Can You Use a Patio Heater Under a Covered Patio? Yes, With the Right Heater and Clearance

Yes, most of the heaters we sell are built for covered patios. So, can you use a patio heater under a covered patio? It depends on the heater. A mounted electric or gas heater made for a ceiling or wall is safe under a roof with the clearance its manual requires. A tall propane mushroom heater from the hardware store throws heat straight up into the roof, so it cannot go there. We’ll cover the differences, the clearance figures for the Bromic heaters and Detroit Radiant range we carry, and placement for each space.

Which patio heaters can go under a covered patio

• Electric ceiling and wall heaters: yes, always. They burn nothing, so there is no exhaust and no ventilation rule. Bromic rates its electric heaters for enclosed spaces. That makes them suitable for screened porches, sunrooms and covered patios. The slim Bromic Platinum Electric was designed for low ceilings and semi-enclosed spaces. It needs the least room above it of anything we sell.
• Natural gas and propane ceiling and wall heaters: yes, when your patio is open on at least one side. The Bromic Tungsten gas heaters and the Detroit Radiant designer heaters are certified for outdoor use under a cover. Detroit Radiant says a covered patio is fine when you keep the published clearances. These heaters are not for indoor rooms in a house.
• Freestanding mushroom or pyramid propane heaters: keep these out past the roofline. Their heat goes up first and out second. The top of the heater runs hot, and their manuals call for open sky. They cannot go under a roof.
• Our portable heaters: the Bromic Tungsten Portable sits on a base and directs heat sideways toward your seats instead of up. It works under a tall open cover. Under a low cover, use a mounted heater.

Clearance requirements for a heater under a covered patio

Clearance is the gap the heater needs on every side so nothing near it gets too hot. Can you use a patio heater under a covered patio with a low roof? Only if that gap fits. These clearance requirements come from our product pages and the manufacturers’ manuals. Follow the manual for your exact model if it differs from anything here.

• Bromic electric (Cobalt, Tungsten Electric): mount at least 6 feet above the floor on a wall and 8 feet on a ceiling. Keep 12 to 18 inches to the sides and 10 to 13 inches above, per the clearance diagrams on the product pages. The Platinum Electric needs only 8.5 inches above it on a ceiling mount, and its own diagram is on its product page.
• Bromic gas (Tungsten, Platinum): the working height is 8 feet from the floor to the bottom of the heater. Add the Bromic heat deflector if there is less than 42 inches between the heater and the roof above it. It shields the ceiling and is sold as an accessory on each gas heater’s page.
• Detroit Radiant designer gas heater: hangs 8 to 12 feet up, level or tilted up to 30 degrees. When level, it needs 18 inches to the sides, 13 inches above and 48 inches below to anything combustible. It still needs 8 inches above it under a ceiling that does not burn.
• Detroit Radiant electric strips (ELX, ELD): mount from 6 feet up for the single-element sizes. Keep 12 to 16 inches above and 16 to 24 inches to the sides. Their clearances are lower than the gas heaters need, which is why they fit under porch ceilings.
• Detroit Radiant tube heaters: mount 9 to 16 feet up. These suit tall restaurant covers, not a house porch.

Before you shop, measure from the floor to the underside of the roof. Give that measurement to whoever you buy from. Mount to a beam or joist, not the ceiling board. A heater and its pole weigh more than drywall or bead board will hold.

Where to place the heater: porch, pergola, screened-in room

A covered porch

Mount an electric heater on the house wall and aim it down and out toward your seating. This keeps it dry under the deepest part of the roof. It also keeps the wiring short and leaves the ceiling clear. Use one electric heater over a two-seat porch and two over a long one. The Platinum Electric comes in white for a white porch ceiling.

A pergola

Mount on a solid ceiling beam, never on the lattice. A pergola with an open slatted top counts as open sky, so gas is fine here. It is often the better choice because wind moves through and gas keeps working in it. Bromic rates the Tungsten gas for wind up to 8 mph and the Platinum gas up to 12 mph. Treat a pergola with a solid or fabric roof as a covered patio. Check the space above the heater.

A screened porch or three-season room

Use electric only. The screens restrict the airflow a gas heater needs, and the walls make it a room. Mount the heater on the wall facing your seats or recess a Platinum Electric into the ceiling. There is nothing to vent and nothing to smell.

A gazebo

Follow the same rule as a pergola. A solid roof needs clearance above the heater, and open sides allow gas. A gazebo with a peaked roof usually has plenty of height in the middle but little at the edges. Mount toward the center on a pole.

A restaurant cover

Use tube heaters along the tables, 9 feet up or more. Short electric strips suit the bar and host stand. You’ll find these together on our commercial patio heater page.

Using patio heaters safely: ventilation, rain, propane

• Carbon monoxide and ventilation? Not an issue with electric infrared heaters. Gas heaters produce combustion exhaust like any burner. That is why they need open sides and why Detroit Radiant and Bromic keep them out of indoor rooms. On an open-sided patio the air changes constantly.
• Rain and snow? Every heater here is built to live outdoors. Every maker still recommends mounting under cover, an awning or an eave where you can. A covered patio is the best place for a patio heater, not a risk to it. Salt air is the exception. Only the marine-grade Platinum holds up there.
• Can it tip or start a fire? A mounted heater cannot tip. Kept at its clearance from anything flammable, it is not a fire hazard. That is a reason to choose it over a freestanding heater on a deck with kids and dogs.
• Who installs it? Use a licensed electrician for electric and a gas fitter for gas. The manufacturers require it, and the warranty depends on it.
• Do I need a permit? Often, for the gas line or the new circuit. Your installer will know.

Questions people ask

Is there a heater for a small screened-in porch that does not have to be mounted?

Yes, the Bromic Eclipse Portable stands on a pole and base without mounting. Its 2,900 watts warm up to 121 square feet. It has a ring of light and comes with a dimmer controller and wireless remote for heat and light. It needs 220 to 240 volts and ships without a plug, so an electrician must connect it. It cannot use a standard wall outlet. A screened porch needs electric heat because screens restrict the air a gas heater needs, and the walls make it a room. A freestanding propane heater does not belong there.

What heater fits under a 10 foot deck roof if I would rather not hardwire anything?

The Bromic Tungsten Portable is a propane heater on wheels that needs no wiring. It works on open or partly open patios, including decks open on the sides, but not enclosed rooms. Its 38,500 BTUs warm up to 215 square feet. You can tilt its head to aim heat toward the seats. Check its manual to confirm clearance under a 10 foot roof. A metal roof still needs the published clearance above the heater. Keep it somewhere dry under the roof. We have no plug-in electric option. Every electric heater we sell needs wiring by a licensed electrician.

Choosing a patio heater to use safely under your cover

To choose fuel for a covered space, read our gas vs electric patio heater comparison. For the count, the guide to how many patio heaters you need has a sizing table. For picks ranked by roof height, see the best outdoor heater for a covered patio.

Browse our ceiling patio heaters and wall mounted patio heaters, or send us your floor-to-roof measurement and a photo. We offer free shipping on most brands (exceptions apply), no sales tax (except WY), and real people to talk to before you order. So, can you use a patio heater under a covered patio? Yes, with a mounted heater, the right clearance, and the manual on the product page.