Retractable Awnings: Custom Motorized Shade Solutions
Sunesta offers three premium retractable awning models, each custom-built to your exact specifications. Every model features motorized operation with wireless remote control, manual override capability, and the industry's best warranty coverage.
The same three models work as a patio awning over a paved patio and as a retractable deck awning over an elevated or walkout deck. Because the flagship Sunesta Model reaches widths up to 40 feet and projections up to 14 feet 8 inches with no front support legs, one clean span can shade a large suburban deck in Plymouth, Woodbury, or Maple Grove, or a lake-home deck around Lake Minnetonka or Gull Lake, without a single post in your view or your walkway.
The Sunesta Model
The Sunesta Model is our flagship retractable awning and the heaviest duty awning built in the industry today. Widths up to 40 feet and projection of 14 feet 8 inches with no front support legs make it the highest regarded residential awning in the country. Custom made to the inch, American-built, and backed by the best warranty in the business.
The Sunstyle Model
Our most popular and versatile awning. Available in widths up to 40 feet and projection up to 11 feet 6 inches. Sleek frame and arms designed to fit areas with restrictions from patio doors or windows. Easily customized for roof mounting by our trained professional installers.
The Sunlight Model
Designed for smaller shade areas. Available in widths up to 24 feet and projection up to 10 feet. The economical option with customizable features, custom inch-precision sizing, and one of the best warranties in the industry.
A Patio Awning That Shades the Whole Patio
A patio awning has one job: cover the paved space where you actually sit and eat, on demand, without permanent posts crowding the surface. A Sunesta patio awning does exactly that. All three models mount to the house wall, soffit, or roof and cantilever out over the patio, so the paved area stays wide open underneath. > Because the Sunesta Model projects up to 14 feet 8 inches with no front support legs, the shade reaches the far edge of a deep patio while the surface below stays clear for a table, a grill, and traffic. Motorized wireless operation means the patio awning extends when the afternoon sun hits and retracts flat against the house when you want open sky. Every unit is custom manufactured to the inch and American-built in Jacksonville, Florida, then installed by a Sunesta Certified Installer. Current offer: 15% off any motorized retractable awning plus 15 months no-interest financing if paid in full within 15 months, subject to credit approval.
Retractable Deck Awnings for Minnesota Decks
A retractable deck awning is the difference between a deck you use from noon to 7 p.m. and one you avoid all afternoon. Minnesota decks tend to run large, and many are elevated walkout or second-story decks where front posts are not an option. That is precisely where the leg-free Sunesta span matters most. Here is why the three models fit different decks: - **Sunesta Model** covers widths up to 40 feet and projects up to 14 feet 8 inches with no front support legs, the right choice for the larger suburban decks common in Plymouth, Woodbury, and Maple Grove. - **Sunstyle Model** projects up to 11 feet 6 inches and suits mid-size decks and spots restricted by patio doors or windows. - **Sunlight Model** covers up to 24 feet wide by 10 feet, ideal for tighter deck configurations. For lake-home decks around Lake Minnetonka and Gull Lake, the retractable design is the whole point. When a storm rolls off the water or the season turns, the deck awning pulls back into its housing rather than carrying snow load like a fixed cover. All three models are motorized with a wireless remote and backed by the most extensive warranty in the industry. Call 612-688-7929 for a free in-home deck measurement.
Standard Features
Every Sunesta retractable awning includes wireless remote control for motorized operation, manual override for backup control, premium support arms for stability and projection, and versatile mounting options for wall, soffit, or roof installation.
Optional Upgrades
Enhance your awning with SmartCase protective cassette housing, Front Drop Screen for additional sun protection, Wind Sensor for automatic high-wind retraction, integrated heater for extended seasons, and LED lights for evening ambiance. With the right upgrades, the same unit works as a four-season patio cover for Minnesota homes that shades in summer and folds away before the first snow.
Retractable Awnings with Screens
An overhead awning handles the sun coming straight down, but it does less for the low-angle glare that slides in under the front bar at sunrise and sunset. That is the gap a retractable awning with a drop screen closes. Sunesta calls this add-on SmartDrop, a motorized vertical front-drop valance that mounts to the front bar of any of the three models and lowers a fabric screen from the leading edge to block direct east or west sun a top-only awning cannot reach. SmartDrop can be built in at installation or retrofitted later, and it shares the same wireless remote as the main awning. For side-wall and full-enclosure coverage, pair your awning with a separate Sentry retractable porch screen that runs on its own integrated track to seal in the sides of a patio, deck, or porch.
Frequently Asked Questions
How wide can a Sunesta retractable awning be?
Up to 40 feet wide on the Sunesta and Sunstyle models, with projections up to 14 feet 8 inches on the Sunesta flagship.
Are Sunesta awnings made in the USA?
Yes — every Sunesta awning is American-built in Jacksonville, Florida and engineered to withstand the harshest weather.
Do retractable awnings include a warranty?
Yes — Sunesta carries the most extensive warranty in the retractable awning industry, covering fabric, frame, and motorized components.
Which Sunesta model works best as a patio awning?
All three work as a patio awning, and the right one depends on how deep your patio is. The Sunesta Model projects up to 14 feet 8 inches with no front support legs, so the shade reaches the far edge of a deep patio while the surface stays clear. The Sunstyle Model handles projections up to 11 feet 6 inches for mid-size patios, and the Sunlight Model covers tighter spaces up to 24 feet wide by 10 feet. Every model is motorized with a wireless remote and custom manufactured to the inch.
Can a retractable deck awning span a large deck without posts?
Yes. The Sunesta Model reaches widths up to 40 feet and projects up to 14 feet 8 inches with no front support legs, so a single clean span can shade a large deck, common on suburban homes in Plymouth, Woodbury, and Maple Grove, without any posts in your view or on the deck surface. For elevated walkout and second-story decks, the leg-free design is the main reason homeowners choose Sunesta over a fixed cover.
Is a retractable deck awning a good choice for a Minnesota lake home?
It is, and the retracting is the reason. A retractable deck awning on a lake-home deck around Lake Minnetonka or Gull Lake extends shade on demand when the sun reflects off the water, then pulls back into its housing when a storm rolls in or the season turns, so it is not carrying snow load like a fixed patio cover. All three Sunesta models are motorized with a wireless remote and are American-built in Jacksonville, Florida.
Can you add a screen to a retractable awning?
Yes. Sunesta offers a motorized front-drop screen called SmartDrop that mounts to the front bar of any of the three awning models. It can be added when the awning is first installed or retrofitted to an existing Sunesta awning later. SmartDrop lowers a vertical fabric screen from the leading edge to block the low-angle morning and evening sun a top-only awning misses, and it runs on the same wireless remote as the main awning. For side-wall and full-enclosure coverage, a separate Sentry retractable screen can be paired with the awning.
What is a retractable awning with a drop screen?
It is a standard retractable awning fitted with the SmartDrop front-drop valance. The awning shades from overhead, and the drop screen extends straight down from the front bar to cut direct east or west sun during sunrise and sunset. This is the right setup for homes with strong low-angle exposure, where glare slides in under the front of a top-only awning. Both the awning and the drop screen are motorized and controlled from one wireless remote.
Do SmartDrop and Sentry work with all three Sunesta models?
SmartDrop is a front-drop add-on for any of the three Sunesta awning models: the Sunesta Model, the Sunstyle Model, and the Sunlight Model. The Sentry by Sunesta is a separate retractable screen system that runs on its own integrated track, so it works alongside any awning to seal the sides of a patio, deck, or porch. Our Sunesta Certified Installers will confirm the right combination for your opening during a free in-home estimate.
Call 612-688-7929 for a free in-home retractable awning estimate.