Bespoke awnings: what made to measure actually involves

What gets measured

The obvious figure is width, but it is rarely the one that causes trouble. Projection, the distance the awning reaches out from the wall, decides how much of the patio is actually shaded and how the arms sit when extended. Fixing height matters because the awning needs enough fall for rain to run off and enough headroom under the front bar for people to walk and sit comfortably. We also note windows, doors, downpipes, vents and soffits, because a bracket cannot go where one of those already is.

• Clear width available on the wall, between obstructions
• Projection needed to shade the area you actually use
• Fixing height and the headroom left under the front bar
• What the wall is built from at the fixing line
• What sits above: soffit, gutter, eaves or open wall

What you choose

Once the size is fixed, the choices are about how the awning looks and how it lives on the wall. The housing can be open, semi cassette or full cassette, which decides how well the fabric is protected when rolled in. Frames come in standard colours or a RAL colour to match windows and doors. Fabric is picked from sample books for colour and pattern. Control can be a manual winding handle or an electric motor with a remote, and extras such as LED lighting and heaters can be built in.

Bespoke versus a standard size kit

A kit sold in fixed widths can be fine if your wall happens to match one of them and has a solid, clear fixing line. The problems start when it does not. People end up with an awning narrower than the patio, arms that clash with a window reveal, or brackets forced into mortar joints or render because the kit only has holes in set places. A made to measure awning avoids that by designing around the wall first. It also means one team is responsible for the whole job, from measuring through to fitting and aftercare.

Why the wall matters more than the fabric

An extended awning acts like a sail, and the load goes straight back into the brackets and the wall behind them. Solid brick and block usually take standard fixings well. Cavity walls, render over soft brick, cladding and older stone need a different approach, sometimes spreader plates or a different bracket position. This is the part of a bespoke job you do not see once it is up, and it is where most of the survey time goes.

How long a bespoke awning takes

Because each awning is made to order after the survey, there is a gap between agreeing the specification and the fitting day. We give you the expected timing with the written quote rather than a generic figure, and fitting itself is normally a short visit once the awning arrives. If you want it ready for a particular date, mention it on the survey so it can be planned in.

Questions worth asking any supplier

Whoever you talk to, a few questions quickly show whether bespoke means measured or simply ordered.

• Will someone visit to measure, or do I send my own sizes?
• Who fits it, your own fitters or a subcontractor?
• How will it be fixed to my particular wall?
• What warranty applies and is it confirmed in writing?
• Can I see fabric samples and frame colours before ordering?