Buyer tools
Las Vegas Backyard Sun & Shade Calculator
In the desert, the direction a backyard faces decides whether you use the patio in July. See hour by hour where the sun lands on any Las Vegas yard, in any month.
My backyard faces
Stand at your back door, facing the yard, and hold the phone flat.
Patio, 6 ft from the back door
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- Patio sun after 3 p.m.–
- Pool / lawn area sun–
- Rear windows in direct sun–
- Sunrise · sunset–
Shade map
Each column is 15 minutes; each row is a foot of yard from the house to the back wall. direct sun shade
Every orientation, July
Hours of direct sun on the patio. after 3 p.m. Tap a row to switch.
Through the year
Patio sun by month for this yard. after 3 p.m.
Want the right backyard?
Tell me where you’re looking. I’ll check which way the backyard faces on every home I send you, so you never tour a yard that bakes all afternoon.
How to read the results
The calculator models a flat lot with a 6-foot block wall at the back and sides, which is what most Las Vegas backyards have. It doesn’t know about trees, shade sails or a neighbor’s two-story house, so a real yard can be shadier than shown.
For a deeper look at the trade-offs, read which way a backyard should face in Las Vegas, or see the desert homeownership guide for pools, solar and water rules.
Backyard sun questions
Which way should a backyard face in Las Vegas?
Many local buyers look for a north- or east-facing backyard, because the house shades the patio during hot summer afternoons. South- and west-facing yards get more sun, which is welcome in winter and keeps a pool warmer in spring and fall, but they usually need a deep patio cover or shade structure to be comfortable from June through September.
How do I tell which way a home’s backyard faces?
Stand at the back door and look out: that is the direction the backyard faces. Online, open the address in satellite view; the front of the house faces the street and the backyard faces the opposite way. On a phone, this page can read your compass.
How accurate is this calculator?
It uses a standard solar-position formula for Las Vegas’ latitude on the 21st of each month, with daylight saving time. It assumes a flat lot, a 6-foot block wall at the back and sides, and no trees or neighboring two-story homes. Real yards vary, so treat the results as a well-informed estimate.
Does a patio cover really make a difference?
Yes. In midsummer the sun is very high at midday, so even a 10–12 foot deep cover keeps the area right outside the back door shaded for most of the afternoon on a south- or west-facing lot. Try changing the cover depth above and watch the shade map.
Dana Benrud · REALTOR®
See the yard before you see the house.
I check orientation, shade and summer sun on every home I show, and I’ll tell you which ones to skip.