Balcony half parasol: depth, soffit and your lease
Updated: 22.10.2026
A balcony half parasol is a freestanding canopy for a short floor, often with a soffit overhead. You need enough depth for a path to the door, and a pole that stops before that soffit. If the shade has to be screwed to the wall, you have left parasols and started an alteration. The [Half parasol comparison](/hub/sun-shades/half-parasol) lists the canopies. This page is the space. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. This is from the Products Compared editorial team, from the listings and public UK planning notes, not from a visit to your block.
A balcony half parasol is a freestanding canopy for a short floor, often with a soffit overhead. You need enough depth for a path to the door, and a pole that stops before that soffit.
A balcony half parasol is a freestanding canopy for a short floor, often with a soffit overhead. You need enough depth for a path to the door, and a pole that stops before that soffit. If the shade has to be screwed to the wall, you have left parasols and started an alteration. The Half parasol comparison lists the canopies. This page is the space. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. This is from the Products Compared editorial team, from the listings and public UK planning notes, not from a visit to your block.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Straight edge | Depth | Stated use | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  EASYmaxx EASYmaxx 09036 half-round | 262 cm is the first dimension; axis not labelled | 137 cm is the second dimension; not labelled as depth | Small balconies and terraces, alongside a wall | 7.7 | about £181.76 | View offer |
 Pure Garden Pure Garden 9 ft half round | 108 in (9 ft) on the bullet width | 52 in; 132.1 cm on the dimensions line | Balcony, porch, patio, deck | 8.2 | about £56.06 | View offer | |
| Preis-Tipp |  Angel Living Angel Living 270 cm half round | 270 cm (bullet also 265 x 132) | 132 on the bullet; unit not printed on that pair | Garden, patio, balcony | 7.2 | about £39.95 | View offer |
On this page
Depth and the straight edge
Most half canopies in the shops we read are about 2.5–2.7 m along the wall and about 1.3–1.4 m deep. Christow prints 2.7 m with a depth of 1.36 m. On a 1.5 m slab that leaves a thin strip.
Angel Living's bullet is 265 x 132, with no unit beside that pair. Pure Garden's short side is 52 in, 132.1 cm, against a 108 in edge. EASYmaxx prints 262 x 137 x 236 cm without labelling depth. Garden Friend prints 2.7 m and no depth. The 2.7 m is the run along the rail, not the reach to the door. Straight edge versus depth is the half parasol buying guide.
Height you cannot change
Measure from the floor to the lowest beam above the pole, and include the base. If that clear height is shorter than the mast, the canopy does not fit. Angel Living is about 238 cm, and UK reviews say you cannot alter it. EASYmaxx prints 236 cm and height 2.7 m in the title. Pure Garden's bullet is 92 in, 234 cm on the other line. Garden Friend prints no height.
Do not cut the pole. If the closed canopy already meets the beam, opening it will not help. The sequence, once it fits, is on the how to put up a half parasol page.
Wind on a balcony
Wind between buildings can be stronger than a forecast for open ground. Poggesi, writing about their own umbrellas, says a roof terrace is not a courtyard and that a Beaufort number is not a guarantee. None of our four prints a Beaufort figure. If you would not sit out, close the cloth. A vent is not permission to leave it up. Angel Living says close it in rain and wind. Angel Living also asks for a half-round base of at least 15 kg, which is covered on the half parasol base and wind page. The Met Office says secure garden furniture so it cannot hit glass.
Parasol or a fitting on the building
A parasol in a base is furniture. You can move it. Bolting a shade to the wall, soffit, or railing is an alteration. Greater Cambridge says flats and maisonettes do not have householder permitted-development rights for exterior shading. Changing the facade needs freeholder consent and planning permission. GOV.UK's householder guidance is for houses, not flats.
Waltham Forest says a new awning or canopy generally needs a full application, and a like-for-like replacement may not. Royal Greenwich says the same sort of thing. That is two councils, not every borough. Do not read it as always or never. A freestanding parasol is not that bolted awning. Leaseholders also need written landlord consent to alter retained parts, including external walls, which is the Leasehold Advisory Service position. Drilling a railing is that kind of change. On a listed building or in a conservation area, use the freeholder's contractor.
Common questions
Will a 2.7 m half parasol fit a small balcony?
The 2.7 m is the edge along the rail. You also need about 1.3–1.4 m of floor. Christow's 1.36 m and Pure Garden's 52 in are the examples. If the rail is shorter than 2.7 m, look at a shorter canopy such as the Hartman Catalan, about 2.3 m, which is not in our table.
How do I measure the soffit?
Measure from the floor to the lowest beam above the pole, then allow for the base. Compare that with about 238 cm for Angel Living, 92 in for Pure Garden, and 236 cm on the EASYmaxx dimensions line. If the title prints a taller height as well, trust the space you measured.
Can I shorten the pole?
No. Reviews of Angel Living and EASYmaxx say the height is not adjustable. Cutting the mast modifies the frame. If it already meets the soffit while closed, choose a shorter parasol.
Is a parasol the same as an awning for planning?
A parasol in a base is movable furniture. A fixed awning is what Waltham Forest and Royal Greenwich discuss as an application, with a possible exception for like-for-like replacement. Councils differ. Flats do not have householder permitted-development rights for exterior changes.
I am a leaseholder. Can I drill the railing?
Not on your own say-so. Written landlord consent is required for alterations to retained parts, including external walls. A half-round base does not need a hole. If the freeholder wants their contractor, stop.
Is a high balcony windier than the forecast?
It can be. A roof terrace is not a courtyard, which is Poggesi's point about their own umbrellas. None of our listings prints a wind rating. Close the canopy when you leave. Base weight is a separate page.
What if the shade must be fixed to the wall?
Then it is an alteration, not a half parasol in a base. On a flat, expect freeholder consent and a planning conversation. Listed buildings and conservation areas are a reason to use the freeholder's contractor.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Updated 22.10.2026.
- GOV.UK ultraviolet radiation FAQ (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Which? faulty product advice (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Met Office Beaufort scale (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Greater Cambridge external shading (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- BSI BS EN 581-1:2017 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Brollies and Parasols usage guidance (retrieved 22.10.2026)