How Much Does an Awning Installation Cost?
The price of having an awning fitted will vary depending on various factors.
For example, having a retractable patio awning installed is likely to cost between £4,000 and £6,300, whereas having one fitted to motorhome costs around £700 to £1,400 (budget roll-out models may cost only £250 to £350 to have installed).
If you want an off-the-shelf patio awning, the cost of installing an awning of this type would be around £550 to £1,100. If you’d like this type of awning to come with an electric operation and remote control, expect the total instalment cost to reach £900 to £1,700.
Having a bespoke awning fitted might cost somewhere in the range of £6,000 to £8,000.
Awning Prices
| Type of Awning | Supply Cost | Labour Cost | Overall Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retractable Patio Awning | £3,550 to £5,700 | £350 to £600 | £4,000 to £6,300 |
| Off-the-shelf Patio Awning | £200 to £500 | £350 to £600 | £550 to £1,100 |
| Off-the-shelf Patio Awning with Electric Operation | £550 to £1,100 | £350 to £600 | £900 to £1,700 |
| Bespoke Awning | £5,300 to £7,200 | £700 to £800 | £6,000 to £8,000 |
| Average Motorhome Awning | £350 to £800 | £350 to £600 | £700 to £1,400 |
| Roll-out Motorhome Awning | N/A | N/A | £250 to £350 |
What are the Supply Costs for an Awning?
We’ll now look at the supply or material costs only for an Awning. This excludes the cost of labour and any other additional expenses.
Supply costs are a particularly relevant consideration if you decide to buy directly from the supplier and install it yourself. Only fit an awning DIY if you have the right skills and knowledge and understand the necessary safety steps.
On average, the supply cost of a retractable patio awning would stand at about £3,550 to £5,700.
For an off-the-shelf Patio awning, the standalone costs would be around £200 to £500 or roughly £550 to £1,100 for one with an electric operation and remote control.
When it comes to a Bespoke awning, the supply cost will reach £5,300 to £7,200 or £350 to £800 for an average motorhome awning.
What are the Additional Costs of Installing an Awning?
Now that we've looked at the material costs and overall costs of installing an awning let's look at some additional expenses you may choose to incur.
These would be suitable jobs to consider at the same as having a patio awning installed:
Patio Cost
You may want to have a new patio installed on-site prior to installing your awning. This could be the perfect way to enhance your garden and have it summer-ready.
Of course, the price of a patio installation varies greatly depending on key factors like the size of the patio and the materials used.
Patio Maintenance
If you’re, for the most part, content with your existing patio, you may simply prefer to have some maintenance performed on it as opposed to replacing it entirely.
To have a patio jet washed would cost around £150 to £200 for a small patio, £200 to £300 for a medium patio or £300 to £400 for a large patio.
In general, paying a professional to clean a patio would cost approximately £10 to £20 an hour.
The paving seal is a good way to provide patio paving slabs with more durability and longevity. You can get a paving seal for about £50 to £70 for a five litres product.
This will be added to the labour cost if you hire a professional to pave the slabs themselves. Of course, you could do this DIY, but only if you fully grasp the process and understand the relevant safety precautions.
Garden Maintenance
Want to give your garden a new lease of life? Consider garden maintenance. Examples of this include having new plants added at the cost of around £30 to £40 per m2.
To have new turf laid, expect to pay about £12 to £16 per m2 or to have artificial grass laid, you’d need to pay around £10 to £20 per m2.
There are many other types of garden maintenance, with the examples mentioned earlier being just some of them. Having your garden maintained/enhanced can increase the value of your property.
Tradesmen Costs for an Awnings Installation
Next, we'll have a look at the labour costs of having an Awning installed. Most awnings take several hours to one full working day to install.
Some may even take longer, depending on the complexity of the job. A labourer would likely charge somewhere in the region of £20 to £80 per hour for this sort of work. They’d likely charge about £200 to £800 per day.
The labour cost of fitting either a retractable patio awning or an off-the-shelf patio awning would be around £350 to £600.
To have a Bespoke Awning fitted expected the labour cost to be about £700 to £800. For an average motorhome awning, expect a labour cost of around £350 to £600.
The labour cost would depend on various factors such as how long the job takes, the state of the work area and where exactly in the UK you are living.
Labour rates tend to be highest in London and the southeast of England but generally lower in regions like northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
How Long Does It Take to Install an Awning?
Moving on to the timeframes involved in fitting an awning, this should generally take somewhere between several hours and a full working day.
Like a roll-out motorhome awning, some awnings should only take an hour or so to install. However, retractable awnings are likely to take between three and six hours to fit on average.
Looking at Bespoke awnings, these would probably take between six hours and two days to install (with a full working day being around six to ten hours).
As you can see, the duration can vary greatly. They depend not only on the type of awning but the size of the area, the state of the work area, ease of access, whether any additional elements are needed (electric operation), and the number of tradespeople hired.
In most cases, you can expect one tradesperson on site for the job.
| Type of Awning | Duration |
|---|---|
| Retractable Awnings | 3-6 hours |
| Bespoke Awnings | 6 hours to 2 days |
| Roll-out Motorhome Awning | 1 hour |
| Regular Motorhome Awning | 3-6 hours |
Types of Awnings
We’ve touched a little bit on the types of awnings available, but we'll now explore this in a bit more detail, including a look at their pros and cons.
Retractable Awning Costs
As you’d imagine, these awnings retract such that they can be pulled out or pushed in based on when you need to use them.
These awnings can be manual or electrically operated. Clearly, it’s advantageous to be able to close your awning at night to protect it against the elements or even wild animals.
Some retractable awnings have built-in lighting, while others have a drop-down valance. These can be pulled down to cover the end of the awning and protect the patio space from a setting/rising sun or an evening summer's draft.
The average standalone cost of a retractable awning is £3,550 to £5,700.
Pros
- Can be put away at night
- Electrical operation is available
- Many on sale
Cons
- Requires cleaning and maintenance
- It can be costly to fit
- Not suitable for any weather conditions
Bespoke Awning Costs
While more expensive, Bespoke awnings offer superb quality. Bespoke essentially means tailor-made, so with these awnings, you have control over what you'll get.
You can also expect a high-quality awning that offers plenty of durabilities. You can have a Bespoke awning designed based on your preferences when it comes to the size, style and finish of the awning.
You’ll want to consult an awning supplier to start the process of getting a Bespoke awning. They’ll be able to inform you as to what they can offer and the level of personalization they provide. The average supply cost of Bespoke awnings is £5,300 to £7,200.
Pros
- Tailor-made to your preferences
- High-quality option
- Durable
Cons
- Expensive
Fixed Awning Costs
Also referred to as stationary awnings, fixed awnings are non-retractable. They are sometimes called permanent awnings since they are fixed in place once set up.
However, you can disassemble fixed awnings and put their components away, so calling them permanent isn't entirely accurate. But they are generally designed to stay in place 24/7 (unlike most awnings).
These awnings tend to feature sturdy construction since they are usually kept up all the time and thus must be ready to deal with a whole range of weather conditions.
Obviously, if a severe storm is a forecast, you should consider disassembling and putting away the awning (after all, you may remember images of storms in the UK on rare occasions lifting trampolines and carrying them away!). These awnings often come with steel components.
Obviously, the downsides tend to come from the fact this type of awning is exposed to the elements all the time. The steel components will rust as the years pass, and the fabric of the awning will likely fade as a result of sun exposure.
Pros
- Sturdy construction
- Made for a wide range of weather situations
- It can be kept up 24/7 in most cases
Cons
- Noticeable fading of the fabric and steel rusting will likely occur over time
- It May still need to be disassembled and put away in bad storms
Electrically Operated Awning Costs
Some awnings are electrically operated, while others are manual. Electric awnings are designed with the intention to offer you both shade and temperature control.
These awnings tend to come with remote control, allowing you to open, close and adjust the opening level of the awning. The built-in motor is designed to respond to the remote control while the operation itself is performed by various mechanical arms.
Unsurprisingly with an electric operation, the price of an awning installation is likely to go up.
Pros
- Shade and temperature control
- Generally, come with a remote control
Cons
- Installation cost is usually more expensive
How Much Does It Cost to Remove an Awning?
There may come a time when you'd prefer to remove your awning. Alternatively, perhaps you've already had one installed and intend to remove it soon.
Either way, you might choose to remove an awning if you have your patio removed (to have turf laid down instead, for example) or otherwise no longer require an awning for your patio.
Whatever the reason, it should take an hour or so to remove an awning. If you hire a professional, they’ll probably charge between £20 and 80 for the job, although if you add the waste removal costs (through hiring a skip), you may pay up to £100 atop the labour charge.
This would bring the overall cost of simply removing an awning to around £70 to £180.
Hiring a skip is one way to remove an awning, assuming that the materials are suitable for a skip; likewise, if the materials are appropriate, you may be able to dispose of an awning via a waste management facility.
If in doubt, contact your local skip hiring company or/and local waste management facility.
FAQs
Q: What size awning do I need?
A: The size of the awning required will depend on the size of the area in question. Measure the length and width of your patio space or caravan as well as the length of the area (e.g., just above your kitchen back doors) that you intend to fit the awning.
Then you need to contact the relevant supplier with these measurements for advice on what awning size you’ll need.
Q: How long do awnings last?
A: Most well-maintained awnings should last for 5 to 15 years; however, higher quality products could last longer.
Q: What else should I consider when purchasing an awning?
A: One thing you may overlook is the strength of the wind in your area. This should be considered when choosing an awning product; some products may be better suited to your part of the UK than others.
Q: Is it okay to keep an awning open?
A: No, not always. Extreme weather conditions like strong wind or heavy rain can cause damage to awnings. Thankfully some awnings do come with automatic sensors that will retract them if excessive wind/precipitation is detected.
Q: What is the best type of house awning?
A: Retractable awnings are arguably the best on the market, especially those which are electrically operated.
They are, of course, more expensive than standalone alternatives, but they come with many advantages, including that they are easy to put away. These are best for house awnings or a driveway awning.
Sources
- https://www.thegaragedoorcentre.co.uk/awningsforhome
- https://www.angi.com/articles/pros-and-cons-retractable-deck-awnings.htm
- https://www.gielgaragedoors.com/blog/2018/07/retractable-vs-fixed-awnings-which-is-right-for-your-home/
- https://rocheawnings.com/electric-awnings/
