Motorised Folding Fabric Roof · Designed and Built by Veraforza
Retractable Awning Pergola with LED Lighting
A retractable awning pergola gives you a waterproof roof when the weather turns and open sky when it does not. The fabric runs in aluminium rails, folds back at the touch of a button, and drains rain through the frame and posts — up to 13,000 mm wide across three bays.
Why Choose a Retractable Awning Pergola?
A glass roof is permanent. A fabric roof is not — and that is the point. On a hot afternoon you open it and sit under the sky; when it rains you close it and stay dry at the same table.
Waterproof, Not Just Shade
PVC-coated membrane sheds rain into the front beam and down through the posts, so the terrace stays dry and the water goes where you want it.
Open in Under a Minute
A quiet tubular motor folds the fabric into a slim pack at one end. No cranking, no loose covers, nothing to store over winter.
Lighting Built In
Dimmable LED strips sit inside the rafters, so the pergola works as an evening space without a single visible cable.
Waterproof Membrane
A PVC-coated fabric made for permanent outdoor use — waterproof, UV stable and washable, in a range of plain and textured colours.
Integrated LED Lighting
Dimmable LED lines run the length of each rafter. Spotlights, speakers and heaters can share the same frame.
Clean Underside
Rails, motor and wiring are hidden inside the aluminium sections, so from the table you see a flat ceiling and nothing else.
Sizes: Up to 13 Metres Across Three Bays
One bay of a motorised awning pergola spans up to 4,500 mm wide with a 6,000 mm projection. Larger terraces are covered with extra bays sharing the same posts, which keeps the structure slim rather than deep.
- One bay: max 4,500 mm wide × 6,000 mm projection
- Two bays: max 9,000 mm wide × 6,000 mm projection
- Three bays: max 13,000 mm wide × 6,000 mm projection
- Wall-mounted or free-standing on four posts
Sizes are confirmed at the free survey, once we have checked the wall, the fall for drainage and the ground the posts will sit on.
Choose Your Layout
Flat or curved roof, wall-mounted or free-standing — the frame is made to the terrace rather than the other way round.
Evening Use
Light, Heat and Sound in the Frame
The rafters are hollow, so the parts that make a terrace usable after dark go inside them. Dimmable LED lines come as standard; spotlights, infrared heaters and speakers can be added and wired back to one control point.
- Dimmable LED strip lighting as standard
- Spotlights and speakers optional
- Infrared heating available
- One wall panel or remote for roof, lights and screens
Built for British Weather
Rain
Tensioned waterproof fabric with a fall to the front beam, hidden gutters and drainage inside the posts.
Wind
The fabric is captured in side rails instead of hanging loose, and an optional wind sensor retracts it automatically.
Year-Round Use
Add zip screens or glass sides and the pergola becomes an enclosed room for spring and autumn evenings.
Terraces That Earn Their Keep
For restaurants, cafés and hotels a pergola with a retractable roof turns weather-dependent covers into bookable seats. Bays can be opened one at a time, lighting is already in the structure, and the roof closes before the first drop lands on a table.
Retractable Awning Pergola Specification
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Maximum width, one bay | 4,500 mm |
| Maximum width, two bays | 9,000 mm |
| Maximum width, three bays | 13,000 mm |
| Maximum projection | 6,000 mm |
| Roof | Motorised folding waterproof fabric, tensioned in aluminium side rails |
| Fabric | PVC-coated waterproof membrane, UV stable, washable |
| Frame | Extruded aluminium posts and beams, structural bolt fixings |
| Drainage | Integrated front gutter with concealed downpipes through the posts |
| Motor | Tubular motor, remote and wall control |
| Sensors | Sun, rain and wind sensors optional |
| Lighting | Dimmable LED strips in the rafters; spotlights optional |
| Heating | Infrared heaters optional |
| Sides | Open, zip screens, sliding glass or guillotine glass |
| Mounting | Wall-mounted with front posts, or free-standing on four posts |
| Roof shape | Flat with fall, or curved |
| Finish | Powder-coated in any RAL colour; woodgrain finishes available |
| Warranty | Manufacturer warranty on frame, fabric and motor |
Awning Pergola FAQs
What is a retractable awning pergola?
It is an aluminium pergola whose roof is a motorised waterproof fabric that folds back on itself. Closed, it sheds rain into the frame and drains through the posts; open, it stacks into a slim pack at one end and leaves the terrace in full daylight.
How big can one bay be?
A single bay covers up to 4,500 mm wide with a 6,000 mm projection. Wider terraces are built in bays: two bays reach 9,000 mm and three bays 13,000 mm, all with the same 6,000 mm projection.
Is the fabric really waterproof?
Yes. We use PVC-coated waterproof membrane, not a shade cloth. Rain runs down the tensioned fabric into the front beam, then through the gutters and down inside the posts.
What happens in wind?
The fabric is held in aluminium side rails, so it cannot flap. The system is rated for normal UK conditions and a wind sensor can retract it automatically. In storms we recommend keeping the roof open, the same as any fabric roof.
Can the sides be closed in as well?
Yes. Zip screens, glass sliding panels or guillotine glass can be added between the posts, which turns the pergola into a room you can use in cold weather.
Does it come with lighting?
Dimmable LED strips run along the rafters as standard, and spotlights or heaters can be added. All of it can be wired to one wall panel or a remote.
Free-standing or wall-mounted?
Both. It can be fixed to a house wall on one side with two posts at the front, or built free-standing on four posts anywhere in the garden.
How is it controlled?
A remote handset, a wall button or both. It can also join a smart home system, with sun, rain and wind sensors.
How long does installation take?
Most domestic pergolas are installed in one to two days once the base is ready. We confirm the programme at the free survey.
How much does a retractable awning pergola cost?
It depends on the size, the number of bays, fabric grade, lighting and any side enclosure. We quote a fixed price after a free survey — our cost guide explains the usual budgets.
Free, No-Obligation Quote
Get your awning pergola quote
Tell us the size of the terrace, whether it is wall-mounted or free-standing, and which extras you want. We come back with a fixed price and a drawing — free and without obligation.
- Choose wall-mounted or free-standing, and flat or curved.
- Give the width and projection in millimetres (e.g. 7000 × 4000 mm).
- Add lighting, heating or side screens, then leave your details for a free survey.
How to measure
- Measure the wall or the width you want covered (e.g. 7000 mm).
- Measure the projection out from the wall (e.g. 4000 mm).
- Measure the height available under the eaves or gutter (e.g. 2500 mm).
- Photograph the terrace from both ends.