Picking a patio cover starts with one honest question: how do you plan to use the space? A Kenner family that hosts weekend crawfish boils needs a different footprint than a couple who wants a shady spot for morning coffee. Get the patio cover size right and the rest of the project falls into place. Guess wrong and you end up with furniture crammed under too little shade, or a slab so big it swallows the cover.
Sizing a cover isn’t complicated once you break it into a few decisions. You’re balancing five things: how you’ll use the area, the furniture you want to fit, how much of the existing slab to shade, the clearance and headroom you need, and the sun angle you want to block. This guide walks Jefferson Parish homeowners through each factor, shows what the common sizes actually hold, and points you to real pricing.
Key takeaways
- Size follows use. Match the footprint to whether you’ll dine, lounge, grill, or do all three under one roof.
- A 10×10 cover suits a bistro set or grill station, while a 12×20 or 20×20 fits a full dining plus lounge layout.
- Common sizes for local backyards are 10×10, 12×12, 10×20, 12×20, and 20×20.
- Bigger covers cost more and can change post and beam needs, so plan the structure alongside the footage.
- In Kenner the real job is shade and rain protection against heat, UV, humidity, and afternoon storms, not fighting cold.
Start with how you’ll use the space
Before you think about dimensions, picture a normal weekend on the patio. Are you setting a long table for family dinners? Do you want a couple of loungers for Saturday afternoons? Is a grill or outdoor kitchen part of the plan? Each activity carries its own footprint, and stacking two or three of them pushes homeowners toward a larger cover. A single-purpose shade spot stays compact, while a full outdoor living room needs room to move around the furniture.
Some Kenner homeowners keep it simple with a straightforward shade structure, and others fold the cover into a broader custom patio plan with built-in seating, a bar, or a fire feature. If you already know you want an entertaining hub, size up now so you’re not wishing for another 4 feet later. Our patio cover work in Kenner ranges from tidy back-door shade to sprawling covered kitchens.
Common patio cover sizes and what they fit
Here’s how the standard sizes translate into real furniture. Treat these as starting points, since the right pick depends on your slab and layout.
- 10×10: A small bistro set for 2, a couple of chairs, or a dedicated grill station. Great for a cozy nook off the back door.
- 12×12: A dining table for 4, or a compact seating cluster with a couple of chairs and a side table.
- 10×20: A long, narrow run with a dining table on one end and a pair of loungers on the other. A smart fit for skinny side yards.
- 12×20: A full dining set plus a small lounge area, with room to walk between the zones.
- 20×20: The full outdoor living room. Dining for 6 to 8, a separate lounge, and space for a grill or bar cart.
Bigger footprints obviously carry bigger price tags, and the jump between sizes isn’t always linear once posts and beams change. Before you fall in love with a 20×20, check the patio cover cost guide so the size you choose lines up with what you want to spend.
Match the cover to your slab and furniture
Two backyards with the same slab can want two different covers. Measure your concrete first, then decide how much of it you want shaded. Many homeowners cover roughly 70 to 80 percent of the slab and leave a sunny strip for potted plants or chairs that catch the morning light. Others shade the whole thing. Neither is wrong; it comes down to how you live outside.
Then lay out the furniture with painter’s tape on the concrete. Leave at least 3 feet of walking room around a dining table so chairs can slide back, and give loungers a clear path. This dry run catches sizing mistakes before they cost anything. Our post on how to plan and design your perfect patio covers the full layout process.
Clearance, headroom, and sun angle in Kenner
Size isn’t only about floor space. Headroom matters too. A cover that sits too low feels cramped and traps heat, while a taller structure keeps air moving, which counts for a lot during a humid New Orleans summer. Most covers give you comfortable standing and ceiling-fan clearance, and your builder sets the height to clear doors, windows, and any second-story overhang.
Sun angle is the local wildcard. Kenner backyards bake under strong afternoon UV, and a low western sun slips right under a cover sized only for overhead shade. Extending the footprint a few feet on the sunset side, or angling the structure, blocks that late-day glare and keeps the seating usable through the evening. The same generous roofline sheds our heavy rain and quick afternoon storms, which is why we size covers across the Kenner service area with real weather in mind. Snow and freeze loads never enter the math here; shade, rain, and hurricane-season wind do.
How size affects cost and structure
A larger cover isn’t just more roofing material. Wider spans often need bigger beams, extra posts, or deeper footings to stay solid in our alluvial soil and to handle storm-season wind. That structural upgrade is part of why a 20×20 can cost noticeably more per square foot than a 10×10. A good patio cover build balances the look you want with the support the span requires.
The cleanest way to make this call is to price a couple of sizes side by side. Our cost breakdown by size shows how the numbers move as the footprint grows, so you can decide whether that extra lounge zone is worth the jump. Sometimes it clearly is; sometimes a well-placed 12×12 does everything you need for less.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the most popular patio cover size for a family backyard?
For families who want to dine and relax outside, a 12×20 hits the sweet spot. It fits a full dining set plus a small lounge without forcing you into the largest footprint. If you entertain big crowds, a 20×20 gives you room to spare.
Should the cover match my whole slab?
Not necessarily. Many homeowners shade 70 to 80 percent of the slab and leave a sunny edge for plants or morning sun. Covering everything is fine too. It depends on how you use the space and how much shade you want.
How much headroom and clearance do I need?
Enough to stand comfortably, run a ceiling fan, and clear your doors and windows. Taller covers also breathe better in the humidity, so err on the generous side.
Does a bigger cover cost a lot more?
It can, and not only because of extra roofing. Wider spans may need heavier beams and more posts, which adds to the total. Comparing sizes in the cost guide shows where your budget lands.
Still weighing sizes for your yard? We’ll measure your slab, walk your furniture plan, and recommend the footprint that fits how you live outside, anywhere across the New Orleans metro. Call Big Easy Patios at (504) 285-2659 or reach out through our contact page for a free consultation.
