Clear vinyl panels | Shoulder seasons | Removable, affordable, less clarity than glass |
| Single-pane glass | Shoulder seasons | Clear, no insulation value, condensation-prone here |
| Insulated glass | Four-season | Required for a genuinely year-round room |
Two things specific to building here need to be kept in mind. Altitude UV is hard on screen and vinyl — exposure at 5,000-plus feet is roughly 25 percent stronger than at sea level, and cheap mesh and vinyl panels degrade visibly faster than their national ratings suggest. And hail is a real factor. It’s the most common reason screen and panel infill needs early replacement on the Front Range, so choose materials with that in mind rather than discovering it in June.
Compare
| Screen enclosure | Screen + removable panels | Glass enclosure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usable season | Apr–Oct | Mar–Nov | Year-round |
| Keeps out | Bugs, wind, leaves, sun | Above, plus cold and rain | Everything |
| Heating | None | None | Required for winter use |
| Relative cost | $ | $$ | $$$$ |
| Foundation | Existing patio usually fine | Existing patio usually fine | Often needs upgrading |
| Permits | Sometimes | Sometimes | Almost always |
| Best for | Bugs and shade; best value | Extending the shoulder seasons | A genuine extra room |
If the honest answer is “summer evenings,” a patio screen enclosure does everything you need at a quarter of the cost. If it’s “I want somewhere to sit in January,” only glass gets you there.
An existing roof makes this dramatically cheaper. No roof means building one, which is most of the cost difference between an enclosure and a renovation.
A glass enclosure puts real load on the slab. If the patio is cracked or settled, fix that first — see our patio deck repair service.
If you’re after sun protection rather than an enclosure, a pergola or louvered roof may be the better, cheaper answer. Our shade structures for patios page compares those options.
Budget
Every enclosure is quoted individually after we’ve seen the site. What moves patio enclosure cost most:
The honest guidance on patio enclosure cost: the biggest driver isn’t the finish; it’s the season range you’re buying. A patio screen enclosure and a four-season glass room over the same footprint aren’t in the same bracket, and homeowners are often surprised in both directions. We’ll put real numbers against two or three options, so you’re choosing with the trade-offs visible rather than committing to the most expensive version by default.
How It Works
We look at the patio, any existing roof, the sun, the wind, and how you’d actually use the space. The three-season versus four-season decision gets settled here, before anything is designed.
Can the existing patio carry the structure? Can an existing roof carry walls? These answers change the project significantly, and we’d rather find out now than mid-build.
Glazed enclosures almost always need permits; screen rooms sometimes do. Requirements differ across the metro, so we confirm what applies to your address and handle it.
Foundations or base upgrades where needed, then framing sized for snow load and the span. Roof framing and wall framing planned together.
Screen, panels or glazing fitted, doors hung, hardware set, then trim, paint or stain. Electrical goes in while the frame is open.
We walk the finished enclosure with you, show you how any removable panels fit and store, and explain seasonal care and what to do before a hailstorm.
See the Difference
Drag the slider: an open patio nobody used past September, then the same space as a finished screen enclosure.
← Drag the handle to compare
Why Us
Local Conditions
The roof is the whole structural question. An enclosure roof catches everything that falls and has nothing above it to share the load, so framing and spans get sized for a genuine Front Range spring storm rather than an average.
The most common reason enclosure infill needs attention. Screen mesh, vinyl panels, and thin polycarbonate are all vulnerable, so factor it into your material choice and check what your homeowner’s policy covers.
Roughly 25 percent stronger exposure than at sea level. Mesh, vinyl panels, powder-coat, and timber finishes all degrade faster here than their national ratings suggest.
A 40-degree daily swing is normal here, and that’s hard on a glazed room. Single-pane glass in a Colorado winter produces condensation that will eventually damage frames and sills — which is exactly why a four-season enclosure needs insulated glazing rather than just glass.
Open screen panels catch less than a solid wall, but the frame still has to resist it, and loads go back into the anchors. We anchor to the structure and the slab rather than relying on weight.
Five conditions a catalog spec written for a milder state doesn’t account for. It’s why the same enclosure costs differently here, and why the cheapest quote is usually the one that ignored them.
This is why we don’t quote patio installation from a satellite photo. Two identical patios in two yards a mile apart can need different base depths.
Service Areas
We’re based in Thornton and build patio enclosures across the north Denver metro — Northglenn, Westminster, Broomfield, Commerce City, Brighton, Wheat Ridge, Arvada, Denver, and the surrounding towns in Adams and Weld counties.
Permit requirements differ meaningfully across that range, particularly for glazed enclosures, so we answer that question for your specific address rather than from a general rule.
Looking for enclosed patio builders anywhere in the greater Thornton area? Searching for enclosed patio builders near me and wondering if we serve you? Ask about your address — if we don’t cover you, we’ll say so rather than waste your time.
Reviews
Good to Know
It depends overwhelmingly on whether you’re building screen, removable panels, or glass — those three are not in the same bracket. After that: footprint, whether there’s already a roof, frame material, doors, electrical, and permits. We quote in writing after a site visit, with real numbers against two or three options so you can see the trade-offs.
A three-season enclosure — screen, or screen with removable panels — keeps bugs, wind, leaves, and sun out but isn’t insulated, so it tracks outdoor temperature. Here that means roughly April to October. A four-season enclosure has insulated glazing, a thermally broken frame, and heating, so it’s usable in January. It’s a much bigger build with code implications a screen room doesn’t have.
Usually, yes — and it’s the cheapest version of this project by some margin. The question is whether the existing roof and posts can carry wall loads — many can, some can’t. We check that before quoting rather than assuming.
Glazed and four-season enclosures almost always do. Screen enclosures sometimes do, depending on size, height and whether they’re attached to the house. Requirements differ across the metro, so we confirm what applies to your address and handle the permit if one is needed.
Screened patio enclosures and glazed ones use different infill but the same frame logic. For frames, powder-coated aluminum is the default — light, maintenance-free, and it gives the longest clear spans. Timber suits enclosures matching an existing deck. For infill, standard fiberglass screen is the baseline; solar screen cuts heat gain noticeably; pet-resistant mesh is worth it if you have animals. Glass only makes sense insulated.
Not really. Screen stops bugs, wind-blown debris, and a good deal of sun, but driving rain comes through. If keeping rain out matters, you want removable clear panels or glazing — that’s usually the moment people move from screen to the panel option.
A screen enclosure on an existing covered patio is often a week or less. Building roof and enclosure together, or a glazed four-season room, runs considerably longer. Permitting adds time before the crew starts, which is why we begin that early.
Sometimes, and it’s much easier if the framing was designed for it. If there’s any chance you’ll want panels or glazing in future, say so at the design stage — framing for it now costs very little and retrofitting is expensive.
Usable square footage generally does, and enclosures are among the lower-cost ways to add it. A four-season room may count as conditioned space depending on how it’s built and assessed. A screen room is a lifestyle improvement more than a valuation one — worth doing for how much more you’ll use the patio, not as an investment calculation.
It’s the most common reason enclosure infill needs replacing here. Screen mesh and vinyl panels are both vulnerable. Material choice makes a real difference, and it’s worth checking what your homeowner’s policy covers before you buy rather than after a storm.
Yes, and planning them in while the frame is open costs a fraction of retrofitting. Ceiling fans in particular transform how a screen enclosure feels in July.
Not until it’s dealt with, and we’d tell you that rather than building on it. An enclosure puts load on the slab, and a structure built on a surface that’s still moving will show it in the frame within a couple of years. Patio repair comes first, and it’s usually a smaller job than people expect.
Porches are covered separately — a porch attaches to the house at the entry and is typically roofed as part of the building, which makes it a different build. See our porch installation service for those.
We cover Thornton, Northglenn, Westminster, Broomfield, Wheat Ridge, Commerce City, Brighton, Arvada, Denver, Aurora, and the surrounding north metro, plus much of Adams and Weld counties. If you’re looking for a patio enclosure company anywhere in the greater Thornton area, we most likely cover you.
Call and talk to someone who’ll be on the crew — not a call centre.
Open 7 days · 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
More From All Pro
Repair, leveling, and resurfacing before an enclosure goes on.
New concrete, paver, stone, and brick patios built on a proper base.
Layout, materials and features planned before construction.
Covered, open, screened-in, wrap-around and portico porch additions.
Pergolas, pavilions, louvered roofs and awnings if open shade is what you’re after.
Multi-level, wraparound and ground-level decks in wood or composite.
All Pro Thornton Deck Builders builds patio screen enclosures and three-season rooms across the greater Thornton area — licensed, bonded and insured, locally owned since 2012, and framed for Colorado snow, hail and sun rather than a national spec.
Tell us how you’d use the space and when. We’ll walk the patio, tell you honestly whether a screen, panel, or glass patio enclosure is the right answer, and put a written scope and price in front of you.
