Moving to Haarlem or the Amsterdam region and trying to work out what to put above your terrace, in front of your south-facing windows or over your balcony? This page explains what is available in the Netherlands, what it typically costs, what the rules are in a Dutch city with a protected historic centre — and how we work.
The short version. Haak Zonwering has designed and fitted external sun shading in Haarlem since 1969. We make traditional Dutch markiezen in our own workshop, supply premium European systems from Stobag, Weinor, Erhardt and Somfy, and install everything with our own employed fitters. Advice, quotations and installation are available in English. Call +31 23 533 96 35 or request a quotation.
What we make and install
Dutch sun shading vocabulary does not always translate neatly, so here is the range in plain English. Each link opens the detailed Dutch product page — your browser will translate it, and we are happy to talk any of it through by phone.
Folding-arm awning
The classic retractable terrace awning, 2 to 7 m wide, manual or motorised.
Knikarmscherm →Markies
The traditional Dutch window awning. Made in our own Haarlem workshop, in any size or colour.
Markiezen →ZIP screen
Fabric screen held in a zipped side guide. Very wind-stable, blocks up to 90% of solar heat.
ZIP screens →Pergola awning
Fabric roof over the terrace with integrated drainage. Sun and rain, LED and heating optional.
Pergola →Free-standing shading
Louvered roofs and free-standing structures for gardens without a suitable wall.
Free-standing →Drop-arm awning
Compact window awning with an adjustable projection angle, up to 7.5 m wide.
Uitvalscherm →Conservatory shading
Shading for glass roofs and vertical glazing, inside or outside, motorised.
Serrezonwering →What it costs
Prices in the Dutch sun shading market vary widely, and cheap systems tend to be the ones that fail in the first serious storm. The figures below are honest indications including VAT and installation, so you can sanity-check any quotation you receive — from us or from anyone else.
| System | Typical range | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Folding-arm awning | from approx. € 900 | Width and projection, motor, wind sensor, cassette type, fabric |
| ZIP screen | € 800 – € 2,000 per window | Window size, fabric openness, motor, grouped control |
| Electric roller shutter | € 1,000 – € 2,500 per window | Window size, slat type, insulation level, built-in or surface-mounted |
| Markies | Quoted per project | Bespoke frame, bay-window shape, hardwood or aluminium, paint colour |
| Pergola awning | Quoted per project | Span, free-standing or wall-mounted, side walls, LED, heating |
Indications as at 2026, including 21% Dutch VAT and installation in the Haarlem region. Every quotation we issue is a fixed price after we have measured on site — no surprises afterwards.
What is different about a Dutch house
If you have moved here from elsewhere, a few things about shading in this region will be unfamiliar. These are the four that come up most often.
The protected city centre and listed buildings
Haarlem's historic centre is a beschermd stadsgezicht (protected townscape) and contains hundreds of listed buildings. For most homes shading is permit-free, but on a front facade in the centre or on a monument you may need an omgevingsvergunning from the municipality. We have worked in these streets for decades, we know what the city asks for, and we help prepare the application rather than leaving you to navigate it in Dutch.
1920s and 1930s houses with bay windows
Large parts of Haarlem — Kleverpark, the Bomenbuurt, Haarlem-Zuid — consist of pre-war houses with bay windows, divided panes and deep eaves. Off-the-shelf shading rarely fits these. A markies made to the shape of the bay is usually both the best-looking and the most practical answer, and we build those ourselves.
Wind from the North Sea
Haarlem is a few kilometres from the coast. On the west side of the city, on corners and on higher facades the wind is a real design factor, not a footnote. ZIP screens stay taut in their zipped guides where ordinary screens flap; for folding-arm awnings we fit a wind sensor that retracts the fabric automatically when you are out.
Apartments and the VvE
If you own an apartment, changes to the facade normally need approval from the Vereniging van Eigenaren — the owners association. We have supplied many VvE projects, can deliver several apartments in one uniform model and colour, and are used to providing the specifications a board needs before it signs off.
How it works
Get in touch
Call +31 23 533 96 35, email info@haakzonwering.nl or use the quotation form. Photographs and rough dimensions are enough to start. Please mention that you would like to be helped in English.
Advice, in the showroom or at your home
Come and see the systems working in our Haarlem showroom, or we visit you. We look at orientation, wind exposure, the facade and what the building allows.
Free measurement and a fixed-price quotation
We measure on site at no cost and issue a written quotation with a fixed price. On request we supply it in English.
Manufacture
Markiezen are built in our own workshop in Haarlem. Other systems are made to your measurements by our European suppliers — Stobag, Weinor, Erhardt — and motorised with Somfy.
Installation and handover
Our own employed fitters install and adjust the system, connect it to your smart home if you want that, clean up and take the old system away. Afterwards we handle servicing, repairs and re-covering from the same workshop.
Visiting the showroom
Our showroom on the Hendrik Figeeweg is one of the most extensive displays of external sun shading in the region: full-size folding-arm awnings, pergola systems, screens and markiezen you can operate yourself, plus a fabric library of more than 200 materials.
Haak Zonwering
Hendrik Figeeweg 13A, 2031 BJ Haarlem
Monday to Friday 09:00–17:00 · Saturday by appointment
+31 23 533 96 35 · info@haakzonwering.nl
Free parking directly in front of the building. The showroom is on the first floor and there is unfortunately no lift yet — if that is a problem for you, tell us and we will come to your home instead.
Where we work
We install throughout Haarlem and the surrounding municipalities, including the parts of the Amsterdam region with large international communities. Amstelveen in particular is a regular destination for us.
Not sure whether we come to you? Just ask.
Frequently asked questions
Do you speak English?
Yes. Our owners Tjeerd and Michiel van den Haak and our showroom staff advise in English, and we produce written quotations in English on request. Our fitters speak enough English to walk you through the installation and the operation of your system on the day.
Do I need a permit for an awning in Haarlem?
For most homes in Haarlem sun shading is permit-free. If you live in the protected city centre or in a listed building, shading on the front facade may require an omgevingsvergunning from the municipality. We have worked in the Haarlem city centre for decades, know what the municipality asks for and help you prepare the application.
What does an awning cost?
As an indication, including VAT and installation: a folding-arm terrace awning starts at roughly € 900 and a wide motorised system with wind sensor runs to several thousand euros. ZIP screens are typically € 800 to € 2,000 per window; electric roller shutters € 1,000 to € 2,500 per window. The final price depends on size, fabric, operation and the facade. We measure free of charge and quote a fixed price.
Can you install on an apartment or through a VvE?
Yes. We have extensive experience with Dutch owners associations. We can supply multiple apartments in one uniform colour and model, and we are used to providing the documentation a VvE board needs before approving facade changes.
Will the shading survive the wind near the coast?
Haarlem sits a few kilometres from the North Sea, so wind is a genuine design factor. ZIP screens are held in a zipped side guide and stay taut where ordinary screens flap. For folding-arm awnings we recommend a wind sensor that retracts the fabric automatically, also when you are not at home.
Do you also repair or re-cover existing awnings?
Yes. We have our own workshop in Haarlem for repairs, re-covering and servicing, including systems that were not originally supplied by us. Because the work is done in-house you are not waiting weeks for an external party.
Can the shading be connected to my smart home?
Yes. We motorise with Somfy as standard and connect to Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa or a KNX installation. We configure and test the integration during installation.
Are you renting rather than buying your home?
External shading is attached to the facade, so you will need your landlord's written permission before anything can be installed. We are happy to supply a specification and drawing you can send to them.
A note on our Dutch pages
The rest of this website is in Dutch, because almost all of our customers are. Every product page, price article and project story is there in full detail, and modern browsers and AI assistants translate them accurately. If you would rather have something explained directly, call us — that is usually faster than reading anyway.
Tell us about your terrace, window or balcony
A photograph, a few dimensions and your postcode are all we need to get started. We will come and measure free of charge, anywhere in the Haarlem region.