Back Yard Roof Cover vs Full Extension
Including the Covered Drying Yard (2026)

The two options in plain terms

Most terrace and semi-D houses have an open yard behind the kitchen. Owners usually want one of two things from it: shelter, so laundry, the washing machine and the outdoor sink stay dry, or more house, so the yard becomes a wet kitchen, a store or a utility room.

• Roof cover: an awning-type roof on a steel or aluminium frame, fixed to the house wall and sometimes on posts, with the sides left open or partly screened. Polycarbonate, metal deck or zinc on top.
• Full extension: foundations, brick walls, a proper roof, a floor slab, windows, plumbing and electrical points. It becomes part of the house.
• In between: a roof cover with low walls, grilles or louvred screens on the sides. It stays airy but feels more like a room and is more secure.

Roof cover vs full extension, side by side

Approval: the rule that catches people out

The open space at the back of a terrace house is not spare land. ClickBina's rear kitchen extension guide explains that the building by-laws do not allow that open space to be built over, or roofed over so that it shrinks, without the council's written approval. The council may allow it where air can still move freely through the space. In practice, a covered rear yard is a planning question from the first sketch.

• Ask the council what it needs for a roof cover before ordering. Some councils have a simplified route for minor works; others want drawings.
• A full extension needs plans and approval. Some councils accept a pelan setara submission for simple extensions; see our pelan setara guide.
• Building without approval risks enforcement. The rear extension guide notes a fine of up to RM10,000 and/or imprisonment for building without approval, and an unapproved structure causes trouble when you sell or refinance.
• Check where your lot actually ends. A back lane or a council drain behind the yard is not yours to build on.

Making a covered yard good for drying laundry

Under a roof, clothes dry mostly by moving air, not by direct sun. A covered drying yard works when the air can move and some light comes through.

• Keep the sides open or use louvres and open grilles rather than solid walls.
• Use a translucent roof such as polycarbonate over the drying area so the yard is not dark and damp; a solid metal roof suits a storage or machine corner better.
• Leave a gap between the roof and the top of the wall where the design allows, so warm, damp air can escape.
• Plan the racks before the roof: ceiling-mounted and pulley racks need the frame or a ceiling to fix to. Our laundry rack guide compares the types.
• Shield the windward side from rain blowing in with a side screen or a deeper overhang, not by enclosing everything.
• Add a power point for a motorised rack, the washing machine or a fan, planned with the frame.

Roof cover details that decide whether it lasts

Rain noise on a metal roof close to the kitchen and bedrooms is a common complaint; our noisy metal roof guide explains the fixes. For the wall joint, see the awning wall-joint leak guide.

When a full extension is the right call

• You need a real wet kitchen with proper ventilation, plumbing and tiled walls, not just a covered sink.
• The yard faces a back lane and security is a worry.
• You want storage or a utility room that stays clean and dry.
• You plan to stay long enough for the extra cost and the approval process to be worth it.

An extension next to a back drain has its own foundation, party wall and drainage questions, all covered in the rear kitchen extension guide; plan the kitchen itself with our wet kitchen design guide.

What each option costs

These are ClickBina's published figures (indicative 2026, Klang Valley).

A roof cover now does not stop an extension later, but the frame, posts and gutter of an awning are rarely reused in a brick extension, so do not over-spend on a cover you expect to replace soon.

Which one suits you

What to send so it can be priced

• Your area and the house type (terrace, semi-D, corner lot).
• The yard size, width and depth, and whether it ends at a wall, a drain or a back lane.
• What you will use it for: drying, washing machine, wet kitchen, storage.
• Whether you want a roof only, side screens or grilles, or a full extension.
• Whether the council or your residents' association has rules you already know about.

How ClickBina can help

WhatsApp us your job details for a quote using the list above. ClickBina builds awnings, roof covers and renovation works across KL and Selangor and coordinates the trades for whole-house refurbishment, so a roof, racks, power points and plumbing can be planned as one job. We reply within the hour, and the price we agree is a flat price with no hidden charges.

Sources & methodology

• ClickBina awning cost guide — back-yard and drying-yard awning prices, per-metre-run rates, gutter cost.
• ClickBina rear kitchen extension guide — open-space rule, approval route, extension prices, unapproved-extension penalty.
• ClickBina laundry rack, pelan setara, noisy metal roof, awning wall-joint and wet kitchen guides — related details.

How we estimated prices: every RM figure on this page is quoted unchanged from the ClickBina guides named above; they are indicative Klang Valley ranges for 2026.