From a simple awning to a six-figure outdoor room, how Philly homeowners add shade to their yards

Carla and Steve Red had a pair of covetable outdoor living spaces on their Fitler Square rowhouse, with a first-floor patio and a rooftop deck. But they weren’t so pleasant in the summer.

“During Philly summers, you want to spend a lot of time outside on your patio, but the roof is basically baking in the sun,” Carla said. “There aren’t trees to cover you, and you really get crushed.”

So last year they added some shade, and it was a game changer.

With the help of a landscape designer and Paul Construction & Awning, the couple installed motorized retractable awnings over each deck. They now escape the summer heat and extend the outdoor season through the fall and early winter.

The roughly 600-square-foot roof deck is the prime spot for entertaining guests and enjoying an evening glass of wine while watching the sunset. During rain showers, they’re no longer forced to retreat inside and instead enjoy the pitter-pattering of precipitation on the gray-and-white striped awning.

The patio awning on their first level covers about half the 300-square-foot space, allowing for a mix of shade and sun. The couple also upgraded the furniture and added colorful flowers, a koi pond, and gas firepit.

“We created extensions of the house where people really want to hang out,” said Carla, who spent about $27,000 on the two awnings. “It’s a Zen experience.”

Outdoor structures, including pergolas, arbors, and gazebos, were added or upgraded by 35% of homeowners in 2026, according to the 2026 Houzz Outdoor Trend Study. That’s up from 20% in 2024. It’s a sign that homeowners are thinking about outdoor spaces less as occasional-use areas and more as functional living spaces, said Marine Sargsyan, head of economic research at Houzz.

The most budget-friendly shade options, like a simple pergola kit ordered online, have price tags of a few hundred dollars at the low end. Customized structures offering year-round comfort can come with six-figure costs.

“Shade structures are a key part of how homeowners turn outdoor areas into true extensions of the home,” Sargsyan said. “By adding comfort, definition, and protection from the elements, these structures help transform a yard, patio, or deck into an outdoor room.”

No matter the size of the property — from a city rowhouse’s garden to a sprawling yard in the suburbs — outdoor living can be enhanced with a thoughtfully designed shade structure. Options range from a DIY shade sail, constructed from UV-resistant fabric hung onto poles, to an elaborate gazebo outfitted with a retractable louvered roof and walls, rain and wind sensors, and radiant heat or air-conditioning.

People just want to spend more time outside, said Gregg DiSantis, president of Distinctive Outdoor Structures in North Wales. Finding a new appreciation for the outdoors during the pandemic, homeowners sought out ways to turn their decks and patios into structures they could enjoy year-round.

“They got used to being outside and really enjoyed it,” he said. “Now it’s a way of life.”

Popular options include a pergola, cabana, awning, or screen. The yard’s layout and the homeowner’s budget shape the options.

Rooftop decks, prevalent in the city and at the Shore, are a popular spot for a louvered pergola system with adjustable horizontal slats that open and close by the push of a button. The closed roof offers relief from the hot daytime sun and then opens to enjoy the evening breeze under the stars.

Structures come in a multitude of colors, wood grains, designs, and styles. Homeowners can choose decorative features and trim to match the home’s architecture. A custom-built pergola from Distinctive Outdoor Structures costs $35,000 to $45,000 on average.

Construction projects in the city, even for an outdoor feature, come with additional challenges. Permitting, installing electricity, and using a crane to get materials up to the roof are more likely to be part of the project. These steps take time and are costly.

Amy and Bob Kothari took the time to see these challenges through. After many years living in the suburbs, the couple were anxious for city living when they bought a Washington Square West rowhouse in 2022. But they didn’t want to give up the outdoor space they enjoyed and depended upon when they lived in Ambler.

Their new home offered the best of both worlds: the benefits of urban living and an 800-square-foot yard. The house is a designated historic home, requiring special permits before starting construction.

Distinctive Outdoor Structures built a 10-foot square pergola in their yard, complete with a louvered roof operated by a remote. In inclement weather, the roof closes automatically. The space includes lights, a ceiling fan to keep it cool in the summer, and heaters that kick on when it’s cold outside.

They use the space to entertain, enjoy evening cocktails and morning coffee, and for private work-from-home space. The project cost about $140,000 for the pergola, brickwork, lighting, landscaping, and flagstone.

“It’s a very functional but comfortable area,” Amy said. “It extends the inside of the house outside.”

Awnings and motorized retractable shades and screens are popular ways to create a cooler, more comfortable outdoor space.

“An awning is ideal when the homeowner wants protection from direct sun overhead, shelter from light rain, a lower-cost alternative to building a permanent roof, and the flexibility of a retractable system — sun when desired, shade when needed,” said AnnMarie Salassa, executive assistant at Paul Construction & Awning in Skippack.

Awnings are especially common over patios, decks, outdoor dining areas, and windows to reduce indoor heat gain.

Screens are selected when homeowners want to enjoy fresh air without being bothered by mosquitoes and other insects, Salassa said. Screens also keep space clean from debris, pollen, or leaves, and reduce glare while maintaining views, she said.

Motorized screens are often paired with covered patios or decks because they can disappear when not needed.

“The shades we install can withstand 100-mile-per-hour winds,” DiSantis said. “They block out the sun and rain, and keep the heat in. They are a game changer in how people enjoy their spaces.”

Motorized awnings range in price from about $6,000 to $10,000 for a 12-foot installed product, depending on the materials used, DiSantis said. A 10-foot-wide retractable screen costs $4,500 to $6,000 on average. On the lower end, the screens offer shade or keep out insects but aren’t able to withstand strong winds, he said.

Budget-friendly shade options aren’t limited to awnings and shades. A prefabricated pergola, for instance, can be more affordable than a custom-built one. Hanso, for instance, a Scandinavian-based company with a large U.S. market, sells prefabricated aluminum gazebos and pergolas starting at $6,000. Ordered online, these are shipped to the consumer, who can then DIY the installation or hire a local contractor to help.

Home improvement stores and other manufacturers also offer pergola kits, the simplest of which are less than $1,000.

These structures are made with a powder coating that “last more than 30 years and does not require repainting,” Hanso CEO Darius Kunca said. And, he noted, “Aluminum kits can move with you when you move houses — simple to pack and rebuild again.”