Zoning regulations can be a red tape nightmare, and you are much better off going into a project informed. No one wants to get partway through an improvement project and have code enforcement show up with a red tag. It’s majorly inconvenient to have to stop a residential project, and possible income loss to businesses.

The Paso Robles patio cover professionals from Shoreline Awnings & Patio have some tips to help avoid the delays and entanglements that come with zoning regulations.

Zoning requirements can be confusing because they can differ between what a county requires and what a city requires. They can differ from city to city, and differ between commercial and residential. To add to the confusion, regulations can differ between zones within a city, such as one set of regulations for industrial districts and another set for business districts. Let’s not forget about HOAs, either! The HOA’s CC&Rs can legally fly in the face of any local zoning regulations. 

Step one is to know what your local zoning regulations are for adding awnings or patio covers. Many jurisdictions offer summary sheets for adding awnings or patio covers to a business or residence. Once you review the summary, you can look deeper into the regulations that affect your plans. You can usually find local codes and regulations online.

Before finalizing your plans and heading to the building department for a permit, here are tips from the Paso Robles patio cover team to help you get organized:

• Make a list of what you want, such as an awning in front of your business with your logo and some ornamental ironwork, or what type of patio cover you want. Some patio covers might be considered permanent additions, while fabric covers, such as shade sails, may not be.
• Know which zone you are in. Zoning can be confusing, especially mixed zoning that allows both commercial and residential.
• Is the home or business in a historically designated building? Different ordinances may apply.
• Do ADA requirements apply to you?
• What are the signage ordinances?
• Are there any setback requirements? Setbacks may apply if you are creating additional customer space on the sidewalk in front of your business.
• Are there any fire code ordinances. If you plan on using patio heaters, or open flames a fire inspection may be required.
• Check the regulations that apply to miscellaneous items such as lighting attached to an awning or fabric patio cover, wind resistance, maintenance, and aging materials.
• Don’t forget to check HOA CC&Rs and business district requirements. Some business districts have more stringent requirements than the general jurisdictional ordinances. Those details will be in the agreements that were signed when you opened your business.

Finally, once you have a solid list of all the parts of your project and have checked that list against the zoning ordinances, talk to a planner at the local building department. Planning staff is usually happy to help because the more that is known up front, the fewer problems that might come up later.

Once you are as satisfied as possible, create the formal, detailed plans to submit to the planning department. Expect some changes to be requested, especially for larger projects.

Plan ahead

Permits can take a while to be approved. The larger the project, the longer the approval process may take. Start the process early to improve your chances of being approved and ready when the time to install the awnings or patio covers arrives.

Have a good neighbor approach

At some point in the planning, share your plans with home or business neighbors. Even though the project meets all the code requirements, someone might find something to complain about after installation. It’s easier to learn about objections early on and include solutions to avoid problems later.

Work with the experts

Working with the Shoreline Awning & Patio experts from Paso Robles, from your first idea through final installation streamlines the entire process. The Shoreline team has been custom-designing, manufacturing, and installing awnings and patio covers since 1986. The creative, skilled, and experienced team provides shade and outdoor living solutions to business and residential communities from Monterey to Ventura.

Working with so many different cities and counties has given Shoreline Awning & Patio vast experience with zoning ordinances. The team can provide invaluable information to help you with the permit process.

Because the company specializes in custom-designed solutions, your products are tailored exactly to your needs. Everything is made on the grounds of the Paso Robles showroom, including custom ironwork.

Shoreline Awning & Patio custom-designs products from awnings, shade sails, to high-quality aluminum covers, and stunning, creative enclosures, making a statement with an original, creative space for:

• Outdoor dining for restaurants, cafes, bars, wineries, and breweries.
• Employee lunch and break space.
• Networking and social events, including workshops, seminars, and meetings.
• Elegant outdoor space for weddings and special events.
• Open-air wellness and fitness areas for gyms, yoga studios, massage, and the healing arts.
• Customer waiting area.
• Seasonal activities and experiences for the public.
• Shade structures in parks and open spaces.
• Patio and shade structures for the home, including open spaces, play areas, entertaining areas, decks, swimming pools, and gardens.

We share your vision. Shoreline’s in-house design team helps make it real.

Check out the company’s online portfolio and call today!

-A recent report from Shoreline Awnings & Patio. Inc. summarizes the smart business reasons for installing retractable awnings. Many of the retractable awning benefits also apply to fixed-frame awnings, especially the luxury of shaded spaces and the advantages of brand recognition.

Awnings are an excellent way to elevate customer experiences by providing attractive and welcoming shelters for outdoor experiences. Al fresco dining, winetasting, weddings, family gatherings, and a great return on investment through brand recognition and increased business are just a few of the reasons to install awnings, especially retractable awnings.

The many benefits include:

• Shade on demand, when and where you want it. Retractable awnings are easy to adjust and come with optional motorized control. Extend the awnings for patio or courtyard breakfast or lunch in the daytime. Roll them back for romantic, candlelight dining under the nighttime stars.
• Protecting outdoor furniture from sun damage adds years to the usefulness of the investment.
• Awnings shelter the outside of windows, reducing interior summer UV rays and the temperature as much as 20%. The ability to retract awnings when the weather is cooler, letting the sunshine in, helps control heating costs.
• Awning shade protects merchandise displayed in windows from sun damage.
• Choosing awnings in company colors and adding the company logo is an investment in appeal and branding that attracts customers.
• Adding affordable, usable space to accommodate more customers.
• Minimal maintenance and a lifespan up to 15 years is an investment in the business’s bottom line.

From the Paso Robles showroom to communities between Monterey and Ventura, Shoreline Awning & Patio custom designs and installs awnings for Santa Maria, Carmel, Salinas, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara, and more.

Providing awnings and a variety of shade products since 1982, Shoreline Awning & Patio products are the perfect solutions for sheltering customers from the sun and weather, and adding attractive, comfortable customer experiences.

• Shoreline’s awnings exceed industry standards and are mounted on welded steel frames with rust-resistant powder-coated finishes.
• Lifetime, transferrable warranty.
• Fixed-frame and retractable awnings.
• Custom designs, configurations, and color schemes can be imprinted with the business logo to boost brand recognition.
• Shoreline’s talented in-house welders design and fabricate original ornamental ironwork for a higher level of appeal.

Shoreline’s design team works side-by-side with every customer from the idea stage through installation to craft the perfect awnings or shade structures.

Shoreline Awning & Patio’s specialty is shade and protection from the weather. Along with awnings for Santa Maria’s businesses and homes, the company custom-designs and installs a variety of shade structures. The design and manufacturing team offers the highest quality materials and workmanship for products that are custom-designed to each customer’s unique vision and specifications. Products include:

• Awnings that add curb appeal and draw attention from passing foot and vehicle traffic.
• Patio covers and enclosures for restaurants, bars, wineries, and breweries, employee break areas, networking seminars, meetings, customer waiting areas, wellness, and fitness.
• Shade structures for weddings and events.
• Shade sails for outdoor living and recreation.
• Custom covers, shades, and enclosures for patios, gazebos, and pergolas.
• Patio covers with insulation, lighting, fans, or misters.
• Drop shades that operate manually, electrically, from timers, or remotely.

Shoreline Awning & Patio’s commitment to excellence ensures that the products will not only meet but exceed expectations and contribute significantly to business success and customer appeal.

Shoreline Awning & Patio, Inc.
3514 Combine Street
Paso Robles, CA 93446
(805) 238-4110

High-quality awnings last up to 15 years or longer, especially with proper care. The high-quality materials and manufacturing from Shoreline Awnings & Patio give you a head start on years of service. Designed and manufactured in our Paso Robles showroom, our awnings are custom-made from UV-protected and weatherproofed fabrics. Mounted on welded steel frames with rust-resistant powder-coated finishes, our awnings exceed industry standards and provide years of usefulness.

Seasonal maintenance helps keep your awnings in peak condition. Storms, strong winds, heavy rain, and dust still have an effect on anything that is outside and exposed to the elements. UV-protection and weatherproofing are added protection, but Mother Nature tests the durability of everything in her path, making it a wise practice to inspect and maintain your awnings on a seasonal schedule.

Along with following the manufacturer’s care and maintenance instructions, seasonal maintenance helps identify potential issues due to seasonal conditions, such as winter storms or long, hot summer days. Dust, ash, soot, pollens, and bird droppings are regular issues that also need to be regularly addressed.

Seasonal maintenance is also the opportunity to prepare your awnings for use in the coming seasons. When in doubt, refer to the maintenance guidelines from Shoreline’s Paso Robles awning care instructions.

Here are seasonal maintenance tips to help keep your awnings in top shape.

Saving your awnings from spring fever

After the occasional early spring rain, the days warm up, and it’s a good time for inspecting your awnings for any issues that may have developed over the rainy and stormy winter months.

• Inspect for mold or mildew, which may appear as dark spots. If found, use a fabric-safe mildew remover to kill the mold. Also, wipe down the frame with a mild mold remover to get rid of any spores.

Mold tends to stain, so don’t attempt to bleach any stains on the fabric. Call Shoreline for information about removing mold stains.

• Inspect the frame for any damage. Make sure that the retractable frames are moving smoothly. Tighten any loose connections.
• Inspect for winter storm damage, especially if there have been heavy winds. Wind can blow tree branches and debris into an awning. If the wind is strong enough and the branches are heavy enough, the frame may also be damaged. If you find any damage, contact us according to the instructions in your warranty.
• When everything has been inspected, clean the awning fabric as recommended in the care and maintenance instructions. Avoid harsh chemical cleaners. Leave retractable awnings open until the fabric is dry.

Your summer chore list

Summer might seem like a time to relax vigilance a little, but there are still a few things that need attention over the hot days.

• Trim nearby trees, vines, and tall shrubs that are close to the awning. Summer is a good time for pruning because the spring growth has slowed down, and you won’t have to prune as often. However, don’t hesitate to prune any time you notice growth getting too close for comfort!
• A regular rinse helps keep dust, pollen, bird droppings, and any ash or soot from nearby wildfires under control.
• Depending on your location, inspect periodically for signs of mold or mildew. Our region’s microclimates mean that damp morning or nighttime fog is ever present. Also, coastal regions have more humidity in the air. Humidity combined with summer heat is mold’s favorite growing environment!

Fall, a little like summer, only more

Fall on California’s Central Coast is pretty much like summer, except the inland temperatures start cooling down, trees and shrubs start to drop their leaves, which means there’s more debris for the wind to blow onto your awnings, and birds begin to migrate, leaving more evidence of their presence along the way!

• Continue keeping the awnings clean and free of falling leaves and debris. Remember that fire season is still in effect, and ash and soot can be carried by wind and breezes for miles.
• Start keeping an eye on the weather reports. Rain can begin in late October. Be sure to close retractable awnings when rain or high wind is predicted.
• As inland temperatures cool, there’s more fog along the coast, adding to the humidity. Keep an eye out for signs of mold.
• Clean the gutters on the roof of the building to prevent overflow onto the awnings.

Winter, when we hope for rain even if we have to work harder

Our Central Coast winters are much like fall weather, except when Mother Nature decides it’s time for a storm. Days of pounding rain and high winds create all kinds of havoc, and your awnings might not be spared.

• Close and secure retractable awnings to help prevent wind damage.
• When there is a break in the wind and rain, inspect both retractable and fixed-frame awnings for storm damage and make necessary repairs as soon as possible.
• When there has been an overnight freeze, inspect the awnings for damage. Ice can stress fabric, metal, and moving parts.
• If it’s one of those rare winters when it snows, remove the snow from the awnings as soon as possible. The weight of snow can cause damage, even breakage.

Our warranty

Our products come with a lifetime transferable warranty. We stand behind everything we manufacture at our Paso Robles showroom. Awnings, patio covers, and enclosures are covered.

We have an excellent design and manufacturing team, including top ironworkers who can create original designs to your specifications.

Serving California’s Central Coast from Monterey to Ventura since 1982, Shoreline Awnings & Patio is the leading choice for commercial and residential awnings, patio covers and enclosures, and more.

Call us today for your custom-designed awnings!

The outdoors is meant to be enjoyed, but no one likes being rained on, blinded by the sun, fighting the wind, or harassed by bugs. Shoreline Awning & Patio has solutions that provide year-round comfortable use of open spaces. We are the premier supplier of patio covers, shade structures, enclosures, and awnings for Arroyo Grande, and California communities from Monterey to Ventura.

Shoreline Awning & Patio has been serving California businesses and communities since 1982 with high-quality, functional, versatile products for covering and enclosing patios, decks, gazebos, pergolas, and other outdoor spaces.

How do awnings make outdoor spaces comfortable and attractive?

Products such as patio covers and enclosures, awnings, sun shades, and canopies are versatile, attractive, functional, and durable, bringing a new level of usefulness, comfort and attractiveness to favorite outdoor spaces.

The takeaway for choosing from a wide selection of these products is that business owners and homeowners can heighten how they use and enjoy open spaces by:

• Turning outdoor spaces such as patios, yards, decks, and courtyards into comfortable and attractive areas for al fresco dining, winetasting, relaxing, and visiting with friends and family.
• Enhancing outdoor experiences with protection from wind, sun, rain, and cold. Durable, high-quality patio covers, enclosures, awnings and shade covers make year-round outdoor enjoyment possible.
• Blocking direct sunlight, creating cooler spaces, and protecting furnishings or merchandise in window displays from sun damage. Cooling shade also reduces the need for air conditioning and lowers energy bills.
• Adding beauty and attractiveness that enhances curb appeal, and creates inviting, hospitable spaces that are appealing to customers, houseguests, or potential buyers.
• Providing low-maintenance privacy with high-quality, easy to clean covers and enclosures manufactured from durable materials.

Choosing Shoreline Awnings & Patio Covers also means you get customized solutions for your shade and weather protection needs. We custom design and manufacture patio covers, shade structures, and awnings for Arroyo Grande and California businesses and homes.

Our product flexibility includes shapes, sizes, and materials for specific needs, retractable motorized or remote control operation, and style and functionality customization for your unique needs and preferences.

Increasing your enjoyment

Let’s look at some of the ways Shoreline Awning & Patio Covers increases how you enjoy being outdoors:

• At home, sipping morning coffee on the deck, enjoying the view because your newly installed shade protection keeps the morning sun out of your eyes.
• Enjoying fine wine, light bites, and a beautiful view of deer browsing on a hillside because the winery installed an awning on the tasting room deck, canopies on the gazebos, and shade sails around the vineyard.
• A play date at your backyard kiddie pool where the shade sails protect the kids’ tender skin from the sun.
• Lunch with friends on a hot day at your favorite restaurant because the patio cover keeps the courtyard cool. “Another thing that makes this place perfect,” you say, “is the cover opens at night so we can see the moon and stars.” 
• Your business is starting to see an increase in foot traffic because the front awning has made you more visible.
• You are selling your home or business and want to add curb appeal.

Bring us your ideas!

Whether you know exactly what you want, or are looking for ideas, our talented design team shares your vision and can guide you to the right selections for your needs. We custom design creative, versatile shade products from scratch and manufacture them at our Paso Robles facility. Our products lead the way in custom shade products, including awnings, patio covers and enclosures, pergolas, gazebos, sunrooms, shade sails, and more that enrich experiences.

We are familiar with the many California microclimates that stretch between Monterey and Ventura. Our design team can recommend the perfect shade structure, cover, enclosure or awning for Arroyo Grande or anywhere else in California.

We are also the local dealer of top-of-the-line patio covers and outdoor living products from respected distributors like Equinox, Four-Seasons, KE Outdoor Design, and Outdoor Elements.

Bring us your ideas! Let us help you create an impression that makes your storefront stand out, or blends indoor and outdoor experiences in a deeply satisfying way. We are at your side from start to finish for design, construction, and installation.

We can imprint your logo and color scheme to boost brand recognition.

We also offer original ornamental ironwork by our talented in-house welders.

Call today!

-Commercial awnings are versatile additions that can greatly improve the appearance and functionality of business properties. Shoreline Awnings & Patio, serving Santa Maria, and the entire area between Monterey and Ventura, recently released a guide to awnings, storefronts, and shade structures for every aspect of commercial buildings.

Awnings are widely used to boost brand recognition and storefront appeal. Businesses such as retail, restaurants, lodging, wineries, industrial facilities, and event venues all benefit from the advantages of awnings:

• Enhancing visibility by displaying the company name and logo.
• Creating a welcoming, protective entrance for customers.
• Elevating customer experiences.
• Improving the building’s aesthetic appeal with designs to match the building’s architectural style.
• Adding a touch of luxury and sophistication to the property

Awnings, storefront covers, and shade structures offers cost-effective, versatile, durable, and low-maintenance solutions including:

• Creating usable outdoor space for pleasant and comfortable customer experiences.
• Temperature control, blocking sun and heat.
• Adapting to changing weather conditions.
• Lowering interior summer temperatures next to windows and doors.
• Protecting outdoor furniture from sun and weather damage.

The combination of visual appeal and quality customer experiences is an important factor in encouraging customer loyalty.

What are the options for commercial awnings?

Often seen on building fronts, awnings offer much more. Shoreline’s experience in designing and installing awnings for Santa Maria and other California regions provides unique insights to help clients choose the best awnings and shade coverings. Options include:

• Entrance awnings extend usable space, offering shade and protection, ideal for high-traffic businesses.
• Window awnings, though smaller, enhance visual appeal and offer practical benefits such as interior shade and temperature control.
• Fixed awnings, permanently attached, provide consistent shade and come in various shapes like domes and quarter barrels.
• Retractable awnings can extend or retract as needed, with options like wind sensors and timers for automatic control.
• Metal awnings, usually aluminum or steel, are durable and weather-resistant.
• Fabric awnings offer a customizable, softer look with various colors, patterns, and materials, ideal for branding.
• Canopies are large coverings supported by columns, providing extensive coverage for entrances and walkways.
• Outdoor seating awnings create comfortable areas for dining, commonly used by restaurants and cafes.
• Walkway awnings protect pedestrians between buildings, vehicles, or outdoor corridors, perfect for alleys and courtyards.

Awnings are just the beginning

Shoreline Awnings & Patio has shade solutions to cover a variety of outdoor spaces. From al fresco dining to activities and events, the Santa Maria awning creative team has it covered.

• Shade sails are an investment in elegance for outdoor venues. Shoreline custom-designed sails bring contemporary sophistication to the premises and offer a cost-effective shading solution when compared to traditional construction methods.
• Pergolas and gazebos offer elegance and privacy for outdoor events.
• Customized patio covers and enclosures include a variety of choices from solid to adjustable patio covers, lattice, adjustable tension and sliding covers, and drop shades.
• Custom-designed ironwork for accenting awnings, storefronts, and outdoor spaces.

Building on a foundation that has been serving customers since 1986, the Shoreline team uses advanced technologies, premium materials, and a focus on quality and innovation. Working from its production facility in Paso Robles, the company offers personalized attention and customized design, manufacturing, and installation for every customer. The products offered by the company are versatile, seamlessly interchangeable from commercial to home, and come with a transferable Lifetime Warranty.

Shoreline Awnings & Patio, Inc.
3514 Combine St.
Paso Robles, CA 93446
(805) 238-4110