Sunroom contractor in Downey, CA - rooms built on sound slabs and decks
Fountain Valley Sunrooms & Patios builds and remodels sunrooms, closes in patios and turns decks into rooms for Downey homeowners, and I look at the slab or deck underneath before we plan a single wall.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
Ranch homes and backyard patios across Downey
Downey is a settled city just over the county line from us, and most of the houses we're called to are single-family homes on flat lots. Many of them are mid-century ranch houses with a covered patio or an old wood deck out back. There are plenty of apartments and condominiums too, and those owners usually need their association's approval before anything gets built. People here tend to have lived with their yards a long time, which is often why they finally want a room they can use year-round. Homeowners in Norwalk, just east, call us about much the same kind of house.
Those patios usually sit on a slab poured when the house was built, and a slab meant for patio chairs wasn't always poured to carry walls, glass and a roof. So on a Downey job I look underneath first, for cracks, settling and how water runs off, because that tells us whether we build on what's there or shore it up.
What a Downey sunroom job involves before we build
In Downey, permits for additions and alterations come from the city's Building and Safety Division, which also does the plan check and inspections, so for a sunroom we plan on a permit and build the city's review into the schedule. The contractor who pulls that permit needs a current City of Downey business license, even when their office is outside the city like ours, so it's a fair thing to ask any contractor about, and we're fully licensed and insured. When your project needs a permit, we prepare the plans, file them with the city and meet the inspector, and I'll tell you early what we need from you, such as approval from your HOA.
What moves the price is mostly the room itself, its size, whether it's screened or closed and insulated, how it ties into your roof and whether the slab or deck under it needs work first. The schedule turns on the city's review, any HOA approval and what we find underneath, and after the visit I send a written estimate that spells out what's included for your house. Downey is a short drive up the 605 from Fountain Valley, and we do this same work in older neighborhoods and newer ones alike, from here down to Newport Beach.
Request a free sunroom estimate at your Downey home
We reply within one business day to set up a visit, and I come out to your Downey home myself to measure and check the base the room will sit on. You'll get a free written estimate that spells out what's included, with no obligation to go ahead. If you'd rather talk first, please call (657) 329-2023.
Call (657) 329-2023Services in Downey, CA
Patio-to-sunroom conversion
A lot of Downey ranch houses already have a covered patio on a slab off the back door, which makes it the natural spot for a room. We check that slab for cracks and settling first, then close it in with walls, glass and a roof that tie properly into the house.
Deck-to-sunroom conversion
Older wood decks here have often weathered for decades, and a deck built for a barbecue isn't automatically ready to hold a room. Before a deck-to-sunroom conversion, I check the posts, beams and footings and tell you plainly whether we reinforce the framing or rebuild it.
Sunroom remodeling
Some Downey homes have a sunroom added years ago that runs hot or leaks where it meets the house, so it ends up holding boxes. We replace the tired glass, panels and flashing so it becomes a room you'll actually sit in.
Patio enclosures
When you'd like the patio closed in without a full addition, an enclosure keeps the space bright and keeps leaves and dust out. We fit it to the cover and slab you have, after making sure both are sound enough to take it.
Four season sunrooms
Homeowners who want to use the room every month of the year usually need a closed, insulated room rather than a screened one. We build these with insulated glass and a proper roof so the room stays comfortable from cool mornings to warm afternoons.
Patio cover installation
Many backyards here have an aluminum or wood patio cover that's sagging or rusting at the posts. We take it down and put up a new cover sized to the yard, and we'll talk through whether you might close it in later so the posts and footings suit that.
How it works when you call us about a Downey sunroom
Call or send a message
Tell us a little about the patio, deck or room you have in mind, and we'll call back to set a visit at a time that suits you. Please plan to be home for it if you can, since I'll have questions only you can answer.
I measure and check underneath
I measure, look over the slab or deck the room will stand on and ask how you plan to use it. Then I send a written estimate in plain words, so you can see exactly what's included before you decide.
We handle the Downey permit
If you go ahead, we prepare the plans, file them with the city and keep up with the paperwork, and building starts once the city's plan check clears. We'll keep you posted while it's under review so you're never left wondering.
We build and walk through
I'm on site with our crew from the first day until the room is finished, and we meet the city inspector when the permit calls for it. At the end we walk through the room together, and our work is satisfaction guaranteed.
Common questions
Can I pull my own permit for a sunroom on my house in Downey?
Yes, if you own and live in the single-family house, because the city issues building permits to a California licensed contractor or to an owner-builder living in the home the permit covers. Townhomes, condominiums, duplexes and apartments are different, since the city issues permits for those only to California licensed contractors. The city's building permit information page lays out the rules if you'd like to read them before you decide.
How do I submit sunroom plans to the City of Downey?
Permit applications and plans can now be submitted online through the city's permit portal, and permits are issued at the Building counter in Downey City Hall. When we take on your room, we prepare the plans and file them ourselves, so you won't need to learn the portal.
What energy zone is Downey in for a closed-in sunroom?
The city places Downey in energy code climate zone 8, with the area north of Vista Del Rio in zone 9. Those zones shape building rules such as roofing, and the city builds to the current California Building Code along with some local changes of its own, so we check which side of that line your house sits on before we draw the plans.
How long do I have to start building after a Downey permit is issued?
Work has to start within 12 months of the permit being issued or the permit becomes invalid, and it also lapses if started work is abandoned for 180 days. That's why we like to have the design and materials settled before we file, so the permit doesn't sit waiting.
Does a patio cover or screen room in Downey need a permit?
Plan on one, because the city's own wording is that generally any new construction, addition, alteration or repair to an existing building needs a permit, and its examples include carports, remodels and hardscapes. For a job that sits close to the line, the Building and Safety Division is the office to ask, and we'll confirm with them before we build.
How much does a sunroom cost in Downey?
The cost of a sunroom in Downey depends mostly on what you build it on and how closed in you want it, and I'll give you your own figure in a written estimate after I've seen the yard. Reusing a sound slab or deck keeps the cost down, while one that needs new footings or reinforcing adds to it, and a closed four season room with insulated glass costs more than a screened three season room. I'd also rather you build the size of room you'll actually use than pay for space you won't.
Tell us about the Downey room you want
Send the form or call (657) 329-2023 with a few words about the patio or deck you have now, and I'll know what to look at first when I come out.