Aluminium pergolas and shade structures in Makkah

What decides the type of aluminium pergola?

Three things decide it before the look does: the span to be covered, because the distance between supports sets the load-bearing section, not the area; how exposed the site is, since a windy roof differs structurally from a walled courtyard; and whether the space can take front columns. After these, colour and finish are a matter of taste.

Types of aluminium pergola we build

Fixed pergola (fixed roof) — from SAR 685/m²

A closed roof that gives full shade and keeps out rain: the most economical, lowest-upkeep option, with its slope and drainage checked before installation. It suits parking, villa entrances and places that need shade all the time, though it also blocks winter light.

Cantilever pergola without front columns — from SAR 1,005/m²

Columns on one side only and the other side fully open: the best fit for pools and views. The whole load goes to one side, so it needs stronger foundations and fixing.

Frame finish for a modern pergola: powder-coated or wood-look aluminium

The visible frame is aluminium (aluminum in American specifications), powder-coated or wood-look, with the colour and grain of timber but no cracking or rot, for SAR 215/m² more, so a fixed wood-look pergola starts from SAR 900/m². Aluminium does not rust, which suits villas, especially in Jeddah's humidity.

Powder-coated aluminium suits a modern pergola with clean lines, and wood-look suits a pergola that belongs to a garden or seating design. Roofed with solid aluminium slats, either finish makes a slatted pergola.

The load-bearing section

A standard 10×10 cm load-bearing section (2 mm wall) inside the structure is included in both systems and usually suffices up to about 15 m² on a sheltered site. Larger spans, wind-exposed sites or deep cantilevers may need a reinforced 15×15 cm section, set after the site visit and priced in the quote.

Bioclimatic louvered pergola: an aluminium louvre roof that opens and closes by remote control

A bioclimatic pergola is an aluminium pergola with a louvered roof: its louvres rotate on an electric motor run by remote control, so you control sun and ventilation through the hours of the day and the seasons, and they close fully against rain. It is also called a motorized louvered pergola, an electric pergola or an aluminium louvre roof, and we supply and install it.

Over outdoor seating and gardens it gives full shade in summer and opens to the winter sun that a fixed roof blocks. It is not in our cost calculator, so its price comes in a quote once the site is measured: request a quote.

Which pergola roof suits the Makkah sun: aluminium slats or a glass canopy?

For seating under the midday sun, solid aluminium slats are the right roof: they block the sun completely, keep out rain and dust, do not yellow and last longest, which is why they are the most common pergola roof on villas in Makkah. Where daylight matters, a laminated glass roof, priced by quote, makes a residential glass canopy over a courtyard, walkway or pool.

• Solid aluminium slats — full sun protection and the longest life; the published prices use them
• Laminated glass — daylight with protection; it holds together if broken, so it is the only acceptable glass over seating, and it turns the pergola into a glass canopy. Priced by quote

Pergolas for homes, gardens and pools: which system where?

At home the place decides: seating and gardens suit a fixed pergola with solid aluminium slats for full shade, a pool suits a cantilever so the view stays open, courtyards and walkways suit a fixed pergola with laminated glass where daylight matters, and an exposed roof terrace may need a reinforced section. A balcony pergola, or aluminium balcony shade, is fixed to the building wall above the balcony, with the system and fixing set at the site visit; for privacy on its open sides, see aluminium screens.

Parking and driveways have their own height and column rules; see car parking shades. A shade over a single window is an aluminium-slat window canopy, priced by quote; see louvers and sun breakers. An aluminium awning over a front door stands on front columns or on a frame of its own, and shop and villa entrance canopies use solid aluminium slats or panels that continue the facade; see aluminium cladding.

Can you build a glass canopy or awning over a front door or entrance?

We build a glass entrance canopy as a small aluminium pergola with a laminated glass roof, fixed to the wall above a front door, a terrace door or a sliding glass door, on front columns or on a frame of its own. It keeps sun and rain off the doorway while daylight passes through, and like every laminated-glass pergola roof, it is priced by quote.

• Glass: laminated rather than toughened glass alone, because laminated holds together if it breaks
• Frame: every glass canopy we build sits on an aluminium frame, powder-coated or wood-look for SAR 215/m² more
• Fixing: set at the site visit, where the slope and rainwater drainage are checked so water runs off the glass

Pergola builders in Makkah: how is a custom aluminium pergola made and installed?

It starts with the size, site photos and what the pergola will be fixed to. A site visit sets the load-bearing section, roof slope and drainage; the profiles are then cut and assembled in Makkah and installed on the wall, in an indicative 10 to 14 working days from approved shop drawings for under 30 m². Every pergola is custom made to the measured site, from a backyard pergola to a patio or poolside pergola, and we install across Saudi Arabia. A commercial pergola for a shop entrance, an office courtyard or a school follows the same steps; larger areas take longer, and the duration is written in the quote. For a contractor's package, see aluminium contractor.

1. Send the size and photos Send the area, the available height and site photos, and say what it will be fixed to: a wall, a concrete floor, tiles or a roof.
2. Site visit The visit sets the load-bearing section, 10×10 cm or a reinforced 15×15 cm, and checks the roof slope and rainwater drainage.
3. Fabrication at the factory Once sizes are approved, the profiles are cut and assembled at our factory in Makkah.
4. Installation on site The frame is fixed to the wall, front columns are set for a fixed pergola, and the roof is installed.

Frequently asked questions about aluminium pergolas

What is the difference between a fixed and a cantilever pergola?

The front columns. A fixed pergola rests on front columns that carry its outer edge; it costs less and suits parking, entrances and spaces where columns do not get in the way. A cantilever has none: its roof is carried from the fixing side, so it suits pools and views, but it needs a reinforced section and stronger fixing.

How much does an aluminium pergola cost per square metre?

SAR 685 to 1,220 per square metre, supplied and installed, before VAT, in Makkah, including wall fixing: fixed from SAR 685, cantilever from SAR 1,005, and a wood-look frame adds SAR 215. Prices use solid aluminium slats; a laminated glass roof is priced by quote.

Can a pergola have a glass roof?

Yes, in laminated glass, which holds together if it breaks and is therefore the acceptable glass over a seating area. Reflective laminated glass also suits areas exposed to the midday sun. A glass roof is priced by quote.

How long does an aluminium pergola take?

For a pergola under 30 m², an indicative 10 to 14 working days from approved shop drawings to handover; larger areas take longer, and the exact duration is written in the quote.

Can an aluminium pergola be attached to the house?

Yes. Every aluminium pergola we build is wall-mounted: its back is fixed to the wall of the house or to the boundary wall, and its outer edge either rests on front columns (a fixed pergola, from SAR 685/m²) or stays free (a cantilever, from SAR 1,005/m²). The site visit sets the load-bearing section and the fixing.

Is an aluminium pergola roof waterproof?

Yes. A closed roof of solid aluminium slats shuts out rain, dust and sun alike, and the site visit checks its slope and rainwater drainage so that water does not collect on top. For a roof that also lets daylight in, laminated glass is the option, quoted separately.

Which pergola is best for high winds?

For high winds, the best aluminium pergola is one whose load-bearing section is sized for the site, whatever its style. On a sheltered site up to about 15 m² the standard 10×10 cm section is normally enough; an exposed roof terrace, a long span or deep cantilever may call for the reinforced 15×15 cm section, set at the site visit.

How much does a bioclimatic pergola cost?

It is priced by quote after the site visit, since it is not part of our per-square-metre pergola prices. Being motorized, it costs more than a fixed pergola: the motor, the louvre rotation mechanism and the blade thickness set the price, together with the area to be covered.

Can a pergola roof open and close?

Yes, on a bioclimatic pergola: a motor turns its aluminium louvres to open the roof to sun and air, or shuts them tight against rain. Our fixed and cantilever pergolas keep a closed roof.

Do you build freestanding pergolas or only wall-mounted ones?

Mostly wall-mounted. A garden or patio pergola has its back fixed to the house or boundary wall, with its front edge on columns (fixed, from SAR 685/m²) or left free (cantilever, from SAR 1,005/m²). A freestanding roof on four columns with their own bases, away from any wall, is built for parking as a car parking shade, and an entrance canopy can stand on a frame of its own.

Can a patio pergola have side walls for privacy?

Yes, with aluminium privacy screens: slatted aluminium panels fixed along the open sides that block the view while air and light pass through. They are made to measure and start from SAR 350/m², supplied and installed before VAT in Makkah, while the pergola keeps its own roof of aluminium slats or laminated glass.

Do you install pergolas outside Makkah?

Yes. It is made in Makkah and installed on your site; only transport and installation are added: 3% for Jeddah and Taif, 5% for Madinah, 8% for Riyadh and the Eastern Province, and 10% for Abha, Tabuk and Qassim.