Awning costs, and why the cheapest one rarely stays the cheapest

Projection is the expensive dimension

Reaching further out from the wall loads the folding arms much harder than being wider does. Arms strong enough to hold a deep projection steady in a breeze are a different component from arms on a shallow one, which is why a 4m projection costs more than an extra metre of width. Measure the seating area you actually want covered at the time of day you use it, because midday shade and evening shade need different depths.

Open, semi cassette or full cassette

An open awning leaves the fabric and roller exposed when retracted. A semi cassette shields the top. A full cassette encloses the folded fabric and the mechanism completely. In a British climate the full cassette is the one that keeps the fabric clean, keeps grit out of the arms and keeps the awning looking new, and it is the difference between an awning that lasts and one that gets grubby and stiff.

Open

lowest cost, fabric exposed all winter

Semi cassette

hood over the roller, arms still exposed

Full cassette

everything enclosed, best protection and the neatest closed appearance

Fabric grade and what fades first

Solution dyed acrylic holds colour far better than cheaper printed or stock dyed cloth, because pigment runs through the fibre rather than sitting on it. Darker and more saturated colours show fading soonest on poor fabric. Water resistance is a finish that is renewed by cleaning and reproofing rather than a permanent property, so expect a little care rather than none.

Motor, remote and sensors

A tubular motor with a handset is now the usual specification and the price difference against a manual crank is smaller than it was. Wind sensors, which retract the awning automatically, are worth serious thought on an exposed patio, because most awning damage happens when nobody is home. Sun sensors are a comfort feature rather than a protective one.

Installation, which depends on your wall

Awnings are heavy and cantilevered, so the fixing carries real load. Sound brickwork is simple. Render over insulation, timber frame, or a fixing that has to reach past a weak outer leaf needs proper brackets and often longer resin anchors, and a rafter or soffit mount is a different job again. Any fitter who quotes without asking about the wall is guessing.

Where the wall genuinely will not take it, a freestanding structure or a veranda is the better answer, and we would tell you so.

Where the money is well spent

In order: cassette type, fabric grade, arm quality, then motorisation, then sensors. Cosmetic choices like valance style and frame colour cost little and change nothing about lifespan. If the budget is tight, take a slightly smaller awning of better build rather than a wide cheap one.