Aluminium roofs with glass or polycarbonate panels that slide along guide rails: you extend them when it rains or turns cool and retract them to leave your terrace open to the sky. We make them to measure and install them across the province of Cádiz from our base in El Puerto de Santa María.
Short answer: a retractable roof is an aluminium roof with glass or polycarbonate panels that slide along guide rails. Extended, it keeps the rain off your terrace without taking away the light; retracted, it leaves the terrace open to the sky. It is moved by hand or by motor. It costs between €250 and €650/m² installed, plus VAT: between €3,750 and €9,750 for a 15 m² terrace.
It is a powder-coated aluminium structure with slightly sloping guide rails along which the roof panels run. When you open it, the panels slide back and, on most standard models, stack up at one end; when you close it, they extend until they cover the terrace. It is also known as a sliding roof or a movable roof.
Three things worth knowing:
It is made to measure for your terrace and powder-coated in any RAL colour. It is usually attached to the façade; depending on the system, it can also stand on its own posts.
It suits porches where a solid roof would darken the living room, penthouses where you want to dine in the open air in August and under cover in November, and restaurant terraces that want to keep serving even when it rains.
Glass, polycarbonate or sandwich panel. The roofing determines the light, the heat, the noise of the rain and much of the price.
Safety glass panels, of the type and thickness the manufacturer specifies for each size. It lets in the most light, you see the sky as if through a window, and it scratches less than plastic. It sits at the upper end of the price range and, in the summer sun, it needs sun protection or has to be opened.
Request a quoteLightweight sheets that need less structure and keep the price at the lower end. They come in clear and opal versions; the opal ones filter out more sun. In a downpour it is noisier than glass and, depending on its quality and UV protection, it can lose transparency over the years.
Request a quoteOpaque panels with an insulating core: they give complete shade, keep out the heat and muffle the sound of the rain. On the other hand, when it is closed no light comes in from above, and it is heavier than the other types of roofing. It depends on the system: during the visit we'll tell you whether it suits your terrace.
Request a quoteYes, and it can also be fitted with sensors, LED lighting and sun protection. If they are planned in when it is made, the cables and mechanisms stay hidden.
Open and close the panels with a remote control and, depending on the system, from your phone. A roof that is hard to move always ends up stuck in the same position; with a motor, you'll open it every summer evening.
The rain sensor closes the roof when it starts to rain; the wind sensor moves it to the position the manufacturer specifies when the wind blows hard. They work even when you're not at home.
Dimmable light strips in the profiles or around the edge, so you can use the terrace at night. It is best decided at the manufacturing stage, so that the wiring runs inside.
An awning or blind under the roof filters the sun without leaving you in the dark. It has to work with the way the panels move, so it is chosen together with the roof. Take a look at our sun protection for roofs.
Yes, if you also enclose the sides. The roof covers the top, but wind and wind-driven rain come in from the sides. With frameless glass curtains around the edge, the terrace becomes a glazed room that opens at the top and at the sides.
The folding ONE curtain is the most common choice; for large openings, there is the stacking BIG. It can be done in stages if the roof is designed from the outset to take the curtains.
Bear in mind, though, that the curtains keep out wind and rain but do not insulate like a window: for that, you need aluminium enclosures.
A retractable roof costs between €250 and €650/m², with installation included and VAT on top, based on 2026 market ranges. Polycarbonate sits at the lower end and glass at the upper end; a motor and automation also push the price up.
| Option | Guide price | Example: 3 x 5 m (15 m²) |
|---|---|---|
| Retractable roof | €250 – €650/m² | €3,750 – €9,750 |
| Fixed aluminium roof | €120 – €300/m² | €1,800 – €4,500 |
| Fixed aluminium pergola | €90 – €300/m² | €1,350 – €4,500 |
| Bioclimatic pergola, depending on specification | €350 – €1,100/m² | €5,250 – €16,500 |
The square metres refer to the covered area: 3 x 5 m is 15 m². Glass curtains for the sides are extra; a folding curtain costs between €250 and €400/m² of enclosed front.
You'll find more ranges in our guide prices; the exact price comes after measuring, in writing and free of charge.
It depends on whether you need to open the roof and whether your terrace gets too much sun or too little light. Only a retractable roof gives you light with the roof closed and open sky when you retract it.
| Option | Does it open? | Light with the roof closed | Guide price | Suits you if… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retractable roof | Yes, the panels retract | Yes, with glass or polycarbonate | €250 – €650/m² | You want light and the option of opening up to the sky |
| Fixed roof | No | Yes, with glass or polycarbonate | €120 – €300/m² | The terrace will be covered nearly all the time |
| Bioclimatic pergola | The louvres tilt but don't retract | No, the louvres are opaque | €350 – €1,100/m² | You get too much sun and heat |
| Fixed aluminium pergola | No | Depending on the roofing | €90 – €300/m² | You want shade or to cover a porch on a small budget |
If you are never going to open it, don't pay for a roof that moves: a fixed one costs less and needs less maintenance. And if you are weighing it up against a bioclimatic pergola, we compare the two in depth, with examples for each orientation, in our guide to choosing a retractable roof or bioclimatic pergola (in Spanish).
You almost always need some form of council approval. In Andalusia it is usually a declaración responsable (self-declaration) or a minor works licence, depending on each town hall's bylaws, the size of the roof and where it is fitted. A roof that can be left closed, especially one with glazed sides, is not always treated like an open pergola.
In a block of flats you also need the agreement of the community of owners, because the roof changes the façade; on a penthouse, that is the first thing to sort out. For a bar terrace on a public street, the council's terrace bylaw also applies.
Along with the quote, we give you the technical description that the town hall usually asks for. We explain it all in our guide to permission for enclosing a terrace in Andalusia and enclosing a terrace in a block of flats.
Ready for the levante, the salt air and the autumn rains, which matter more on a retractable roof than on a fixed one because it has moving parts.
And the sun: facing south or west, a glass roof needs sun protection or opening during the hottest hours. To make it last, rinse the rails, profiles and roofing with fresh water after a storm and clear leaves and sand out of the gutter. There's more in our article on how to protect your terrace from the levante.
We install retractable roofs in El Puerto de Santa María, where we are based, and in Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz, Chiclana, Puerto Real, San Fernando, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Rota and Chipiona as well as the rest of the province, with our own measuring and installation team and more than 25 years' experience.
We start with a free, no-obligation site visit: we measure up, look at the orientation, the wind, where to anchor and where the water will drain, and suggest the roof that makes sense, or tell you if a fixed roof or a pergola would suit you better. You get a written, itemised quote and a reply within 24 working hours, also by WhatsApp on +34 665 26 11 55.
A retractable roof costs between €250 and €650/m² installed, plus VAT, so one measuring 3 x 5 m (15 m²) comes to between €3,750 and €9,750. Polycarbonate sits at the lower end of the range and glass at the upper end; the motor, the sensors and the size account for the rest. See our guide prices.
Glass gives more light, scratches less and is quieter in the rain, but it costs more and is heavier. Polycarbonate is lighter and more affordable, although it is noisier in a downpour and, depending on its quality, can lose transparency over the years. Facing south or west, both need sun protection.
It depends on the system. When extended, it keeps the rain off and carries the water into the gutter, but there are joints between the moving panels, and in heavy wind-driven rain some models may let the odd drop through. If you need it to be completely watertight, ask about the specific system or consider a fixed roof. We look at this during the visit.
Leave it in the position your system's manufacturer specifies, usually closed; with a wind sensor it does this by itself, even when you're not at home. To stop the wind getting in at the sides, enclose the exposed sides with glass curtains. On penthouses and seafront properties, the anchoring is reinforced. There's more in our article on how to protect your terrace from the levante.
Yes, if you leave it closed in the sun: glass lets through the heat as well as the light. The usual approach is to open it during the sunniest hours or add an awning or blind that works with the way the panels move. In winter, that same sun takes the chill off the terrace. Take a look at our sun protection for roofs.
Not much, but regularly: clear sand and leaves from the guide rails so that the panels run smoothly, rinse the profiles and roofing with fresh water, especially after a levante storm, and check the seals, gutter and motor from time to time. No abrasive products on the glass, the polycarbonate or the coating.
We reply within 24 working hours. Free site visit and measuring anywhere in the province of Cádiz.
Free, no-obligation quote anywhere in the province of Cádiz.