Covered patios
Patio heaters for a covered patio
Yes, you can heat a covered patio. No, it is probably not going to be a tower, and the reason is one subtraction you can do right now.
Yes, with conditions. Fire Sense publishes at least 36 inches of overhead clearance for propane heaters, so an 87-inch tower needs a ceiling over 10 ft 3 in — more than almost any covered patio has. Electric units need only 12 to 24 inches above, which is why they are the answer here.
Do this subtraction before anything else
Measure your ceiling height. Then subtract the published overhead clearance for the type of heater you are considering. What is left is the tallest heater that fits.
| Your ceiling | Minus 36 in (propane) | Minus 24 in (electric, conservative) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 ft (96 in) | 60 in of heater — no tower fits | 72 in — mounted unit fits easily |
| 9 ft (108 in) | 72 in — still no tower | 84 in |
| 10 ft (120 in) | 84 in — marginal for an 87 in tower | 96 in |
| 11 ft (132 in) | 96 in — a tower fits | 108 in |
Using the Fire Sense published figures. Your own model's manual takes precedence, and some manufacturers publish more than 36 inches.
That table is the whole page in a sense. Below about ten feet of ceiling, the propane tower conversation is over, and the question becomes which electric unit and where to mount it.
The good news: a roof means you need much less heat
This is the part that reframes the disappointment. A roof stops warmed air escaping upward, which is the single largest loss on an open patio. On our sizing model, a covered patio needs about 35 percent less output than the same area in the open.
| Patio area | Open sky, no roof | Roof overhead, open sides | Roof plus screens or partial walls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 sq ft | 2,000 BTU/h | 1,300 BTU/h | 1,000 BTU/h |
| 150 sq ft | 3,000 BTU/h | 1,950 BTU/h | 1,500 BTU/h |
| 200 sq ft | 4,000 BTU/h | 2,600 BTU/h | 2,000 BTU/h |
| 250 sq ft | 5,000 BTU/h | 3,250 BTU/h | 2,500 BTU/h |
| 300 sq ft | 6,000 BTU/h | 3,900 BTU/h | 3,000 BTU/h |
Area x 20 BTU per square foot for an open patio, then multiplied by 0.65 for a roof and 0.5 for a roof plus screens, and by 1 for average exposure. The reconciliation of where each factor comes from is on this page, not hidden.
Read the covered column. A 200 sq ft covered patio needs about 2,600 BTU/h. A single 1,500 W electric infrared unit produces 5,118 BTU/h. You are not compromising by going electric under a roof — you are buying roughly twice what the space requires, and you are buying it for about 28 cents an hour instead of $1.40.
Ventilation, which is separate from clearance
A covered patio with genuinely open sides is an outdoor space, and a gas heater with adequate clearance is acceptable in one. A covered patio with screens, panels or walls on most sides is not, regardless of clearance, because combustion products need somewhere to go.
The distinction is about airflow rather than about whether the space looks open. If you have added windbreak panels on two or three sides, you have changed which heater is appropriate. The safety page covers the reasoning, and the screened porch page covers the fully enclosed case.
Quick picks
Ranked for fit, not for hype. Output is the maker’s published figure; reach is computed from it or from the maker’s own radius claim, and the table says which. Tap a row for the full write-up, or go straight to the listing.
| # | Product | Best for | Output | Reach | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. Infrared HeaterNo photo Dr Infrared 1500 WRadiant heat that a breeze cannot blow out, on a plug. 1,500 W is only 5,118 BTU/h, which sounds like nothing next to a propane tower and lands far more of itself on you. | Wind, and anywhere with a roof | 1,500 W | 256 sq ft | Check price on Amazon |
| 2 | Heat StormNo photo Heat Storm TradesmanThe one electric unit here with a published IP rating, which is the difference between a heater that survives a wet winter mounted outdoors and one that is a warranty claim waiting to happen. | Leaving outside all year | 1,500 W | 256 sq ft | Check price on Amazon |
| 3 | Star PatioNo photo Star Patio ZHQ1530IP55 is the highest published ingress rating in this roundup, which makes it the one to mount where rain actually blows in sideways. Everything else about it is a standard 1,500 W infrared unit. | The wettest exposed spot | 1,500 W | 256 sq ft | Check price on Amazon |
Reach marked “claimed” is the maker’s own published figure. Reach without that label is ours, computed from published output at 20 BTU per square foot for an open patio. Neither is a measurement we took.
Top pick · Wind, and anywhere with a roof
Dr Infrared Heater Carbon Infrared Patio Heater, 120 V / 1500 W
Radiant heat that a breeze cannot blow out, on a plug. 1,500 W is only 5,118 BTU/h, which sounds like nothing next to a propane tower and lands far more of itself on you.
- Fuel
- Electric
- Output
- 1,500 W = 5,118 BTU/h
- Reach (computed)
- 256 sq ft · 9.0 ft radius
- Cost per hour
- $0.28
What works
- Infrared warms objects, not air, so it is the only heat that survives a breeze — this is the single reason wind changes the whole buying decision
- No combustion means no flue gas, which is what makes it legal and sensible on a screened porch where propane is not
- Three settings matter more than they sound: 900 W costs a third less to run and is enough most evenings
What does not
- 1,500 W is 1,500 W. Nothing at this wattage heats faster than anything else at this wattage; the differences between electric heaters are beam shape and build, not power
- It heats what it points at. Step out of the beam and you are cold immediately — this is a fundamentally different experience from a tower
- A 120 V plug-in unit is capped by your circuit, not by the maker. See why 1,500 W is the ceiling
| Published specification | |
|---|---|
| Rated power | 1,500 W at 120 V |
| Settings | 900 W / 1,200 W / 1,500 W |
| Element | Carbon infrared lamp |
| Reflector | Mirror aluminum, 90% reflectivity per the maker |
| Housing | Anodized aluminum, rated for outdoor use |
| Mounting | Wall and ceiling brackets plus remote in the box |
| Maker’s coverage claim | None published — the reach figure above is ours |
| Safety listing | ETL listed, per the maker's published product data |
Who it is for
A covered patio, pergola or screened porch where you can mount it overhead and point it at where people sit, and anywhere wind ruins a flame.
What it is not for
A big open patio with nowhere to mount it. Radiant heat needs a line of sight and a place to hang from.
2 · Leaving outside all year
Heat Storm Tradesman HS-1500-OTR Outdoor Infrared Quartz Heater
The one electric unit here with a published IP rating, which is the difference between a heater that survives a wet winter mounted outdoors and one that is a warranty claim waiting to happen.
- Fuel
- Electric
- Output
- 1,500 W = 5,118 BTU/h
- Reach (computed)
- 256 sq ft · 9.0 ft radius
- Cost per hour
- $0.28
What works
- A published IP35 rating. Almost nobody in this category publishes an ingress rating at all, and mounting an unrated electric heater outdoors is a gamble you cannot price
- The maker publishes its own BTU figure (5,200), which is within a rounding error of the 5,118 our watts-to-BTU conversion gives — a company doing its own arithmetic honestly
- Wall or ceiling mount puts the heat above head height where a radiant beam belongs
What does not
- IP35 is splash-and-dust protection, not immersion — it survives weather, not a hose or standing water
- Fixed mounting means fixed aim. Get the position wrong and there is no adjusting it from the chair
- Same 1,500 W ceiling as every other plug-in electric heater
| Published specification | |
|---|---|
| Rated power | 1,500 W at 120 V |
| Published output | 5,200 BTU/h per the maker |
| Element | Infrared quartz |
| Weather rating | IP35 |
| Mounting | Wall or ceiling; a tripod variant exists separately |
| Maker’s coverage claim | None published — the reach figure above is ours |
| Safety listing | IP35 weatherproof rating published by the maker |
Who it is for
A permanently mounted heater on a pergola, porch ceiling or exterior wall that you never want to take down and store.
What it is not for
Portability, and any open patio with no structure to mount to.
3 · The wettest exposed spot
Star Patio ZHQ1530 Wall-Mounted Electric Infrared Patio Heater
IP55 is the highest published ingress rating in this roundup, which makes it the one to mount where rain actually blows in sideways. Everything else about it is a standard 1,500 W infrared unit.
- Fuel
- Electric
- Output
- 1,500 W = 5,118 BTU/h
- Reach (computed)
- 256 sq ft · 9.0 ft radius
- Cost per hour
- $0.28
What works
- IP55 means dust-protected and rated against low-pressure water jets from any direction — a genuine step above the IP35 units
- The maker explicitly positions it for gazebo use, which is the enclosure where electric is the only correct answer
- Remote control on a wall-mounted heater is not a luxury; the unit is above head height and out of reach by design
What does not
- The listing publishes no coverage figure, so every reach number we show for it is our own arithmetic
- Wall mount only — there is no floor-standing option in this model
- 1,500 W, like everything else that plugs into a wall
| Published specification | |
|---|---|
| Rated power | 1,500 W at 120 V |
| Weather rating | IP55 |
| Mounting | Wall mounted |
| Control | Remote |
| Maker's positioning | Suitable as a gazebo heater per the listing |
| Maker’s coverage claim | None published — the reach figure above is ours |
| Safety listing | IP55 waterproof rating published by the maker |
Who it is for
An exposed wall on a gazebo, porch or balcony where weather gets at the unit and you still want electric heat.
What it is not for
Anywhere you need to move it, and any space large enough to need several thousand BTU rather than five thousand.
Sources for this entry
What we would skip
A list with no losers is a list nobody edited. These are the choices we would actively steer you away from, and why.
A propane tower under an eight-foot ceiling
The arithmetic: 87 inches of heater plus 36 inches of published overhead clearance is 123 inches, which needs a 10 ft 3 in ceiling. A standard covered patio has eight feet. It is not a marginal call and no model in the category resolves it.
A pyramid heater under any roof
Worse than a tower. A pyramid is a 7-foot chimney designed to send hot gas upward out of a glass column, and putting a ceiling above that is the exact situation the clearance rule exists for.
Oversizing because you would rather be safe
A roof cuts the heat a space needs by about a third on our sizing model. A 200 sq ft covered patio needs around 2,600 BTU/h, which a single 1,500 W unit at 5,118 BTU/h comfortably exceeds. Buying a second heater for it is buying an unnecessary running cost.
Where to mount it
- Seven to nine feet, angled down at the seating. Lower puts the beam at head height; higher spreads it too thin.
- Aim at the chairs, not at the middle of the space. Radiant heat covers what it points at, which is an advantage if you use it.
- Check the clearance above the unit itself — 12 to 24 inches for electric. Under a low beam or a boxed-in soffit, measure before drilling.
- Fix into structure. Rafters, joists, beams. Not into soffit board or cladding, which will not hold a mounted appliance through a season.
- Use an outdoor-rated, GFCI-protected circuit, and give the 1,500 W continuous load a circuit largely to itself.
How we picked
- Clearance first. Every pick fits under a standard eight-foot ceiling with the published electric clearance of 12 to 24 inches observed. A tower does not, and no amount of merit changes that.
- Mounting hardware in the box, because a covered patio has a ceiling to use and the whole advantage is being able to use it.
- Weather rating quoted where published. A covered patio is sheltered, not indoors, and rain still gets in sideways.
- Output checked against a covered patio's real requirement, which is roughly a third less than the same area in the open.
What we did not do
Everyone in this category says they tested twenty heaters. We have not tested any, and we say so. What we do instead: compile the published specs, compute the electrical and gas load from them, cite the maker’s own manual, and show the arithmetic so you can check it. The full method, including how to challenge a figure.
Common questions
Can you use a patio heater under a covered patio?
Yes, if the clearance can be met. Fire Sense publishes at least 36 inches of overhead clearance for propane, which means an 87-inch tower needs a ceiling over 10 ft 3 in. Electric units need only 12 to 24 inches above, so on a standard eight-foot ceiling a mounted electric heater is the workable answer.
Are patio heaters safe on a covered porch?
Electric ones, yes, with the published clearance. Gas ones only if the sides are genuinely open so combustion products can disperse, and only if the ceiling is high enough. A porch with screens or walls on most sides needs an electric heater.
What kind of heater is best for a covered patio?
A mounted electric infrared unit. The roof retains the warmth that would otherwise rise away, which cuts the output you need by about a third, and the clearance requirement is one a normal ceiling can meet.
How many BTU do I need for a covered patio?
About 13 BTU per square foot, which is the standard open-patio figure of 20 reduced by roughly a third for the roof. A 200 sq ft covered patio comes to around 2,600 BTU/h — well within a single 1,500 W electric unit's 5,118 BTU/h.
Sources
Read next
Patio heater safety, with the published numbers
Published clearance figures, the ventilation rule, and where each heater type must never go.
Wall mounted patio heaters, and the rating that decides
Wall and ceiling mounted electric heaters, ranked on published weather rating and mounting.
Patio heater BTU calculator
Your patio's BTU requirement with every multiplication shown, plus why the published rules disagree.
Heating a screened porch
Why a screened porch is electric-only, and the mounted units that suit it.
Electric patio heaters, and the ceiling nobody mentions
Four electric patio heaters compared on wattage, published IP rating and cost per hour.