Best Patio Cover Installation in Blenheim: 5 Outdoor Shade Specialists

Finding the best patio cover installation in Blenheim usually comes down to one choice: a fixed or opening aluminium louvre roof, a custom pergola canopy, or a fabric awning over the deck. The companies below design, engineer and install patio roofs, carport canopies, outdoor blinds and shade sails built for Marlborough sun, wind and rain, and most will measure and quote on site at no cost. Archgola Marlborough and Elite Louvres both work across Blenheim and the wider region.

1Archgola Marlborough

Archgola Marlborough is the local Archgola installer, based in Blenheim and covering Picton, the Marlborough Sounds, Havelock, Rai Valley, St Arnaud and Kaikoura. Sam Rentoul, a qualified builder, and Christie, a qualified interior designer, have owned and run the business since 2021, designing and installing custom canopies over decks, entranceways, carports and boats. It suits homeowners who want a purpose built canopy specified for the region’s high winds and UV exposure.

Services

• Gola Linear custom pergola canopies
• Gola Classic pergola canopies
• Carport, boat and caravan canopies
• Ziptrak outdoor blinds
• EziGuide outdoor blinds

Highlights

• Owned and operated since 2021 by a qualified builder and a qualified interior designer
• Ten year warranty on all Archgola canopies and pergolas
• New Zealand made products, manufactured for the local climate
• Free no obligation on site consultation and site assessment
• Online design tool for trying styles, sizes and colours before quoting

Location & Contact

Name: Archgola Marlborough
Address: Blenheim
Phone: 027 755 1287
Website: archgola.co.nz/marlborough

2Elite Louvres

Elite Louvres is the authorised Louvretec dealer for Blenheim and Marlborough, owned by Heath and Amy Sherrock and based in Richmond, near Nelson. Heath has been installing aluminium louvre systems since the early 2000s and project manages every job himself, working alongside the homeowner, builder or architect. The business publishes a Blenheim landline and suits anyone after a custom engineered opening roof rather than a fabric cover.

Services

• Louvretec opening roofs, custom designed and engineered per site
• Retractable roofs
• Sun louvre systems and aluminium shutters
• Slidetec frameless glass sliding doors
• Mesh and clear PVC outdoor blinds, plus outdoor heating and lighting

Highlights

• Integrated gutter system keeps the opening roof watertight, with blades adjusting up to 150 degrees
• Somfy motors on automated louvres, and ten or fifteen year warranties on the Dulux powder coating
• Supplied the opening roof on an InHaus Homes build that took the local Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast Supreme Award at the 2019 Registered Master Builder House of the Year Awards
• Free site measure and quotation at your home or building site, with an installed roof on view at the Motueka Golf Club

Location & Contact

Name: Elite Louvres Ltd
Address: Richmond, Nelson
Phone: 03 577 8833
Website: elitelouvres.co.nz

3Marlborough Glass and HomePlus Blenheim

Josh and Michelle Cody founded Marlborough Glass in Blenheim in 2013 and took on the HomePlus franchise three years later, running both from a factory at 44 Main Street beside their Novus auto glass branch. The HomePlus side carries the outdoor living range, including opening louvre roofs and awnings, installed by their own crew. It suits homeowners who would rather have the shade structure, the balustrade and the glazing handled by one local team.

Services

• Opening louvre roofs
• Awnings and outdoor blinds
• Glass balustrades for decks and patios
• Security screen doors and insect screens

Highlights

• Family owned by Josh and Michelle Cody, with the glass business founded in 2013 and HomePlus added three years later
• Factory and showroom at 44 Main Street, Blenheim, open Monday to Friday
• Work carried out by their own crew of experienced installers
• Every product custom made to the dimensions of the house, with a no obligation measure and quote

Location & Contact

Name: Marlborough Glass and HomePlus Blenheim
Address: 44 Main Street, Blenheim
Phone: 03 578 5374
Website: marlboroughglass.co.nz

4Shade Plus Marlborough and Nelson

Shade Plus is a shade and shelter company with its showroom and head office in Christchurch, whose Marlborough and Nelson territory is looked after by Doug Thynne on a Blenheim landline. The range runs from tensioned shade sails and fabric awnings through to retractable roof systems and outdoor screens, all custom made and installed. It is the option to look at when a fabric or retractable cover fits the space better than a fixed aluminium roof.

Services

• Retractable roofing systems
• Awnings and canopies
• Custom shade sails
• Outdoor blinds and screens
• Centre pole and cantilever umbrellas

Highlights

• Marlborough and Nelson enquiries handled directly by Doug Thynne
• More than 300 shade systems installed in schools and pre-schools around New Zealand
• Full after sales service, including repair, removal and restoration of sails

Location & Contact

Name: Shade Plus
Address: Marlborough
Phone: 03 577 5577
Website: shadeplus.co.nz

5TM Covers

TM Covers has been fabricating covers and shade since 1988, with its showroom in Nelson and workshops in Havelock and Blenheim answering a local 03 578 number. Alongside the marine, transport and rural work, the residential range covers fixed and retractable awnings, pergola shade and outdoor screens, designed, manufactured and installed in house. It suits a patio that needs a fabric cover, or shade fitted over a pergola that is already standing.

Services

• Fixed awning canopies
• Retractable awnings
• Pergola shade, including Waveshade and horizontal roller screens
• Ziptrak, wind up and manual roll up outdoor screens

Highlights

• Operating since 1988 across marine, transport, rural, commercial and residential work
• Workshops in Nelson, Havelock and Blenheim, with a separate Blenheim phone line
• Took the Supreme Award for overall excellence at the 2025 Advanced Textiles Association awards, along with awards for innovation and environmental work
• Member of the Advanced Textiles Association and SiteWise
• Showroom at 143 St Vincent Street, Nelson, where the shade range can be seen made up

Location & Contact

Name: TM Covers
Address: Blenheim
Phone: 03 578 3777
Website: tmcovers.co.nz

Patio Cover Installation in Blenheim at a Glance

How to Choose the Right Patio Cover Installation in Blenheim

• Decide on the cover type first. An opening louvre roof gives adjustable sun and rain control and costs the most, a fixed or retractable canopy is a middle option, and a shade sail or awning is the lightest and cheapest.
• Ask who does the installing. Some firms design and install with their own crew, others supply the product and pass the fixing to a contractor, which changes who carries the warranty.
• Check the structure has been engineered for Marlborough wind and UV, and ask what wind rating the frame and fabric are specified to.
• Confirm whether the job needs building consent before signing. Size, height and whether the cover is fixed to the house all change the answer.
• Get the warranty in writing and read what it covers. Powder coating, fabric, motors and workmanship are often warranted for different periods.

Frequently Asked Questions About Blenheim Patio Cover Installation

Do I need building consent for a patio cover in Blenheim?

It depends on the size of the structure, how it is fixed and whether a licensed building practitioner or chartered professional engineer is involved. Some small verandahs, porches and carports are exempt under Schedule 1 of the Building Act, and others are not. Check the exemption guidance at building.govt.nz and confirm with the Marlborough District Council before work starts, because the installer’s quote does not always include the consent.

What is the difference between a louvre roof and a fixed canopy?

A louvre or opening roof has aluminium blades that rotate, so you can open the roof for sun and close it for rain, usually with an integrated gutter carrying water away. A fixed canopy or pergola roof is a permanent solid cover. Louvre roofs cost more and need a stronger structure, but they give year round control of light and shelter.

How much does a patio cover cost in Blenheim?

None of the local installers publish fixed prices, because every cover is made to the dimensions of the site. Cost is driven by the span, whether the frame is free standing or attached to the house, the material, and whether the louvres or blinds are motorised. All of the companies listed here quote after a site measure, so getting two or three quotes on the same brief is the only reliable comparison.

Will a patio cover stand up to Marlborough wind?

It should, provided it has been specified for the site. Ask what wind zone the design has been engineered for, how the posts are fixed, and what the fabric or blade material is rated to. Wind is the usual reason a cheap imported kitset fails, and it is the main thing a custom engineered structure is designed around.

Can I add outdoor blinds or screens later?

Usually yes, and several installers plan for it. Ziptrak and similar track guided screens fit between the posts of an existing canopy or pergola and turn a covered patio into a space that can be closed off in wind or rain. If you think you may add them, say so at the quoting stage so the frame is set up to take the tracks.

How long does installation take?

The install itself is usually measured in days rather than weeks, but the lead time before it starts is the longer part, because the frame, blades or fabric are made to order after the site measure. Several Marlborough installers run a waiting list for site measures over spring and summer, so it pays to start the conversation before the season you want to use the space.

Do these companies cover Picton, Renwick and the Sounds?

Most of them do. Archgola Marlborough names Picton, the Marlborough Sounds, Havelock, Rai Valley, St Arnaud and Kaikoura in its coverage area, and Shade Plus and TM Covers both run their Marlborough work alongside Nelson. Confirm travel when you book the measure, since some installers charge for sites well outside Blenheim.

What maintenance does a patio cover need?

Aluminium louvre and canopy systems mainly need the gutters and tracks kept clear and an occasional wash to protect the powder coating, which is what most powder coat warranties require. Fabric awnings, sails and screens need washing and should be retracted or removed in high wind. Several of the companies here offer an after sales service that covers cleaning, repair and refitting.