Frequently Asked Questions
It’s a fairly wide range, actually, from about $40/SF up to $100/SF. The biggest driver of price is material thickness, and after that, it’s about quantity and repeatability. The more of the exact same thing you buy (think 100 of the exact same panel) the lower the price/SF. If you order 100 unique panels, then you should expect the $/SF to be on the higher side.
It all depends on what you’re comparing it to. When you buy Parasoleil, you’re getting WAY more than just panels. Consider the following inclusions in that price:
- Project design guidance and coordination with all project players from inception through installation
- Soup to Nuts – design, engineering, manufacturing, finishing, crating, delivery
- Complete set of Shop Drawings and installation instruction
- Panel layout
- Panel deflection and stress engineering values for your unique configuration
- Industry Leading Product Warranty
- Access to our pattern and design experts – Team ALFA
- Vast expertise in this very specific product category
- 3rd party certified manufacturing process – IAPMO UES Certification
Nope! All our standard patterns are priced exactly the same, so you don’t have to give up on your favorite pattern because it’s more expensive. Let your design intent and desire to incorporate impactful art drive your decision.
It only takes us 6 weeks to make the panels and about a week to deliver them anywhere in the continental U.S. The most time-intensive part of the process is usually the design phase, and that can take anywhere from 1 week to 1 year. When your project requires field dimensions in order to finalize the panel dimensions then the real driver of that timeline is how fast you can get accurate field dimensions. In most projects, we suggest you plan for the whole process (from deposit-money down to receiving the panels) to take at least 12 weeks.
Once the shop drawings have been completed and approved, we can expedite your order through production and shave off one to two weeks. It costs extra, but if you’re game, we can make it happen.
Our panels can be in any shape or size that can be cut out of a 5’x10’ rectangle. We make panels in 1/8”, 3/16”, and 1/4” thick aluminum. Most commonly we encourage designers to work with 3’, 4’, or 5’ wide panels (nominal size) as those widths are readily available and provide the most cost-effective solutions. Start your project with a 4’x8’ panel module, and see how far that can get you.
Absolutely – that is truly our specialty. We do custom patterns, custom finishes, custom shaped panels, custom structure, custom fastening, custom hardware, custom bends and panel rolls, even custom screw head colors. Keep in mind, every bit of customization adds lead time and cost, but if it’s what your project needs, then we’ll work with you to figure it out, or introduce you to one of our trusted partners who can help.
It depends on a lot of things, but the primary variables that drive this decision are the following.
- What kind of wind loads and/or snow loads do you need to design to?
- How much visual deflection are you comfortable with seeing?
- Do you have any flexibility to change your support spacing?
Armed with the answers to these questions, we can tell you exactly what thickness your project will require! As a rule of thumb, our 3/16” aluminum is our real “work horse” thickness that works well for a lot of different types of projects. 1/8” is our most economical, but requires more support considerations, and the 1/4” thickness can do the real heavy lifting when supports are spaced further apart, or significant weather/loading conditions are at play.
In many cases we can provide the structure too! We make some of the structural elements ourselves, like screen posts for example, and we have a network of very talented and trustworthy partners who can make all the structure elements that we don’t.
There are a few reasons you would need engineering information for your panels, some that are driven by building code requirements, and some that are really about the overall look and feel of the installation.
First, if your panels are attached to a building, you’ll likely have a building code official asking for engineering values on the panels. They’ll be concerned about material stress and deflection for the project windspeeds – and if you can’t provide them with engineering calculations, your project may be delayed while this gets sorted out.
Second, you’ll want “calcs” if your panels need to pass a specific local or national building code requirement. Think high wind/snow regions or municipal/institutional projects that often come with an extra layer of oversight. No calcs, no permit, big problem.
Third, even if you can slip under the radar from a compliance standpoint, it’s pretty important to know how your panels are going to perform under the given loads, wind, snow or just people. Engineering calcs can give you the peace of mind you need to specify and stick with Parasoleil panels for your installation.
Sure can. We have finish chips to represent our one-of-a-kind Patina Powdercoat finishes, we have 8”x8” material samples to showcase the laser cut edge quality and demonstrate the thickness of the aluminum, and we also have 14”x24” paper posters of croppings from every single pattern so you can get a sense of the real scale of each pattern. If your project requires a custom sample, such as a submittal for owner approval, we can discuss price and lead time depending on where you are located, how large of a sample you need, and when you need it. Contact us if you'd like to request samples.
Sometimes. Our Patina Powdercoat finishing process does not translate from large flat surfaces (panels) to 3-dimensional objects (posts or brackets). However, we have hand-selected three frame and hardware finishes, Graftone, Nimbus, and Raven, to compliment every single powdercoat that we have developed. These finishes have been intentionally selected to coordinate with the panel finish and highlight its unique palette and texture.
Adequately supporting your panels is critical. To give you the most options, start with 24” o.c. spacing. If you want to space them out further, you can go with 30” or even 48”, but the wider you space them, the thicker the panel you’ll need to purchase (so the panel doesn’t bend as much). Hint: adding purlins so you can use a thinner panel material is much more cost effective than using a thicker panel and designing wider spans.
Sorry, we don’t sell pieces of our product like that, only the finished product itself! Our process is just as important as the elemental parts, so it doesn’t exactly work to have one without the other.
We do! Head on over to our work page and zoom in on your city. You can see what’s nearby that is publicly accessible to go check out in-person! We have installations in almost every single state and many of the Caribbean islands too.