The aluminum patio cover has been a Las Vegas default for good reason. It doesn’t rot, it doesn’t rust, it shrugs off the sun, and it’s historically been affordable. That last quality is the one under pressure now.
A shift in federal trade policy has pushed the cost of aluminum sharply higher, and anything built from it is feeling the effect. For a homeowner weighing an Alumawood-style cover or any aluminum structure, the timing of the purchase has quietly become part of the decision.
This isn’t panic-buying territory. But it’s worth understanding. The material that makes these covers so durable is the same material caught in a tariff regime that’s roughly doubled in a short span, and that math reaches the customer eventually. 
What changed in the aluminum market
The federal government escalated tariffs on imported aluminum in two steps, and the second step was steep. A major domestic producer noted in its filings that the Section 232 aluminum tariff went to 25% in March 2025 before a subsequent increase to 50% took effect that June.
Doubling a tariff on a primary building material doesn’t stay quarantined in a spreadsheet. It works down the supply chain, raising the cost of the raw metal, the extrusions, and finally the finished products that lean on them.
Regional premiums on aluminum climbed alongside the tariffs, which stacked onto the effect. For anyone manufacturing patio covers, carports, and similar structures, the input cost has moved one direction, and it’s up. By 2026 the tariff framework had widened to catch more finished and derivative aluminum products, so the pressure isn’t a one-time event. It’s a new baseline.
How it reaches the patio cover buyer
Aluminum cover systems are popular for what the metal offers: a wood-like look without the maintenance, strength without the weight, and a finish that resists the desert UV. None of that changes. What changes is the cost basis underneath it.
Manufacturers facing higher metal costs generally pass some of it through over time and adjust where they can with pricing and sourcing. For homeowners, that means a market where aluminum cover prices face upward pressure instead of the gentle stability of years past.
That doesn’t make aluminum the wrong choice. Its durability edge in a harsh climate is real, and total cost of ownership still favors a material that doesn’t need refinishing or replacing on a short cycle. The upfront number is moving, though, and that changes the calculus on timing. A homeowner who already knows they want an aluminum structure has a reason to plan sooner rather than bet on prices drifting back down, because the policy driving the increase shows no sign of reversing.
Weighing your options in a higher-cost market
The tariff story is a reminder that picking a material is also picking an economic path. The three popular cover types here, aluminum systems, retractable awnings, and pergolas, sit at different points on the cost-and-durability spectrum, and the aluminum shift nudges that comparison.
Aluminum still wins on longevity and low maintenance, which matters enormously in a climate that eats lesser materials. For a structure you expect to last decades with barely any upkeep, the durability premium holds up even as input costs rise.
Awnings offer flexibility and a lower entry price for people who want adjustable shade instead of a permanent roof, though they trade away some all-season toughness. Pergolas split the difference, with their own material questions to sort out. The practical advice in a pricier environment is to be clear about the job the structure has to do. If you need deep, permanent, maintenance-free shade, aluminum still serves you well, and locking in the project takes the risk of further cost creep off the table.
Trade policy is an unlikely thing to shape a backyard decision. But here it is. The aluminum that makes these covers so well suited to the desert costs more than it did, and the homeowners paying closest attention are the ones planning around it instead of getting surprised by it.
