Awning Width vs Projection: How to Balance the Two Dimensions
Quick answer
Width runs along the wall and projection reaches out from it. Extra width is usually the cheaper and safer way to add shade, because projection increases leverage on the wall, wind load per bracket and front bar drop. On most lateral-arm awnings the width must exceed the projection, so choose projection for the depth you need and width for how long the shade stays on your seating.
When you have to choose, buy width before projection. Width keeps shade on your seating as the sun moves across the sky, it adds coverage at a lower cost per square foot, and it does not increase the leverage on each bracket. Projection is what reaches the outer chairs, but every extra foot of arm lowers the front bar, raises the load on the wall and catches more wind. The right awning uses just enough projection to reach the far edge of the area you use and spends the rest of the budget on width.
If you are starting from scratch, the quick answers in what size awning do I need give a target size by use. This page explains the trade-off between the two dimensions so you can adjust that target sensibly.
Width and projection defined
- Width is the length of the roller and front bar, measured along the wall. On a retractable awning, it usually refers to the overall width including end caps or the cassette.
- Projection is how far the awning reaches out from the wall, measured along the arm (the arm length). Horizontal coverage is slightly less because the awning slopes: at 14 degrees, about 97 percent of the projection.
Some catalogs list size as "width x projection" and others as "projection x width", so a "12 x 10" can mean either. Confirm before ordering. Terms used here are defined in the awning glossary.
The arm geometry rule: width must exceed projection
A lateral-arm awning's arms fold horizontally at the elbow and tuck in front of the roller when closed. Each folded arm occupies roughly half its length along the roller, and the two arms fold toward each other from the ends, so the pair needs roughly the full arm length of roller, plus room at the elbows and end caps. That is why most manufacturers publish a minimum width for each projection, commonly about 1 to 2 ft wider than the projection.
| Projection | Typical minimum width | Typical maximum single-unit width |
|---|---|---|
| 8 ft | About 9 to 10 ft | About 18 to 20 ft |
| 10 ft | About 11 to 12 ft | About 20 ft |
| 11 to 12 ft | About 13 to 14 ft | About 20 ft, wider with extra arms |
| 13 ft | About 14 to 15 ft | Premium lines only beyond about 20 ft |
| 14 to 15 ft | About 16 ft or more | Premium lines; heavy-duty mounting |
Workarounds for narrow, deep spaces exist but are limited: some manufacturers offer crossed-arm or staggered-arm configurations where the arms fold past each other at different heights, and drop-arm awnings or awnings with front posts avoid the issue entirely. See lateral-arm vs drop-arm awnings and how far a retractable awning can extend.
What each dimension does for shade
Projection controls how deep the shade is when the sun faces the wall. Width controls how long the shade stays on a given spot as the sun moves along the wall. Which matters more depends on orientation:
- South walls: the sun is high and roughly in front of the wall in the middle of the day, so the shadow sits near the wall. Moderate projection works, and extra width extends the hours of coverage on either side of noon.
- East and west walls: the sun is low and moves from oblique to head-on. The shadow is thrown far out, so projection matters more, but with low sun even a 13 ft arm often cannot keep up. A drop shade on the front bar is the efficient fix.
- Oblique sun on any wall: when the sun is off to one side, the shadow shifts sideways along the wall. That sideways shift is what extra width absorbs.
Worked example
How far does the shadow slide sideways? A south-facing awning has its front bar at 7.5 ft. In mid-afternoon the sun is 55 degrees above the horizon and 40 degrees west of straight out from the wall.
A point at 7.5 ft casts its shadow a horizontal distance of 7.5 / tan 55 = 7.5 / 1.428 = 5.25 ft from directly below it, pointing away from the sun.
Split that into two directions: toward the wall, 5.25 x cos 40 = 5.25 x 0.766 = 4.0 ft; and sideways along the wall, 5.25 x sin 40 = 5.25 x 0.643 = 3.4 ft.
So the shade footprint has moved 4 ft back toward the house and 3.4 ft to the east of the awning. A 12 ft table zone under a 12 ft awning now has its west 3.4 ft in sun. A 14 ft awning centered on the table (1 ft extra per side) still leaves about 2.4 ft of the west edge in sun at this hour; adding the extra width on the west end only (a 15 to 16 ft awning offset to the west) keeps the whole table covered. Adding projection would not help at all, because the shadow is moving toward the wall, not away from it.
The shade calculator performs this calculation for your latitude, date and wall direction, including the sideways shift, and the awning shade data tables show typical shade depths by season.
How width and projection affect price
Manufacturers price retractable awnings in width steps (often 1 or 2 ft increments) and projection steps. Width mainly adds fabric, a longer roller and front bar, and possibly an extra bracket. Projection adds longer, stronger arms with heavier springs, which is the most engineered part of the awning. As a result, each added foot of projection usually costs more than each added foot of width, and the largest projections are confined to premium lines.
For orientation: a manual retractable from a consumer brand at roughly 12 x 10 ft typically costs about $600 to $2,500 for the unit, and premium or custom dealer brands run about $2,500 to $7,000. Moving up a projection step within a model often moves you into a heavier arm set as well. Use the awning cost calculator to compare two candidate sizes side by side.
Loads, wind and the wall
An extended lateral-arm awning is a cantilever. Its weight, and any wind pressure on the fabric, acts several feet from the wall, and the brackets resist that with a rotating force (a moment) on their fasteners.
- Width adds load in proportion. Twice the width means twice the fabric area and roughly twice the force, but it is spread across more arms and brackets, so the load per bracket can stay similar.
- Projection multiplies leverage. A wind load acting on fabric that reaches farther from the wall has a longer lever arm. Doubling the projection roughly doubles the fabric area per arm and also roughly doubles the average lever arm, so the moment at each arm's bracket rises roughly fourfold.
- Front bar span matters on wide units. Very wide awnings with only two arms rely on a long unsupported front bar, which can bow and let fabric sag. Manufacturers add a third or fourth arm or couple two units.
Worked example
Comparing two awnings with the same area. Option A is 16 ft wide x 10 ft projection (160 sq ft). Option B is 13 ft wide x 12 ft projection (156 sq ft). Assume the same uniform wind pressure of p pounds per sq ft and two arms on each.
Per arm, Option A carries half of 160 sq ft = 80 sq ft, centered 5 ft from the wall: moment = 80p x 5 = 400p ft-lb. Option B carries 78 sq ft centered 6 ft out: moment = 78p x 6 = 468p ft-lb.
For nearly the same area, Option B puts about 17 percent more moment on each bracket, drops its front bar further (at 14 degrees, 144 x 0.242 = 35 in versus 120 x 0.242 = 29 in), and needs a longer, stiffer arm. Unless you need the extra depth, Option A is the easier awning to mount and live with.
Wind behavior is covered in more depth in awning wind ratings, and fastener choices by wall type in mounting awnings on brick, siding and stucco.
Projection, headroom and pitch
Projection has a cost that width never does: it lowers the front bar. The front bar sits below the brackets by the projection times the sine of the pitch. At a drainage-friendly 14 degrees, that is about 2.9 inches per foot of projection. Adding 2 ft of projection drops the front bar another 6 inches or so, which on a wall with brackets at 9 ft can be the difference between comfortable headroom and ducking. If you must flatten the pitch to keep headroom, the awning drains more slowly and must be retracted sooner in rain. The full drop tables are in awning projection and pitch, and the height side of the equation in awning mounting height.
Decision table: add width or add projection?
| Situation | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Edge seats get sun in mid-morning or mid-afternoon | Width | Absorbs the sideways shadow shift |
| Outer chairs sit in sun at midday on a south wall | Projection (modestly) | Shadow is near the wall; depth is the limit |
| Low afternoon sun on a west wall | Drop shade, then width | Projection cannot keep up with sun below about 30 degrees |
| Brackets below about 9 ft | Width | Every foot of projection costs about 3 in of headroom at 14 degrees |
| Windy, exposed site | Width | Lower moment per bracket than an equal-area deep awning |
| Narrow wall, deep patio | Drop-arm, posts or a freestanding frame | Lateral arms cannot exceed the width on most models |
| Rain cover for a walkway along the house | Width with short projection | A 6 to 8 ft band along the wall is what gets used |
Who should prioritize which
Prioritize width if you dine or sit during the afternoon, your wall is under about 9.5 ft, your site is windy, or you have a long wall and a modest patio depth. Prioritize projection if your seating zone is deep (a large conversation set or a dining table set back from the wall), your wall faces south, and you have the mounting height and framing to support long arms. Consider another product if you need deep coverage on a narrow wall or more than about 13 ft of reach: a drop-arm awning, a fixed awning with posts, a freestanding awning or a pergola canopy may fit the geometry better.
Frequently asked questions
Is projection the same as depth?
Yes, projection is the awning industry's term for how far the awning reaches out from the wall, measured along the arm. Horizontal depth on the ground is slightly less because the awning slopes: at a 14 degree pitch, a 10 ft projection covers about 9.7 ft horizontally. The shade on the ground can land in a different place altogether, depending on the sun's position.
Why can't my awning project farther than it is wide?
Lateral arms fold horizontally at the elbow and lie in front of the roller when closed. The two folded arms need roughly a full arm length of roller between them, plus space for elbows and end caps. That is why manufacturers set a minimum width for each projection, typically 1 to 2 ft more than the projection. Crossed-arm versions exist for some models.
Is a wider or deeper awning better in wind?
For the same fabric area, a wider, shallower awning puts less leverage on each bracket because the wind load acts closer to the wall. A deep awning also flexes more at the front bar. Neither makes a fabric awning a storm structure: retract in sustained winds of roughly 20 to 25 mph or as the manufacturer specifies.
Does adding width require more brackets?
Often, yes. Manufacturers typically add brackets along the torsion bar or roller as width increases, and very wide units add a third or fourth arm, each with its own heavily loaded bracket. Each bracket must land on solid framing or masonry, so a wider awning can make mounting more involved even though it is mechanically simpler than a deeper one.
How much does an extra foot of projection cost?
It depends on the model, but projection generally costs more per foot than width because it requires longer arms with stronger springs, and the longest projections are only available in premium lines. Compare quotes for two sizes of the same model, or use the cost calculator, rather than assuming a fixed price per foot.
Sources and further reading
- U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Saver: Energy Efficient Window Attachments
- European Committee for Standardization, EN 13561: External blinds and awnings, performance requirements including safety
- Professional Awning Manufacturers Association (PAMA): residential awning resources
- NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory: Solar Position Calculator
How we write our guides: figures are typical US ranges checked against manufacturer documentation, published standards and installer pricing. Read our editorial standards. Spotted an error or outdated detail? Request a correction.