Electric awnings measured, built and fitted across Colchester and north Essex — by our own team, no subcontracted fitters.
Colchester has the two things that make an awning worth fitting: large gardens and a lot of south and west facing rear elevations. Lexden and the CO3 side in particular run to substantial Victorian and Edwardian houses with the wall height to carry a serious projection, and the terraces to justify one.
The rest of the city is more varied than people expect. The centre carries Roman walls and a conservation area with genuinely old building fabric. The garrison redevelopment and the Highwoods and Mile End estates to the north are modern brick and blockwork. Out towards Dedham, West Bergholt and Wivenhoe you get period cottages, weatherboard and render. Those all take different fixings, and the difference matters.
So we survey before we quote, every time. Our surveyor comes out from our Barking showroom (IG11 8BL), measures the elevation, photographs it, checks what the wall will actually hold, and talks through where the sun lands at the times of day you use the garden. You get a price for your house rather than an average.
Larger Lexden and Dedham gardens usually want more projection than a standard unit gives. Beyond about 4 metres we recommend twin cassettes rather than one extra-wide span — better wind stability, easier servicing later, and a cleaner line along the elevation. Motorised operation is standard, by handset or wall switch, with app control available where you want it.
The city-centre conservation area and the listed property around the Dutch Quarter need a lighter touch. We specify full cassettes there so the retracted profile is a slim housing under the eaves rather than exposed fabric and arms, and we match frame colours to recede against the elevation. If your project needs consent we will tell you at survey rather than after you have paid a deposit.
On the Mersea and Brightlingsea side the coastal exposure becomes a real factor, and we treat those plots differently — wind sensors as standard, and fixings specified for salt air. Inland it is mostly a question of fade resistance. Sunbrella and Tempotest are both solution-dyed acrylics, so the colour runs through the fibre and is still the colour you chose a decade on.
We cover Colchester and the surrounding north Essex villages and coast. Surveys are usually booked within a week of your enquiry, with fitting typically 4–6 weeks out.
Postcodes we cover:
Drive time from our Barking showroom: Around an hour from our Barking showroom via the A12.
No. We quote the same prices in Colchester as we do in London — the A12 run is straightforward and we would rather win the work than lose it on a travel line. Survey and fitting visits are both included.
Yes, as standard. The awnings we fit are tubular-motorised, operated by handset or wall switch, with app and smart-home control available if you want it. Manual crank operation is available on request but very few customers choose it once they have used a motorised system.
Sometimes. A retractable awning on a rear elevation is often acceptable, but listed buildings and some conservation-area frontages do need consent, and the answer depends on your specific property. Our surveyor will give you an honest view on the day and can supply drawings and product specifications for an application.
Standard full-cassette systems reach up to about 4 metres. Beyond that we usually propose two linked cassettes rather than a single wider unit — it holds up better in wind and is simpler to service. Our surveyor will size it to the terrace you actually want covered.
Typically 4–6 weeks. The survey is usually within a week of you getting in touch; manufacture takes the bulk of the remaining time, and the fit itself is generally a single day.
Book a free survey or call 0208 507 3395.