Put a canopy on a ute and it stops being a tray with weather problems. Tools stay dry, gear stays locked, and you suddenly have somewhere to build drawers, a fridge slide and power. The options run from a $2,500 fibreglass lid to a $20,000 tray and canopy build, so it pays to know what each type actually buys you before you spend.
The main options
Fibreglass canopy on the tub
The classic. A colour-coded fibreglass canopy bolts to the existing tub, with lift-up or sliding windows and central locking on the better units. It is the cheapest and lightest-looking way to enclose a ute, and for a daily driver that camps a few times a year it is usually enough. The limits: roof load ratings vary a lot between brands, and you are stuck with the tub's shape and wheel arch intrusions inside.
Aluminium canopy on the tub
An aluminium canopy trades the smooth look for toughness. Flat sides take racking, shelving and jerry holders, the roof ratings are generally stronger, and dents are character rather than damage. Tradies and tourers who load the roof tend to land here.
Tray and canopy build
The full conversion. The tub comes off, an alloy tray like the Bocar range goes on, and a canopy sits on top of that. You get a square, full-width space with no wheel arches, dust sealing, and a platform built to carry real weight. It costs the most and adds the most, and it is the standard for serious touring rigs and work vehicles for a reason.
The halfway option: a tub rack
Not a canopy, but worth knowing about. A tub rack is a frame that spans the open tub and carries the load on its own legs. It keeps the tub open for dirty gear while giving you a rated platform up top for a rooftop tent, kayaks or timber. For plenty of weekenders it delays the canopy decision by a few years.
How much does it cost to put a canopy on a ute?
As a guide, fitted prices in 2026: a fibreglass canopy runs $2,500 to $5,500 depending on brand, colour coding and windows. An aluminium tub canopy sits around $3,500 to $7,000. A tray and canopy build starts near $8,000 and climbs past $20,000 once drawers, power, water and lighting go in. Tub racks land between $800 and $2,000.
Fitting is usually included in those figures from a workshop. If you are pricing a bare shell, allow a few hundred dollars for fitting, sealing and wiring the brake light.
Weight, payload and the canopy roof
Canopies weigh between roughly 60kg for a basic fibreglass unit and 160kg or more for a big alloy box, and every kilo comes off your payload before any gear goes in. On a dual cab with 900kg of payload, a full build plus drawers, fridge, water and two adults disappears faster than most people expect. Weigh the vehicle loaded. It is a $30 weighbridge ticket that saves a defect notice.
When people ask about a canopy roof, they usually mean a roof built to carry load, not just shed rain. Quality alloy canopies publish roof ratings, commonly 50 to 100kg dynamic while driving and several times that static. That rating is what lets you run racks, solar, an awning or a rooftop tent up top. No published rating means treat the roof as decoration.
What to spec at order time
The expensive canopy mistakes happen at the order form, not the workshop. Decide early on window configuration, because lift-up windows need clearance that side awnings and jerry holders steal. Ask for dust sealing if the ute sees dirt roads, since retrofitting it is miserable. Have power pre-wired through the canopy during the build rather than drilling a finished unit for the fridge later. And confirm the lead time in writing: popular canopy and tray combinations regularly run six to twelve weeks, which matters if the trip is booked.
Which setup suits your build?
- Daily driver, occasional camper: fibreglass canopy. Cheapest, tidiest, does the job.
- Tradie who loads the roof: aluminium tub canopy, specced with racking from day one.
- Touring rig or full-time work truck: tray and canopy build. Buy once.
- Weekender who still carts bikes and mulch: tub rack now, canopy later.
Frequently asked questions
How much to put a canopy on a ute?
Between $2,500 and $7,000 fitted for a tub canopy depending on material, and $8,000 to $20,000-plus for a full tray and canopy build with fit-out.
What are the options for a ute canopy?
Four main paths: a fibreglass canopy on the tub, an aluminium canopy on the tub, a full tray and canopy conversion, or a tub rack if you want load carrying without enclosing the tub.
What is a canopy roof?
The load-rated roof of a canopy. A rated canopy roof carries racks, solar panels or a rooftop tent, with typical dynamic ratings of 50 to 100kg. An unrated roof is only built to keep weather out.
What is a tub rack used for?
Carrying long or heavy loads above an open tub: rooftop tents, kayaks, ladders, timber. The rack takes the weight on its own frame, so the tub stays free for gear you would never put inside a canopy.
Canopy choice comes down to payload and roof load, and those are numbers, not opinions. We build and fit canopies, trays and racks at Brookvale and will spec the setup against your vehicle's compliance plate before you commit. Talk to us about your build.
