Shade pockets:
what has to be decided, and when

Recessed shade pockets are manufactured in fixed sizes, each rated to a maximum roll diameter. The pocket has to match the shade that eventually goes into it — not the other way round. That single fact governs the sequencing of the whole detail.

The order that works

Fabric choice drives roll diameter. A blackout fabric rolls thicker than a solar screen at the same width; a wide window rolls thicker than a narrow one. Roll diameter, plus the motor and headbox, gives the pocket dimension. So the honest sequence is: window schedule, then fabric intent, then shade type and motor, then pocket size, then ceiling and millwork framing.

What happens in practice is that the ceiling gets framed to a round number early, because the ceiling is on the critical path and the shades are not. The pocket is then either too shallow for the roll, or deep enough but the wrong width for the brackets, and the remedy is opening a finished ceiling.

If the pocket has to be framed before the shade is selected, frame it generously and record the assumption in writing. Oversized is recoverable. Undersized is demolition.

What locks at construction documents

• Pocket location, depth and clear width, with a tolerance.
• Blocking and structural backing for the headrail.
• Power and low-voltage routing to each pocket, coordinated with the electrical set.
• The reveal and trim interface — how the pocket meets the ceiling plane and the window head.
• Whether the pocket is closed with a removable fascia and how that is accessed for service.

What can wait for shop drawings

• Final fabric and openness factor.
• Exact bracket positions within the agreed clear width.
• Motor selection within the agreed power strategy.
• Hembar profile and finish.

Where it goes wrong

The failures are repetitive and they are almost never technical. A pocket is framed to a dimension from a previous job. A fascia is specified that cannot be removed once the ceiling is skimmed, so the first service call requires a plasterer. Low-voltage is routed to one end of a pocket when the motor is at the other. A pocket is detailed correctly and then loses an inch to a sprinkler run nobody coordinated.

Each of these is caught by one conversation at the right moment, which is why the useful thing an integrator can do on a project is usually to be in the drawing review rather than on site at the end.

A short checklist for the set

• Is the pocket dimension traceable to a specific product, or is it a round number?
• Is there blocking, and is it drawn?
• Can the fascia be removed after the ceiling is finished?
• Has the pocket been coordinated against sprinkler, lighting and HVAC in the same ceiling zone?
• Is there a power route to the correct end of each pocket?