Custom motorized awnings from Swiss and German manufacturers, measured, made, and installed by our own crews across Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.
Our retractable awnings embody European design sensibility: precise engineering, refined detailing, and architectural restraint.
Many of the manufacturers have North American operations for quick production lead times. With full CSA accreditation & meeting with all CAN/ULC standards you're always assured of quality & performance. This approach ensures structural strength, long-term durability, and seamless integration with both contemporary and classic architecture.
An elevated deck is the hardest outdoor space to shade and the easiest to fix. There is no roof to build under and usually nothing overhead to work with, so a retractable awning mounted off the house does the whole job on its own. Extended, it gives you cover from afternoon sun and light rain. Retracted, the deck goes back to being open to the sky.
What makes a deck awning different from a ground-level patio install is height and exposure. A deck sits up in the wind, the mounting point is often at or above the second storey, and the fixing has to carry real leverage. We check the wall before quoting a projection, and specify a wind sensor so the system retracts itself when conditions turn rather than relying on someone being home. Motorized operation is standard on anything above a modest span.
For a retractable awning for deck use we most often specify STOBAG and Markilux cassette systems, which seal the fabric, arms and motor into an aluminum housing when closed. That matters more on a deck than anywhere else, because the unit sits exposed through the wet months. Designed, supplied and installed by our own team across Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.
Retractable deck awnings in detail
Installed by us
Ranking pages in this category are mostly manufacturer photography. These are Five Eight Twelve installations we can name because the client agreed to it, with the system and manufacturer stated.
CommercialYaletown, Vancouver
Retractable fabric roof on a post supported frame over a restaurant patio, giving the venue shade in summer and cover when the weather turns without permanently enclosing the space.
CommercialRetractable roof over restaurant seating. The fabric runs on a frame rather than a wall mounted arm, which is what makes coverage of this width workable on an open patio.
CommercialRetractable cover over a compact boutique patio, sized to the frontage rather than to a standard unit.
ResidentialChilliwack, BC
Full cassette awning fixed to the underside of the structure rather than the wall face. Undermounting keeps the housing off the elevation and is often the answer where the wall itself will not take the load.
These are installations we can name because the client has already agreed to it. We are working through permissions and photography on further residential projects, and on recording the width, projection, motor and control detail for each. Nothing on this page is a stock photo presented as our work.
Retractable awnings are what we do every day. We carry six distinct retractable systems and pair each project to the climate, exposure, and architecture rather than selling whatever is in stock.
Retractable awnings provide on-demand shade, visual refinement, and enhanced outdoor usability without the permanence of fixed structures. Ideally suited for:
A complete range of solutions for every architectural requirement.
Elegant simplicity for protected installations. Features exposed rollers and articulated arms. Ideal for locations where architectural overhangs provide protection.
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Fully enclosed solutions for maximum longevity. Housing the fabric, arms, and motor within a sealed aluminum enclosure when retracted.
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Mounted off the house over an elevated deck. Height and exposure change the mounting and sensor requirements more than they change the product.
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Large-scale retractable fabric solutions supported by a permanent structure for maximum coverage.
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Robust solutions designed for larger patios and commercial terraces, often weatherproof.
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Versatile window shading that extends outward, allowing airflow while blocking sun.
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Exterior-mounted fabric solutions designed specifically for glass roofs, skylights, and sunrooms. Proactive heat management before it enters the space.
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Six systems, one right answer
Two questions narrow six systems down to the ones that actually suit the opening. Mounting condition and winter exposure decide more than style does.
7 of 7 systems
Answer either question to narrow the list.
Mounting condition and winter exposure narrow this faster than style does. The list on the right updates as you answer.
Lateral arm awning with the roller and arms exposed. The right choice where a soffit or overhang already shelters the fabric when it is rolled up.
Open Retractable in detail >Fabric, arms and motor seal inside an aluminum housing when closed. The answer wherever the awning sits fully open to the weather for months at a time.
Box / Cassette in detail >Retractable fabric on a post supported frame. Covers spans a wall mounted arm cannot reach, and stays stable in more wind than a lateral arm system.
Pergola Awnings in detail >Mounted off the house over an elevated deck. Height puts the fixing under real leverage and the unit up in the wind, so mounting assessment and a wind sensor do more here than the product choice.
Deck Awnings in detail >Freestanding, often dual zone, needing no building to mount to. Common on restaurant patios and terraces set away from the facade.
Terrace Awnings in detail >Window scale shading with an adjustable drop angle. Built for east and west facing glass where the sun arrives low rather than overhead.
Drop Arm Shades in detail >Mounted outside the glass on a conservatory, sunroom or skylight, where stopping heat before it reaches the glazing is the only approach that works.
Conservatory Awnings in detail >Supply and installation
An extended awning puts real leverage on its fixings, so most of the work happens before anything is ordered. This is the sequence we run on every project.
We look at the opening before recommending anything: orientation, how the sun tracks across it, what the space is used for, and when it currently stops being comfortable. Which system suits the project usually settles itself once that is clear.
What you are fixing to matters more than the awning does. Solid masonry, framed wall, soffit and structural beam are four different connection details, and the surface is checked before a projection is quoted rather than after.
Wall face, soffit or undermounted to a beam, depending on what the structure allows and how much headroom the extended awning needs to keep. Where the wall will not take the load, undermounting or a post supported system is the alternative.
Width and projection are set by the opening and the shade you actually need at the time of day you use the space, not by the largest unit that will fit. Larger projections increase the load the fixings carry.
Pitch is set on installation. A steeper angle sheds water better and blocks lower sun; a shallower one keeps headroom and a cleaner sightline. It is a project decision, and it is easier to get right at survey than to revisit later.
Motorized systems need a supply at the awning. We identify the route and requirement during the survey so the electrical work is planned rather than improvised on installation day.
Sensors retract the awning automatically when wind picks up, which is the single most effective way to avoid weather damage on a system that is left extended. They are specified with the motor rather than added afterwards.
End limits set, controls paired, sensor thresholds configured, operation demonstrated, and manufacturer warranty registration completed as part of project closeout.
Structural capacity and fixing selection are decided on site against the actual mounting surface. We do not publish general engineering guidance, because the answer changes with the building.
Five Eight Twelve offers over 300 premium fabric options from the world's leading textile manufacturers including Sunbrella®, Dickson®, and Sattler®.
Utilizing high end Somfy & Gaposa motors & controls. Synonymous with quality and reliability, they are the global benchmarks in automated shading technology.
Before you ask for a number
We do not publish a starting price. The spread across width, system type and mounting condition is wide enough that a headline figure would mislead more people than it helped. These are the variables that actually move a quote.
Read the full awning pricing guide >The products overlap. The specification does not. Duty cycle, span and what else has to live in the structure all change once a patio is trading.
Every installation carries a 1-year installation labour warranty, and we complete manufacturer warranty registration on your behalf as part of project closeout. Manufacturer terms differ by brand, and some require registration inside a fixed window, which is exactly the sort of thing that gets missed when nobody owns it.
Straight answers
It depends on width and projection first, then whether it is an open or cassette system, then fabric, motorization and how straightforward the mounting is. We do not publish a starting price because a number without a specification tells you nothing useful, and the range across those variables is wide enough to be misleading. Our pricing guide sets out every factor in detail.
It is fabric on arms, so it has wind limits, and it gives you shade rather than the all weather protection of a solid roof. Left extended in a storm it can be damaged, which is exactly what wind sensors are for. If you want a space that works in any conditions without thinking about it, a louvered roof or a permanent patio cover is the better answer, and we will say so.
Small manual units are sold for self installation. The reason we do not recommend it on anything larger is the fixings: an extended awning puts significant leverage on its mounting points, and the failure mode is the awning coming off the wall. Motorized systems also need the electrical work done properly. If you are set on installing it yourself, buy from a retailer that supports that rather than from us.
Through a mounting bar or brackets fixed either to the wall face, up into the soffit, or to a structural beam. Which one depends on what the structure will take and how much headroom you need under the extended awning. Where the wall will not carry the load, undermounting or a post supported system is the alternative. This is decided at the site survey, not from a catalogue.
It comes down to what happens when the awning is closed. An open lateral arm system leaves the roller and arms exposed, which is fine under a deep soffit or overhang. A full cassette seals the fabric, arms and motor inside an aluminum housing, so it is the right answer anywhere the awning sits out in the weather for the months it is not being used.
Manual works on smaller units. Above that, a motor is the difference between an awning you use and one you do not bother with. Sensors matter more than most people expect: a wind sensor retracts the system automatically when conditions turn, which prevents the most common cause of damage. We specify Somfy and Gaposa motors and set the sensor thresholds at commissioning.
It varies by system, size and how it is mounted, and every manufacturer publishes a wind class for its own products. Rather than quote a general figure that would not apply to your unit, we give you the rating for the system specified for your project. The practical answer on any site is a wind sensor, so retraction does not depend on someone being home.
Very little. Keep the fabric clean and let it dry before retracting, clear debris out of the cassette or off the roller, and have the arms and fixings looked at periodically. A cassette system needs less attention than an open one because the fabric and hardware are protected when closed. Our maintenance guidance covers the seasonal routine.
Usually. Fabric can be replaced without replacing the frame, and motors, arms and remote controls are serviceable parts. Whether we can attend depends on where the project is, since service coverage is not the same as installation coverage across British Columbia. Tell us where you are and what the system is and we will give you a straight answer.
Yes, mostly in duty cycle and sizing. A restaurant patio awning is opened and closed daily, often across a wider span, and frequently has to work around fixed seating, heaters and lighting. We specify commercial projects for that use rather than fitting a domestic unit to a hospitality site.
Authorized Bromic Heating Dealer
An awning buys you the afternoon. What ends the evening is temperature, not sun. Bromic electric radiant heaters warm the people under the fabric rather than the air around them, which is why they keep working on a breezy patio. Fabric overhead calls for electric, never gas, and we spec the model and the mounting distances from Bromic's own manual for the awning you are putting in.
Deeper reading from our knowledge base to help you choose the right solution.
Retractable awnings give you on-demand shade and weather protection without the permanence of a fixed structure. This guide explains the types available in BC, how they handle Vancouver's climate, what they cost, and how to choose the right system for your home or patio.
Read guide →GuideThe fabric is the most visible and most weather-exposed component of any awning. This guide explains solution-dyed acrylic, compares the three leading brands we install, and helps you decide based on climate, aesthetics, and application.
Read guide →GuideSomfy and Gaposa are the two motor brands we install most often. Both are tier-one products, but they differ in ecosystem, smart-home integration, and typical pricing. This guide helps you pick between them.
Read guide →GuideAwning pricing varies enormously, from $3,000 to over $50,000, because the category covers so many different products. This guide explains what actually drives the cost for a Vancouver installation and gives realistic ranges for each type.
Read guide →GuideA retractable awning that's cleaned and maintained annually typically outlasts one that isn't by years. This guide walks through the simple seasonal routine that keeps fabric, arms, and motor performing like new in BC's climate.
Read guide →GuidePatio 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 →
We design, supply and install across British Columbia, and local conditions and permit requirements change from one municipality to the next. Our Vancouver page covers the city's permit paths and shows the awning work we have installed there.
Ready to plan your project?
If you are planning a project and expect exceptional quality, refined aesthetics, and long-term performance, Five Eight Twelve is your trusted partner.
