Awning & Canopy Tie Rods

Choose your brackets, enter the distance between the two mounting points, and decide on a turnbuckle. Our designer works out the rod, clevises, and pins, shows the system in 3D, and prices it in 1/2", 3/4", and 1" rods side by side before anything goes in your cart.

Measure either way: the diagonal distance between the mounting points, with the rod at 45°, or the horizontal and vertical distances between them for any other angle. Using your own brackets? Enter the distance between their pins instead. Each design is one tie rod with its two brackets, so set the quantity to the number of rods your awning needs.

Our standard tie rods are carbon steel: ASTM A108 1018 cold-finished rod, C-1035 steel clevises and turnbuckles, and brackets of A36 steel plate. Every part ships unfinished or in our matte black powder coat, a durable finish suited to outdoor awnings; add powder coating in the cart. Unfinished steel rusts unless you finish it. For coastal or very wet locations, we also galvanize by quote, which adds to the lead time, and every part, brackets included, is also available in 316 stainless steel by quote, in mill finish (not polished or brushed).

Shipping is free in the lower 48 states, except rods over 7 feet, which pay a long-item rate.

In the canopy trade, these are often called hanger rods or support rods: steel rods with adjustable ends and pins that hang a canopy from the building. Awning shops, canopy fabricators, and contractors can order just the hanger rods and brackets for a canopy they're building, priced online, or send us their drawings and we'll build to them.

We've shipped awning tie rods to customers in 42 states and Canada, from Michigan and California to Texas. Builders have hung the timber awnings on CAVA restaurants in League City, Texas; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Orlando, Florida, from our black steel tie rods. In League City the canopy hangs on ten 1/2" rods, and in Indianapolis on nine, each built to the builder's own bracket design, powder coated, and shipped in under three weeks. We supplied the builders, not CAVA. See awning tie rods at CAVA restaurants.

Custom work is priced like everything on our site, by the pounds of steel and inches of weld, with no charge for design. Request a quote and include your drawings.

How many tie rods does my awning need, and how far apart?

That depends on the canopy: its weight and length, how far it projects from the wall, and what the wall can carry. The number of rods and their spacing should come from your engineer, the canopy's maker, or another qualified professional, so we don't publish a rule of thumb. Once you know the count, order that many from the designer.

What angle should the rods be?

Many customers choose about 45°. At 45°, the wall bracket sits as far above the canopy as the canopy projects from the wall. Steeper rods pull less on the wall but need a wall bracket mounted much higher, while shallower rods sharply increase the forces.

It's also the most economical angle: for a given rod, 45° supports the most canopy for each foot of steel. The designer builds any angle you need, from the horizontal and vertical distances between the mounting points.

What rod diameter do I need?

That's part of the same engineering decision, so we don't size rods by awning depth. The designer prices 1/2", 3/4", and 1" rods side by side, and we make custom assemblies up to 2" in diameter. The rated capacities of our turnbuckles and clevises, and nominal values for the rods, are on our specifications page for your engineer.

How do I attach the brackets to brick, stucco, siding, or concrete?

Our brackets go on any wall: concrete, block, brick, stone, stucco, siding over framing, or timber. They take 1/4" fasteners as standard, and fasteners aren't included, so use ones made for your wall, such as masonry anchors in brick, block, or concrete, or lag screws into solid framing behind siding or stucco. Have your contractor or engineer confirm the attachment. Need a larger fastener? Tell us, and we can usually change the holes at no charge.

Do I need a turnbuckle?

Not always. A turnbuckle joins two rods and gives 6" of take-up, so you can tension and level the awning after it's up. Without one, the rod is one fixed length, with a little adjustment on each clevis's threads. A span that needs a rod longer than 20 feet needs a turnbuckle.

Are your tie rods stainless steel?

Our standard tie rods are carbon steel: unfinished, in matte black powder coat, or galvanized by quote. For coastal or very wet locations, every part, brackets included, is also available in 316 stainless steel by quote, in mill finish (not polished or brushed).

What do awning tie rods cost?

The designer shows the price as you enter your measurements, for all three rod diameters, before anything goes in your cart. The price depends on the rod's length and diameter, the brackets, and the turnbuckle; powder coating is added in the cart. Custom work is priced by the pounds of steel and inches of weld.

Can you match brackets I already have, or my architect's design?

Yes. Choose "My own brackets" in the designer and enter the distance between their pins, or send us drawings and we'll build to them.

Do you install?

No. We make and ship the parts; your builder or installer fits them.

Tie rod systems are architectural hardware and are not engineered or load-rated for a particular structure. Have a qualified engineer confirm that a system suits your building before relying on it to carry load.

More tie rods: all our architectural tie rods and tension rods, tie rods for walls and columns, steel collar ties for vaulted ceilings, and the tie rod, turnbuckle, and clevis specifications.