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Five Eight Twelve designs, supplies, and installs custom louvered pergola roofs from Lousol, STOBAG, and KE Outdoor Design across Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. Sun when you want it, shelter when you need it, all year round.

Motorized Louvered Aluminum
Pergolas in Vancouver, BC

Five Eight Twelve designs, supplies, and installs custom louvered pergola roofs from Lousol, STOBAG, and KE Outdoor Design across Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. Sun when you want it, shelter when you need it, all year round.

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Brands We Sell & Install

LOUSOL Aluminum Pergola logoSTOBAG logoKE Outdoor Design logo

What Is a Louvered Pergola?

One Roof. Every Kind of Weather.

A louvered pergola, also called a bioclimatic pergola, is an aluminum outdoor structure with a roof made of rotating blades. Open them fully for blue sky. Angle them to filter the sun and pull a breeze through. Or close them completely and the blades lock together into a rain-shedding roof, with gutters and downspouts hidden inside the frame and posts.

Unlike a fixed patio cover, the ceiling above you is never permanent. And unlike a fabric canopy, the roof is rigid aluminum, so it doesn't fade, flap, or need to retreat from bad weather. In a city that sees rain on roughly 169 days a year (Environment Canada normals for Vancouver), that flexibility is what turns a patio into a real room.

Double-sided terrace pergola system
Louvered pergola with open louvers over a deck dining area
Bioclimatic roof with open louvers
Rooftop pergola with tilted louvers filtering the sun
LOUSOL custom louvered pergola over a poolside patio
LOUSOL attached pergola over a deck with outdoor kitchen

Know Your Options

"Pergola" covers four very different structures. Here is how they actually compare, and where each one makes sense.

Traditional Pergola

The classic garden structure: posts, beams, and an open lattice roof.

Protection: Partial, filtered shade only, with little to no rain protection.

Best for: Decorative garden spaces where weather protection isn't the goal.

Our Specialty

Louvered (Bioclimatic) Pergola

Aluminum louvers that rotate from open sky to a fully closed, rain-shedding roof. Manual or motorized.

Protection: Adjustable sun, shade, and airflow. Rain-tight when closed, with hidden drainage.

Best for: Year-round outdoor living in Vancouver's climate, and the roof this page is all about.

Fixed Patio Cover

A solid roof that stays closed over the patio, permanently.

Protection: Full overhead protection at all times, but no open-sky option and less light indoors.

Best for: Simple, set-and-forget shelter where adjustability isn't needed.

Learn more >

Retractable-Canopy Pergola

A fabric roof that slides open and closed on tracks.

Protection: Flexible shade and shower protection, though the fabric has to retract in high wind.

Best for: Softer light under fabric, at a lower entry cost.

Learn more >

Six Reasons, One System

Engineered for Every Element

Scroll through what a bioclimatic roof actually does for you: sun, rain, fresh air, wind, automation, and a patio that works twelve months a year.

01Sun & UV

Shade That Follows the Sun

Rotate the louvers to follow the sun through the day: full shade at noon, filtered light in the evening, open sky whenever you want it. And because up to 80% of UV radiation gets through light cloud cover (WHO), a closed louvered roof protects your family even on Vancouver's grey days.

  • ✓Louvers rotate up to 115 to 160 degrees, depending on the system
  • ✓Closed louvers block direct sun completely, with none of the gaps you get with fabric
  • ✓Noticeably cooler under the roof on hot days
Tilted pergola louvers filtering sunlight over a rooftop terrace
02Rain

Where Does the Rain Go?

Closed louvers lock together into a continuous surface that sheds rain. The water runs into gutters hidden inside the structural beams, drains down through the hollow posts, and exits at ground level. No visible downspouts, no dripping edges. Drainage capacity is engineered to the size of the roof and to coastal BC rainfall.

  • ✓Interlocking louver profiles with built-in perimeter gutters
  • ✓Drainage runs invisibly through the structural posts
  • ✓Engineered for Metro Vancouver's design rainfall, which reaches 150 mm in a single 1-in-50-year day on the North Shore (BC Building Code)
Integrated gutter and drainage detail on a louvered roof
03Ventilation

A Roof That Breathes

This is what bioclimatic actually means. Tilt the louvers a few degrees and rising warm air escapes through the roof while fresh air pulls in from the sides. It's natural convection cooling, with no fans and no energy use. On the hottest days of a BC summer, that airflow is the difference between a heat trap and a refuge.

  • ✓Tilted louvers create natural stack ventilation
  • ✓No condensation buildup under the roof in the shoulder seasons
  • ✓Comfortable shaded airflow instead of trapped heat
Bioclimatic roof with open louvers for natural ventilation
04Wind & Snow

Engineered for Coastal Weather

Rigid extruded aluminum louvers hold their rating in winds that would force any fabric awning to retract. In snow, the logic flips: sensors or a button open the louvers so snow falls through instead of piling up on the roof. Every installation is engineered to its site, because design snow loads in BC range from 1.5 kPa in Richmond to 3.0 kPa in North Vancouver, and 9.5 kPa in Whistler (BC Building Code).

  • ✓Wind ratings certified to EN 13561, the European standard for shading products
  • ✓Louvers open on demand to shed snow load
  • ✓Site-specific engineering for the Lower Mainland, the Island, and the mountains
Louvered pergola carrying snow load in a Canadian winter
05Automation

The Roof That Closes Itself

Vancouver showers arrive fast off the Pacific. A rain sensor closes the roof within seconds of the first drops, whether you're under it or away for the weekend. Wind sensors move the louvers to their safest position on their own, and paired rain and temperature sensors can detect snow. You control everything from a remote, a wall switch, your phone, or a voice assistant.

  • ✓Rain sensor auto-close protects your furniture even when nobody's home
  • ✓Wind and snow sensors act on their own and always take priority
  • ✓Somfy smart-home integration on Lousol and STOBAG systems
Automated KE Kedry Skylife louvered pergola, wall mounted
06Year-Round

From Patio Season to Every Season

Vancouver's official patio season runs April 1 to October 31. A louvered roof changes that math. Add zip screens to block wind and rain from the sides, infrared heaters that warm people instead of the air, and built-in LED lighting, and the same patio works in January. For restaurants and hospitality venues, that's revenue-producing floor space all winter.

  • ✓Zip side screens that lock against wind, keep insects out, and offer clear panel options
  • ✓Infrared heating that works outdoors because it warms people and objects, not the air
  • ✓Dimmable LED scene lighting built into the structure
Louvered pergola enclosed with zip screens at dusk, infrared heaters and LED lighting glowing inside

Manual or Motorized?

Both adjust the same louvers. The difference is how, and what happens when you're not standing under them.

Manual Operation

The value entry point

  • •A removable crank turns an internal gear drive to tilt the louvers. Closing takes about 20 to 30 seconds
  • •No electrical work required, nothing to program, nothing to fail
  • •Costs meaningfully less to install than a motorized equivalent
  • •Best for smaller patios that you adjust a few times a day
  • •Available on the Lousol line, the one brand we carry with a true manual option

Motorized & Automated

The standard for premium & commercial

  • •Quiet 24V motors rotate every louver in unison from a remote, wall switch, phone, or voice assistant
  • •Rain sensors close the roof within seconds of the first drops, even when nobody's home
  • •Wind and snow sensors position the louvers to protect the structure automatically
  • •The practical choice for large spans, commercial patios, and fully enclosed four-sided setups
  • •Standard on STOBAG BAVONA and KE Kedry, optional on every Lousol

Thinking of starting manual and adding motors later? Factory motorization at the time of purchase costs a fraction of a field retrofit. If automation is on your radar, spec it up front.

Built for British Columbia

This Climate Is the Argument

Everything about a louvered aluminum roof, from the sealed drainage to the sensor automation to the maintenance-free finish, reads like it was designed against Vancouver's weather chart.

169days/year

with measurable precipitation at YVR. Rain is the default here for seven months of the year (ECCC climate normals).

80%of UV

can get through light cloud cover (WHO). Shade matters here even when the sky is grey.

1.5 to 3.0kPa

design snow loads across Metro Vancouver municipalities (BC Building Code). Every install is engineered to its site.

Why Aluminum Wins on the Coast

Cedar is beautiful, and in this climate it's also a maintenance contract. The cedar industry's own care guidance calls for cleaning, mildew treatment, and recoating roughly every one to two years to hold its colour, because the coastal cycle of rain, moss, and freeze-thaw never stops.

Powder-coated extruded aluminum doesn't rot, warp, grow moss, or feed insects. It shrugs off the roughly 41 nights a year Vancouver dips below freezing, and maintenance amounts to a wash with soap and water. Every system we install, whether Lousol, STOBAG, or KE, is extruded aluminum for exactly this reason.

Permits & Paperwork, Handled

Most BC municipalities only exempt structures under 10 square metres from building permits, and a standard 10'×12' pergola is already about 11 square metres. So assume your project will need permit review. Attached structures, strata properties, and commercial patios add their own requirements.

We've been through this process across the Lower Mainland. Engineering drawings, snow-load calculations for your site, and strata submission packages are all part of the service. Final requirements should always be confirmed with your municipality.

Our BC climate and buying guides cover permits, strata approval, snow loads, and wind ratings in more detail before you start planning.

Authorized Dealer & Installer

Three Manufacturers. One Standard.

Five Eight Twelve is an authorized dealer and installer for three of the strongest louvered pergola manufacturers available in Canada. That means the recommendation you get is the right system for your site, not the only system we sell.

Lousol aluminum louvered pergola system
Canadian-Made

LOUSOL

Patented louvered system, built in Ontario

Canadian-made aluminum louvered pergolas, built on a U.S.-patented interlocking louver system. It's the only line in our portfolio that offers both manual and motorized operation, from the fast-install 10'×12' Junior Kit to fully custom and commercial builds.

  • ✓Manual or Somfy-motorized
  • ✓Kits, custom & commercial
  • ✓10-year structural warranty
Explore LOUSOL Pergolas
STOBAG BAVONA louvered roof poolside installation
Swiss Engineering

STOBAG

BAVONA HARD-TOP bioclimatic pavilion

Swiss-designed since 1964 and manufactured for North America in Ontario. The BAVONA HARD-TOP louvered roof pairs stepless louver control with integrated LED and concealed in-post drainage, while the PERGOLINO fabric-roof pergola covers wide patios and terraces.

  • ✓BAVONA HARD-TOP louvered roof
  • ✓PERGOLINO pergola awning
  • ✓Somfy RTS automation
Explore STOBAG Pergolas
KE Kedry louvered pergola wall-mounted installation
Italian Design

KE Outdoor Design

Gennius & Kedry louvered pergolas

Italian-designed Gennius pergola systems certified to EN 13561 wind class 6, the highest class in the standard. The Kedry louvered line includes Kedry Plus, Kedry Prime, and the award-winning Kedry Skylife, whose louvers rotate and also retract fully open to the sky.

  • ✓Kedry Plus, Prime & Skylife
  • ✓EN 13561 wind class 6
  • ✓Sliding glass wall options
Explore KE Pergolas

What Drives the Price?

Every project is quoted to its site, so the honest answer is a range, and these are the things that move it. The fixed-size Lousol Junior Kit is the most affordable way in, at about 30% less than a custom build. From there, price follows:

  • •Size and span: bigger roofs and longer louvers cost more, and very large patios use multiple coupled modules
  • •Brand and model: Lousol, STOBAG, and KE sit at different points on the price ladder
  • •Manual or motorized operation, and how much sensor automation you add
  • •Accessories: zip screens, glass walls, heating, and LED lighting
  • •Site conditions: access, footings, attachment to the house, and electrical runs
  • •Engineering and permits for your municipality

Tell us your rough dimensions and we'll come back with preliminary numbers, so you know where you stand before anyone visits your site.

From First Call to First Rainfall

1

Consultation

We talk through your space, goals, and budget, then visit and measure.

2

Design & product selection

We recommend the right brand and configuration for your site, not the only one we sell.

3

Engineering & permits

Drawings, snow and wind calculations, and municipal or strata paperwork, handled for you.

4

Fabrication

Kits are typically available quickly; custom Lousol projects usually ship in 1 to 3 weeks, and European systems are scheduled at quote.

5

Installation

Certified crews install kits in as little as a day; larger custom projects take longer and we tell you upfront.

6

Handover & service

We commission the motors and sensors, walk you through the controls, and stay your local service contact.

Project Showcase

Explore the versatility of our structural shading solutions across luxury residential and commercial installations.

Integrated Heating
Hospitality

Integrated Heating

Wall-Mounted KE Kedry
Residential

Wall-Mounted KE Kedry

LED Lighting & Outdoor TV
Evenings

LED Lighting & Outdoor TV

Louver Pivot Precision
Detail

Louver Pivot Precision

Poolside Bioclimatic Comfort
Luxury

Poolside Bioclimatic Comfort

Recently Completed Courtyard
Residential

Recently Completed Courtyard

Crescent Beach Installation
Residential

Crescent Beach Installation

Integrated Drainage
Technical

Integrated Drainage

The Keg Restaurant Patio
Commercial

The Keg Restaurant Patio

Beyond a Structure.
A Standard.

We combine global engineering with local expertise to deliver structures that are as beautiful as they are resilient.

  • •Authorized dealer and installer for Lousol, STOBAG, and KE Outdoor Design
  • •A multi-brand portfolio, so we spec the right system rather than the only one
  • •Certified structural installation teams
  • •Site-specific engineering, permits, and strata support
  • •Comprehensive local service and warranty support in BC

"Permanent Value."

"Our pergola and louvered roof installations are landmark projects across British Columbia, designed to provide permanent architectural value and year-round comfort."

Five Eight Twelve Standard

Common Questions

How much does a motorized louvered pergola cost in Vancouver?

It depends on size, brand, motorization, and accessories, which is why we quote to your site. As a reference point, Lousol's own cost guidance puts custom louvered pergolas at roughly $130 to $200+ per square foot installed, and their fixed-size Junior Kit comes in about 30% below custom sizing. Send us rough dimensions and we'll give you preliminary numbers before any site visit.

Do I need a building permit for a pergola in Vancouver?

Usually, yes. Most BC municipalities only exempt structures under 10 square metres, and a standard 10'×12' pergola is already about 11 square metres. The City of Vancouver also runs its own building bylaw with its own process. Requirements depend on size, attachment, and your lot, so we prepare the engineering drawings and paperwork, and final requirements are confirmed with your municipality.

Are louvered pergolas waterproof?

Not in the way a solid roof is. With the louvers closed the blades interlock, and rain runs into the frame gutters and drains down inside the posts, so on a wet Vancouver afternoon you stay dry sitting under it. How tight that seal is differs by brand and by configuration, and some manufacturers word their own literature as highly water repellent rather than fully waterproof. Tell us which model you are pricing and we will show you exactly how that manufacturer words it.

Can a louvered roof handle snow?

Yes, with two answers. The louvers open so snow falls through instead of loading the roof, and the structure itself is engineered to your site's code snow load. Lower Mainland values are manageable for the systems we carry; Whistler and the Interior have much higher requirements and need project-specific engineering.

Should I choose manual or motorized louvers?

Manual suits smaller patios and tighter budgets, and it's available on the Lousol line. Motorized is the standard for everything else, because rain and wind sensors can protect the space when you're not home. If you think you'll ever want automation, adding the motor at purchase costs far less than retrofitting it later.

How long does the whole project take?

Kits install in as little as a day once on site. Custom Lousol projects usually ship in 1 to 3 weeks, and European systems are scheduled at quote time. Permit review and engineering sign-off move at the municipality's pace, so we leave room for that in the schedule before we commit to an install date.

Complete the Outdoor Room

A louvered roof is the start. These are the products our pergola clients pair it with most.

Bromic Outdoor Heating

Bromic Outdoor Heating

Recessed radiant heat that makes the pergola a twelve-month room.

Explore >
Exterior Shade Screens

Exterior Shade Screens

Wind-locked zip screens that close off the sides against wind, rain, and insects.

Explore >
Pergola Awnings

Pergola Awnings

Prefer a retractable fabric roof? Softer light at a lower entry price.

Explore >
Patio Covers

Patio Covers

A permanent solid roof, for spaces where adjustability isn't the priority.

Explore >

Buying Guides & Expert Advice

Deeper reading from our knowledge base to help you choose the right solution.

Guide

Three Louvered Pergola Brands, One Dealer: LOUSOL, STOBAG, and KE

Five Eight Twelve is now an authorized dealer and installer for three louvered pergola manufacturers: LOUSOL from Canada, STOBAG from Switzerland, and KE Outdoor Design from Italy. This guide explains what a louvered pergola actually does, and what separates the three so you can see which one suits your project.

Read guide →Guide

Pergola vs Louvered Roof vs Patio Cover | A Buyer's Guide for BC

A pergola, a louvered roof, and a solid patio cover all extend the use of your outdoor space, but they solve different problems. This guide breaks down the differences, the pros and cons of each in BC's climate, and how to decide between them.

Read guide →Guide

Permits and Strata Approval for Shade and Security Installations in BC

Permits and strata approval are the two administrative steps that catch most homeowners off guard. This guide explains when each applies to shade and rolling security installations in Metro Vancouver, and how to navigate the process.

Read guide →Guide

Outdoor Patio Heating | Infrared vs Gas for BC Conditions

Patio heating extends the usable season, but choosing between infrared electric and gas heaters depends more on your patio design than on heater specs. This guide breaks down what actually matters for BC installations.

Read guide →
See all BC climate and buying guides >

We design, supply and install across British Columbia, and local conditions and permit requirements change from one municipality to the next.

Explore areas we serve >

Your Design Dreams Delivered.

Ready to plan your project?

Tell us about your patio and we'll recommend the right louvered system for your site, whether that's Lousol, STOBAG, or KE.

Luxury Patio
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