From May through October the valley runs hot enough that most covered patios are usable only before nine in the morning and after the sun drops. A motorized outdoor shade changes that — it rolls down, blocks the afternoon heat and glare, and turns a baking patio into a place you'll actually use. We design them, build them, and install them ourselves. No middlemen, no wholesalers. The motor and fabric both carry a 20-year warranty. Nobody else offers that.
Most covered patios in the Coachella Valley have open sides. Great concept — until mid-May, when the afternoon sun comes in low and west-facing and turns the space into an oven. A motorized outdoor patio shade, or retractable patio shade with side tracks, closes off those open sides. Push a button and it rolls down from the top of the opening — blocking the heat and glare and making the patio actually usable past noon. Push it again and it disappears back into the housing overhead. No cranking, no hooks, no taking anything off the wall.
The motor is what separates outdoor shades people actually use from the ones that stay rolled up all summer. Ours run on the Maverick — Apollo's own motor. Remote, wall switch, or your phone. Quiet, and it stops exactly where you tell it. Every other company's motor warranty tops out at five to seven years. Ours is 20.
A shade that flaps in the wind is a liability, not a shade. The Coachella Valley gets enough afternoon wind — and seasonal gusts that come through the San Gorgonio Pass — to turn a free-hanging outdoor shade into a flapping mess. Side tracks lock both edges of the fabric into a channel so the shade stays flat, stays put, and keeps working when the wind picks up across the valley.
The fabric runs inside vertical aluminum channels bolted to each side of the opening. Captured the full height. No slack. No edge for the wind to catch. The shade moves smoothly and stops flat — whether it's calm or gusting at 30 mph. When fully lowered it seals against the track frame on both sides. No gaps. No light leaking around the edges. Just a clean, flat wall of shade.
From June through September the Coachella Valley runs at 110°F-plus on a normal afternoon. There's no ocean breeze, no tree cover to speak of, and the sun is direct and relentless from about ten in the morning until after six. A covered patio with open sides barely takes the edge off — the radiant heat coming up off the concrete and the direct sun cutting in horizontally make the space uncomfortable long before it gets hot enough to drive anyone inside.
Outdoor patio shades close off the open sides and stop the sun before it reaches you. The solar mesh blocks the UV and cuts the heat while still letting air move — even desert air is more bearable when the direct sun is blocked. The temperature difference on the shaded side of the fabric is immediate. Drop the shade on the west side and you'll feel it within ten minutes.
The fabric is warrantied for 20 years. Not 5, not 7 — twenty. Because it's designed to live outdoors in Coachella Valley sun, not fade out and sag in three seasons.
Most shade companies warrant the motor for 5 years and the fabric for 7. We cover both for 20. That's not a marketing line — it's in writing, and we can stand behind it because we build the product ourselves.
Apollo's proprietary motor system. We designed it. We warrant it. For 20 years.
Premium exterior-grade solar mesh. Rated for desert UV, extreme heat, and wind. Warranted for 20 years because we stand behind what we build.
We build it. We ship it. We install it. No distributors, no middlemen, no franchise. What you order is what we make — for you, to your measurements.
Apollo manufactures its own screens in-house. We don't buy product from a wholesaler and resell it. We source our own components, build to your order after we take your measurements, and ship straight to our installation crew.
That's how we can offer 20 years. A company that doesn't control its own product can't make that promise. We can.
In most of the Coachella Valley a backyard wall maxes out at six feet. In walled communities that's often enough — but on open lots, or where neighbors have a two-story addition overlooking your patio, the sightlines are more open than you'd expect. Outdoor patio shades pull down and close that off when you want it closed, without a permit, without a contractor, and without permanently blocking your view. Down for privacy and shade, up when you want the open patio back.
The fabric keeps people from seeing in but still lets the air through, so you're not trading privacy for a stuffy patio. Lower them when you want to be left alone, raise them when you want the open yard back. Takes about three seconds.
There are a few ways to shade a patio in the Coachella Valley. Here's how motorized outdoor patio shades with side tracks stack up against the alternatives.
| Feature | Apollo Outdoor Patio Shades | Fixed Screen Enclosure | Shade Sail | Manual Roll Shades |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motorized one-button operation | ✓ Standard | None | None | Manual only |
| Side-track guided system | ✓ Standard | ✓ Framed | No tracks | No tracks |
| Retracts completely out of sight | ✓ Fully | Permanent structure | Manual removal | Manual only |
| Custom-built to your opening | ✓ Every unit | ✓ Custom | Standard sizes | Standard sizes |
| Privacy + sun block in one | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Overhead only | Partial |
| Local Coachella Valley installation team | ✓ Coachella Valley-based | Varies | Self-install | Self-install |
| 20-year motor & fabric warranty | ✓ Yes | N/A | N/A | N/A |
We handle everything from measurement to motor wiring. You don't coordinate a thing.
We come out to your property anywhere across the Coachella Valley — Palm Desert, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City, Indian Wells, Indio, Desert Hot Springs, Palm Springs, Thousand Palms, and the surrounding communities. We measure every opening, show you fabric and color options in person, and walk you through it. About 45 minutes, no obligation.
Your outdoor patio shades are built to your exact dimensions — width, height, fabric openness rating, frame color, motor type, and control preference. Nothing off the shelf.
Our Coachella Valley-based crew handles mounting, track installation, motor wiring, and control setup. Most single-opening jobs take a few hours. We do a full walkthrough before we leave so you know exactly how everything works.
Powder-coated aluminum frames in white, bronze, black, and custom colors. Solar mesh fabric in multiple openness ratings and tones. We bring samples to your consultation so you can see them in your actual space before committing.
"Got outdoor patio shades on the west side of the covered patio — the side that gets blasted from about two in the afternoon on. Drop it down and the patio is completely usable. The difference is unbelievable. Motor works from my phone and the side tracks hold everything flat even when the wind comes up across the valley."
"We use the place mostly in the mornings but wanted to be able to sit outside in the evenings without the glare off the pool deck. The darker mesh cuts it completely. Can still see out but the heat stays out. Crew showed up on time, clean install, no complaints."
"Called on a Thursday, had someone out the next week for measurements, shades were in not long after. Easy to deal with from start to finish and the finished product looks great. If you're dealing with a hot patio anywhere in the valley, these are your people."
Free estimate, no obligation. We come out, measure your openings, show you samples, and give you a real number. Takes about 45 minutes.
Tell us about your project. We'll follow up within the hour with real numbers — not a ballpark. No runaround.
Not a voicemail, not a queue. When you call or text, you reach our Coachella Valley team — the same people who will come to your home and do the install.
Prefer to start online? Fill out the form above and we'll get back to you fast with real numbers.
Serving the Coachella Valley
Outdoor Patio Shade & Screen Installation — Areas We Serve
Palm Desert · La Quinta · Rancho Mirage · Cathedral City · Indian Wells · Indio · Coachella · Desert Hot Springs · Palm Springs · Thousand Palms · Bermuda Dunes · Sun City Palm Desert · Thermal · Desert Palms · and surrounding Coachella Valley communities
