Join the Pergola Building E-Course

Click HERE to join the Pergola Building E-Course

For anyone even thinking about building a pergola, this FREE 3 week series of email lessons is exactly what you need to get started. 

The E-Course takes you from the very first step in the planning process all the way to heading out to shop for materials with your very own cut list and freshly drawn pergola plans. 

You will learn how to measure out and prepare and mark your site, find out how to obtain permits and meet all local regulations that are needed, and then exactly what you will need to do to secure your posts to any possible surface.

You will receive a free pergola plan, but then also learn how to adapt the one you receive in case it is not the exact size and design that you need. You will also learn how to draw your own pergola plans from scratch including figuring out dimensions all around and then using that to create a material cut list.

At that point you should really be able to feel confident about how possible and easy it it to build your own pergola. Then you will be ready for the second part of the lessons - the ebook that provides illustrated step by step instructions on getting to the final product - your very own personally designed and built pergola.

A pergola, arbor, trellis or gazebo?

A customer wrote in asking to help them identify the differences between pergolas, arbors gazebos and trellises. They knew they wanted to add a structure to their yard that would provide shade but were not exactly sure what it would be called. Since we hear this question frequently we thought it would be good to summarize it here.

Arbors and trellises have a bit in common. They are not actually structures with roofs at all or really designed to provide shade for a seating area. Arbors are usually built to designate a transition between two places in a garden. You find them over walking paths sometimes with vines growing over them. A trellis is a one dimensional structure that is designed entirely to support plants and vines.

Gazebos are nearly complete outdoor rooms in that they have full roofs and also floors. They are typically round with solid walls at the bottom containing built in benches for seating. The upper half of the walls is open. 

A pergola is more like what this customer really wanted. It is an open structure with a roof that would provide shade, but is not solid. There is also no floor but rather the posts supporting the open roof would be secured into the ground or on a concrete patio or a deck. 

For more in depth descriptions and pictures of each, go here. If, like the customer in this story, you decide that you want to build your own pergola, then submit your email there and claim a free pergola plan. You will find everything there you need to add a pergola to your yard.

The Popular Pergola

My sister just bought a former model home that has a beautiful detached pergola in the sunniest corner of the yard. The pergola defines a space that has become their favorite place to sit as the summer evenings wind down.

She has now noticed that there are pergolas everywhere. You know how it goes - once you learn about something that appeals to you specifically you start to notice them all around you. She now understands why we have always been so interested in these outdoor structures!

Test yourself over the next week or two. See how many pergolas you can spot as you drive, walk, bike, or run around your neighborhood. Don't forget that pergolas can be attached or detached and come in a variety of shapes and colors. There are also many installed above front yard gates or in larger side yards to provide shade. See a lovely wisteria vine? Check to see if it is climbing along the roof of a pergola.

Once you notice them "in action" so to speak - then you will be really focused on figuring out how you can build a pergola in your own yard. That part is easy. Check out the information in the Build a Pergola section of this site, take the survey, get a free plan, learn from the email series and then buy the book. Then, like my sister, you will be loving the new favorite spot in your yard!

Wood pergola materials vary by price and appearance

Choosing which material to use to build your pergola is dependent on many factors. Budget, of course, is usually at the top  Prices can be so different even amongst the different timber varieties. For instance, in the drawing above there are 24 pieces of wood (4 posts, 8 knee braces, 4 beams, 8 rafters).  Pressure treated pine would total around $400. Cedar would total $1,000 and redwood could break any budget unless you live in area where it is readily available, then it could cost less than cedar! A similar vinyl pergola kit would run well over $1,000. So if you are determined to spend less than $1,000 is the pressure treated pine a valid option as far as durability and appearance compared to cedar or redwood?

Pressure treated pine definitely stands up to the durability test. As long as you make sure any ends you may have to cut to create your desired pergola design are also properly treated before final construction, then this very hard, solid wood will last for decades. We know of a properly drained set of pressure treated pine posts buried into concrete casings in the ground in an area of the country where the ground freezes that were still in fantastic shape after over twenty years. The old posts had to be removed to make room for a newer, larger pergola and even the timber that was in the ground was free of moisture damage.

The bigger difference between the materials is in their appearance. A pergola built from pressure treated pine will definitely look more rustic or natural. There could easily be visible knots in the wood. Now, the pieces can be either stained to a darker hue or painted, but that ads an extra level of ongoing maintenance as weather and wind will wear down the exterior layer and need freshening up. Cedar & redwood look beautiful and elegant on their own without any staining or painting needed. Natural oils protect  just as well as pressure treating.  If you are really determined to have the look of cedar or redwood, then shop around lumberyards for sales to try to bring the material cost down a little more.

How To Layout a Pergola Site on a Concrete Slab

Let’s say you have gone through all the steps for preparing your site for your pergola as covered here. Your yard may not big as the one picture above, but in the majority of examples people are looking for techniques and instructions on how to secure a pergola to a concrete slab since most patios are laid out with concrete, particularly the ones attached directly off the back of a house. So let’s cover those basic steps.

It really does take two people so please don’t try to do this on your own. Everything needs to be straight and level and true to ensure that your pergola is as sturdy safe and durable as possible. Start out by measuring to find the center of the concrete pad. You want to make sure you center the pergola on it properly.

Then measure from the center out 1/2 of the width projection of the pergola. Repeat on the other side and then use the same method for the length projection dimensions. Mark all the spots. Using a chalk line, connect the marked spots and draw out a perimeter. If building a square pergola, remember to check the diagonal measurements. They should be the same from corner to corner. Adjust the corner marks as needed.

And there you have your post locations! Bolt in your concrete base brackets and you are ready to put up your posts and get to the heavy lifting.

 For more information on the next steps to take to build your own pergola, please click here and check out our step by step guide. We’ve gathered everything we’ve learned from thousands of hours of personal experience, consultations with contractors and research in online builder forums. We’ve made all the mistakes, and even made up a few new ones! Hopefully, you wont have to do that. With the right information at your fingertips you might even have some fine with your do it yourself pergola adventure.

Pergola Designs Catch Your Eye

If you are interested in building a pergola in your yard and you have started searching for information on these back yard structures, I'll bet you are suddenly aware of how many there are in your own neighborhood. Once you know what you are looking for, you notice them everywhere. I took the above photo after going on my typical Sunday morning trail run and realizing that the house I passed every week had not one, but two pergolas in their yard!

The unique pergola designs along with their color and that there are more than one really caught my eye. The attached pergola above the patio closest to the house is a pretty common design. However, the free standing polygon in the corner of the yard with five posts is really quite unique. It does a great job of highlighting the unusual shape of the yard itself. The home owner's have placed their barbeque and seating out under that pergola allowing them a more open vantage point away from neighbors.

I think this yard showcases how much you can use your imagination when planning the pergola design you want to use. It is entirely possible to change up the shape, size and color quite easily. The best thing you can do is go out in your yard and look at the ground to determine the best and easiest place to secure posts either by digging in the ground or placing them in concrete brackets.In the example above what is not visible is that they added another concrete slab to that back corner so that both of their pergolas are placed in brackets. Using concrete is a great way to ensure that your pergola base is level and steady.

One other thing to consider in the placement of a pergola is the roof line. You want to check from the various places in your house and yard that the top of the pergola wont block any views you want to keep. Unless you are just automatically attaching the pergola to the house over an existing patio, you also might want to sit out on the spot where you intend to place the pergola to see if your neighbors look down on you or if your own view is going to be what you want.

However you choose to design your pergola, you will be pleasantly surprised at how many resources you can find to guide you in building this very easy back yard project.

Everything you need to know about do it yourself pergolas.

Have you been wondering about these backyard structures called pergolas? You see them everywhere across the country. Pergolas started out mostly on the east coast and in the south but their popularity has spread thanks to home improvement TV shows and, of course, the internet! Once you know what they are, you realize how many you have seen in your own neighborhood.

The picture above is of a pergola build over an entry gate. It's a fairly large one with three rows of supporting posts for a total of eight. Two in the front and then two rows of three on the inside of the gate. The roof line is very simple with just one layer of rafters and single beams spanning the posts.Since it really isn't providing a lot of shade, this pergola is primarily there to create a dramatic visual effect. It sure does that quite well! The use of the darker paint to match the trim on the house and the gate makes it really stand out especially among the lush green landscaping surrounding it.

On the surface, you might look at that and think it had to be quite expensive to build. However, it really is not at all that high priced and it is also much simpler to build than you might think at first glance. A great resource for information on everything pergolas can be found here. Take a quick survey and you will be given a code for a set of free pergola plans. You will also be enrolled in a very informative email series that will answer a lot of the questions you will have about building your own pergola. But, the best part is the discount link you will receive to the Guide to Building a Pergola in One Weekend. There you will see exactly how you can built any type of pergola - even one like the photo above - for less than $1000 and using just a few days of your time.