We design them, build them, and install them. No middlemen, no wholesalers — one company from measurement to done. We warranty the motor and fabric for 20 years. Nobody else does that. Motorized, side-track guided, custom-built to your exact opening. Your patio stops being a sun oven and starts being a room.
Push a button. Your patio goes from a sun-blasted oven to a usable outdoor room in under 20 seconds. Drop shades roll down from the top of the opening and cover the sides — blocking the afternoon sun, killing the glare, and shutting out the neighbors' sightlines. Push it again and they disappear back into the housing overhead. No folding, no hooking, no thinking about it.
The motor is what separates drop shades people use from drop shades people gave up on. Ours run on the Maverick motor — Apollo's own proprietary system. Remote, wall switch, or phone app. Works from across the yard, from the pool, from inside the house. Quiet operation. Stops exactly where you want it. And unlike every competitor who warranties their motor for 5 to 7 years, we warrant ours for 20.
A shade that flaps in the wind is a flag, not a shade. San Diego's coastal wind — especially the afternoon onshore flow — can turn a free-hanging shade into an embarrassment inside a week. Side tracks are how you fix that problem before it starts.
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.
San Diego summer means afternoon sun that comes in low and west-facing, turning your patio into a heat trap even when the air temperature seems manageable. The concrete and pavers hold heat long after the sun moves. A covered patio with open sides barely helps.
Drop shades close off the sides and stop the sun before it reaches you. The solar mesh fabric blocks UV and cuts glare while still letting air move. You can see out. The sun can't get in. The temperature difference on the other side of a lowered shade is immediate — you'll feel it in the first 10 minutes.
The fabric is warrantied for 20 years. Not 5, not 7 — twenty. Because it's designed to live outdoors in San Diego 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, 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.
San Diego fence heights cap at 6 feet in most residential zones. On compact lots — and there are a lot of them in North County and the coastal neighborhoods — that's barely enough to block sightlines from next door or from a two-story addition. Drop shades close that off without permits, without a contractor, and without permanently blocking your view of the yard.
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 San Diego patio. Here's how motorized drop shades with side tracks stack up against the alternatives.
| Feature | Apollo Drop 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 San Diego installation team | ✓ Escondido-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 to your property throughout San Diego County — Escondido, Carlsbad, Vista, San Marcos, Chula Vista, El Cajon, La Mesa, and surrounding communities. We measure every opening, show you fabric samples in person, and walk you through your options. Takes about 45 minutes. No obligation.
Your drop shades are built to your exact dimensions — width, height, fabric openness rating, frame color, motor type, and control preference. Nothing off the shelf.
Our Escondido-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 motorized patio shades on two sides of the pergola. The difference is night and day — we can actually use the patio in the afternoon now. Motor works perfectly and the side tracks keep everything flat even when the onshore breeze picks up. Apollo was easy to work with from start to finish."
"Finally did the motorized shades. Went with the darker mesh for privacy from the neighbors. It filters the sun but you can still see out from the inside. Looks way better than I expected and the motor is dead quiet. Really happy with how they came out."
"Called on a Monday, had someone out for measurements Thursday, shades were installed the following week. Fast turnaround, showed up on time, and they actually answered every time I called. If you're looking for patio shades in San Diego, 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 San Diego 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.
Come Visit Our Escondido Showroom!
Drop Shade & Motorized Patio Screen Installation — Areas We Serve
Escondido · San Marcos · Vista · Carlsbad · Oceanside · El Cajon · La Mesa · Santee · Chula Vista · National City · Poway · Ramona · Alpine · Lakeside · Spring Valley · Lemon Grove · Rancho San Diego · Bonita · Jamul · Del Mar · Encinitas · Solana Beach · Cardiff · San Ysidro · Coronado · Point Loma · Mission Hills · Mission Valley · Kearny Mesa · Mira Mesa · and surrounding San Diego County communities
