Sunroom contractor in Mentone, CA - patio rooms built on a base that holds up
Horizon Highland Sunrooms & Patios is a sunroom contractor based in Highland that builds sunrooms, patio enclosures and patio covers for homeowners in Mentone, turning existing patios, decks and back yards into rooms you can actually use.
Mentone as we see it from the back yard
Mentone isn't a city of its own. It's an unincorporated community that San Bernardino County looks after, right up against Redlands and a short drive from our base in Highland, so the houses feel familiar even though the paperwork runs through the county.
Most of our calls here are for single-family houses, a lot of them older ranch-style homes on roomier lots, with newer houses mixed in. Many already have a slab patio or a tired wood deck off the back, and that's usually where the homeowner pictures the room. Before I talk about glass or roof style, I want to know what's under that spot and how the back of the house is built, because those two things shape the whole job.
Services in Mentone, CA
Patio-to-sunroom conversion
Plenty of Mentone houses already have a concrete patio off the back slider, and a patio-to-sunroom conversion puts walls and a roof over it. I check whether that slab is thick and level enough to carry a room first, because a lot of older patios were only poured for a table and chairs.
Deck-to-sunroom conversion
Older wood decks out here were built to hold people, not walls, glass and a roof. We open up the framing and footings to see what's really there, then reinforce or rebuild before the room goes on.
Patio cover installation
If you want shade over the patio without closing it in, a patio cover is the simpler job. We tie it into your roof so water runs off where it should, which takes care on the low rooflines we see on a lot of ranch homes here.
Sunroom additions
On the bigger lots, some homeowners want a room that reads like part of the original house. We plan the footings, the roof tie-in and where the room sits so it stays within the setbacks and clear of anything buried in the yard.
Three season sunrooms
A three season room suits families who want a sitting room or play space off the kitchen without heating and cooling it like the rest of the house. We still build the base as if it were a full room, because that's the part you can't fix later.
Four season sunrooms
A room you use year round needs insulated walls, better glass and usually its own heating and cooling, and on older houses the electrical panel may not have room for it. Our crew does the building, and we bring in licensed trade partners for the wiring and the heating and cooling.
Working in Mentone: how the county side of the job goes
Because Mentone is unincorporated, your permit comes from San Bernardino County's Building and Safety office, not a city hall, and its permit list includes additions, alterations and patio covers, which covers most of what we build here. Plans go in and get reviewed before our crew starts, so the county's review usually sets the start date. There's no county business license for contractors working in the unincorporated area, so the license worth checking on anyone you hire is the state contractor license.
We check with Building and Safety on your address, then draw up and file the plans for you. The price mostly turns on what the room sits on, how it joins your roof, the walls and glass you pick, and whether it needs wiring or heating and cooling, while the schedule turns on the county's review and how much prep the ground needs. We do the same work over in Loma Linda and San Bernardino, and your estimate spells out what your room would include and what it wouldn't.
What Mentone houses and yards mean for a sunroom
The county's profile of Mentone says homes here mostly run on septic tanks and leach fields rather than a sewer line, though any one property can be different. That matters because a room's footings and slab shouldn't sit on top of the tank or the leach lines, and you'll want to reach that tank later, so I find out where yours is before I suggest where the room goes. Sometimes that slides the room over a few feet, and sometimes it changes its shape.
The other thing we see a lot is an older single-story house with a low roofline and not much height to tie a new roof into. Those are the jobs I enjoy, because getting the pitch and the water flow right takes some thinking, and we'd rather work it out up front than patch a leak later.
Get a free on-site sunroom estimate in Mentone
We reply to every request within one business day to set a time, and then I come out to your Mentone house myself to measure and look over the base. The estimate is free and there's no obligation, so you can take the write-up and think it over.
How it goes when you call us about a Mentone sunroom
Call or send a message
Call (909) 737-1119 or use the form, and we'll set a time to come out. Tell us a little about the space you're thinking of.
I come out and look
I measure, check the base and the roofline, and ask how you want to use the room. It helps if you know roughly where your septic tank and leach field are.
You get a written estimate
I write up what the room would include and what it wouldn't. You can ask me about anything on it before you decide.
We file with the county
Once you say go, we prepare the plans and paperwork and file them with Building and Safety. The county reviews them before any building starts, so that review sets when our crew can begin.
We build, then walk through
Our own crew builds the room, with licensed trade partners for any wiring or heating and cooling. When it's done, we walk the room with you.
Sunroom questions from Mentone homeowners
How do I get a building permit for a sunroom in Mentone?
You apply through the county, since Mentone has no city government of its own. Property owners, state-licensed contractors or an agent for either can take out the permit, in person or through the county's EZ Online Permitting site, and the paperwork has to be current each time. When we build your room, we prepare and file the plans for you.
Do I need a permit for a small shed in Mentone?
A shed or playhouse up to 120 square feet doesn't need a permit if it's one story, detached, has no utilities, sits within the minimum setbacks and is under 14 feet tall. A sunroom attached to your house is a different job, so don't go by the shed rule for a room, and check the county's Building and Safety questions page for your own project.
Does Mentone have its own business license for contractors?
No. The county doesn't issue business licenses for businesses working in the unincorporated area and has no countywide one, apart from a short list of business types like massage clinics and rental units. For a sunroom contractor, the license you can check is the state one from the Contractors State License Board.
How much can a contractor ask for as a down payment in California?
Under state rules, a down payment on a home improvement job can be no more than $1,000 or 10 percent of the contract price, whichever is less. The board says that applies to all home improvement projects, so if someone wants more than that up front, ask why.
How much does a sunroom cost in Mentone?
The price comes down to the size of the room, what it sits on, how it ties into your roof and whether it's a screened, three season or four season room, and an on-site estimate is how you get your own number. On a sloped lot, grading can add to it, because the county requires grading plans for 100 cubic yards or more of cut and fill or for disturbing a slope steeper than 2:1, and erosion control is generally needed before any digging. Ask Building and Safety what applies to your project, and I'll look at the yard closely before I write anything up.
How long does a county building permit stay valid in Mentone?
A county permit expires if work hasn't started within 12 months of when it's issued, or if work stops for 12 months. The building official can grant a 180-day extension in writing when you ask in writing with a good reason, so it's worth having your plans settled before the permit is pulled.
Plan your Mentone sunroom with us
Call (909) 737-1119 or use the form before you settle on a spot for the room, because the right place on a Mentone lot often isn't the obvious one.