Concave Awning
Curves upward toward the building, creating a canopy-like ceiling underneath. Popular for restaurant entrances and retail storefronts where shelter depth matters.
Restaurants · Retail
A commercial awning is a structure attached to the exterior of a building that extends outward over a doorway, window, or storefront opening. Awnings serve two purposes at once: they shelter customers from rain and sun, and they display your business name and branding in a format visible to foot and vehicle traffic passing your location.
For Chicago storefronts, a well-installed awning is a long-term investment. The city's combination of winter cold, summer heat, and lake wind means material selection and mounting hardware need to be specified correctly from the start. A poorly specified awning deteriorates within a few seasons. A correctly specified one lasts a decade or more.
Pro-Care Sign fabricates a full range of commercial awning configurations for restaurants, retail, offices, and hospitality.
Curves upward toward the building, creating a canopy-like ceiling underneath. Popular for restaurant entrances and retail storefronts where shelter depth matters.
Restaurants · RetailFlat panel projecting outward at a downward angle. Clean, modern appearance. Common for office buildings and professional service storefronts.
Offices · ServicesCurves outward away from the building. More visual presence from a distance. Used where brand visibility from the street is the primary goal.
Street visibilityRounded shape covering a single entrance point. Strong visual presence. Common for boutiques, salons, and hotel entries.
Boutiques · HotelsIlluminated awning with a raised upper section. Logo or business name is lit from behind for visibility at night.
Night visibilityIlluminated panel built into the awning frame. Light shines through printed vinyl. Effective for businesses that trade in the evening or have limited storefront lighting.
Evening retailFull-width canopy spanning the building facade with angled end panels. Provides maximum customer coverage along a wide storefront.
Wide facadesPeaked canopy over a primary entrance. Architectural look used on banks, office buildings, and hospitality properties.
Banks · HospitalityCurved canopy at entry points. Softer aesthetic, common in healthcare, hospitality, and high-end retail environments.
Healthcare · RetailThe choice between illuminated and non-illuminated comes down to when and how your business is seen from the street.
Business name and graphics are printed directly onto the awning fabric or vinyl. Visible during daylight. The most common and cost-effective option for businesses operating standard daytime hours.
Daytime operationsAn internal light source shines through a printed vinyl panel built into the awning structure. Business name and logo glow at night. Suited to restaurants, bars, late-hours retail, and any storefront where visibility after dark matters.
After-dark visibilityGooseneck or wall-mounted fixtures direct light downward onto the awning face or sidewalk. Does not illuminate the awning from inside, but increases nighttime visibility and provides safety lighting for customers approaching your entrance.
Gooseneck fixturesIlluminated awnings require an electrical permit in Chicago. Pro-Care Sign is a licensed electrical contractor in Illinois and handles all electrical work and permit applications for illuminated awning installations.
The two primary material categories for commercial awnings in Chicago are vinyl and canvas.
Tear-resistant, fully waterproof, and holds printed graphics with high color accuracy. Requires less maintenance than canvas and performs consistently through Chicago's wet winters and humid summers.
More traditional aesthetic. Good UV resistance but requires regular cleaning to prevent mold and mildew accumulation, particularly in Chicago's shoulder seasons. Shorter lifespan than vinyl under heavy weather exposure.
Pro-Care Sign works primarily with Sunbrella canvas for fabric awnings. Final material selection is made at our discretion based on the project type and application.
Pro-Care Sign has designed, fabricated, and installed commercial awnings for businesses across the Chicago area, including a custom awning installation for T-Mobile and Smoothie King, along with additional projects for other regional and national businesses. Every installation follows the same permitting and fabrication process regardless of project scale.
Pro-Care Sign visits the location to measure the opening, assess the building facade and mounting conditions, and document applicable sign criteria from the landlord or property management.
A scaled rendering shows the awning on your building with your branding applied. This is submitted for your review and for landlord or building management approval where required.
Commercial awning installations in Chicago require a building permit. Illuminated awnings require an electrical permit in addition. Pro-Care Sign handles both as a licensed Illinois electrical contractor.
The awning frame and fabric or vinyl panels are fabricated to the approved specifications.
Installed by Pro-Care Sign technicians. All electrical connections for illuminated awnings are made by our licensed electricians.
From approved design to completed installation, a standard commercial awning project typically takes four to six weeks.
See your awning before it's built. Pro-Care produces a scaled rendering on your storefront, handles building and electrical permits, and installs with a licensed Illinois electrical crew.
Commercial awning installations in Chicago are subject to the City of Chicago sign ordinance and building code.
Pro-Care Sign's familiarity with Chicago permitting processes means these requirements are built into the project timeline from the beginning, not discovered partway through.
In addition to new installations, Pro-Care Sign repairs and re-covers existing awning frames.
Pro-Care Sign installs commercial awnings across Chicago's commercial neighborhoods and the surrounding suburbs. We work across the full range of commercial property types found in Chicago: dense pedestrian storefronts in neighborhoods like Wicker Park, Lincoln Square, Pilsen, and Andersonville, as well as strip malls, freestanding commercial buildings, and multi-tenant properties throughout the Northwest and North Shore suburbs.
Beyond Chicago, Pro-Care Sign fabricates and installs commercial awnings throughout the state of Illinois.
Commercial awning lifespan depends on material, installation quality, and maintenance. Vinyl awnings with properly specified mounting hardware typically last 7 to 10 years or longer in Chicago conditions. Canvas awnings have a shorter expected lifespan and require more regular maintenance, particularly cleaning to prevent mold and mildew. Either material benefits from periodic inspection of the frame and mounting hardware.
Yes. Commercial awning installations in Chicago require a building permit from the City of Chicago Department of Buildings. Illuminated awnings additionally require an electrical permit. Pro-Care Sign manages both permit applications as part of the standard installation process.
In most commercial lease arrangements, yes. Sign criteria in the lease typically govern allowable sign types, maximum dimensions, and mounting methods. Property management or a landlord sign committee must approve the design before fabrication begins. Pro-Care Sign submits scaled renderings for landlord approval as a standard step in the process.
In commercial signage, the terms are often used interchangeably. Technically, an awning projects from a wall over a specific opening (a door or window), while a canopy typically spans a wider entrance or building section and may be supported by posts or cables in addition to the wall. Pro-Care Sign fabricates both configurations.
Yes. In many cases, lighting can be retrofitted into an existing awning frame without full replacement. Pro-Care Sign can assess the existing structure during a site visit to confirm whether a retrofit is feasible.
Fixed commercial awnings remain in place year-round. The frame and fabric are specified to handle Chicago's temperature range, snow load, and wind conditions. Vinyl performs better than canvas under sustained cold and moisture. For any questions about whether an existing awning is weather-appropriate, Pro-Care Sign can assess the installation during a site visit.
Whether you're adding a new storefront awning, re-covering an existing frame, or lighting one for nighttime visibility, Pro-Care handles it across Chicago and throughout Illinois. Tell us what your storefront needs.
"Great company to work with. Very detailed, friendly, keeps their customer updated on all process. Great completion photos and willing to go above an beyond to get the job done. Thanks for all your hard work and dedication. Look forward to working with you all again in the future."
Dwayne Sowell"One of the best companies I've worked with. Always on time completion and over the top service. Highly recommend."
Auna Foote