Will a pergola kit fit your space?
Ready-made pergolas now come in a wide range of sizes, and for most yards one of them fits. Aluminum, louvered, glass-walled and fabric-top pergolas all come this way. We do not sell kits. You buy one at Costco, Home Depot, Wayfair or online, and our crew assembles it and anchors it to your slab, deck or pavers.
Custom is worth it when no kit fits: an odd footprint, a span between two walls, a height set by the house or the slope. That is the job we build in redwood.
| Kit you supply | Our assembly |
|---|---|
| Pergola, 4 posts | $850 to $1,200 |
| Pergola, 6 posts | $1,200 to $1,800 |
| Pergola with glass walls, 4 posts | $1,500 to $3,500 |
| Pergola with glass walls, 6 posts | $2,500 to $5,000 |
| Gazebo, 4 posts | $850 to $1,200 |
| Gazebo, 6 posts | $1,200 to $1,800 |
| Sunroom | $1,200 to $2,500 |
Assembly labor only. Packaging haul-off, extra blocks under the posts on uneven ground, and add-ons like lights, fans or a bar counter are on top.
What goes on top: roof options for a pergola
- Open raftersThe classic pergola. Shade from the rafters, rain falls through. No roof to maintain, and the lightest frame of the four.
- Clear or tinted polycarbonateCorrugated panels such as Suntuf, screwed over the rafters. You keep the light and lose the rain. Clear or tinted, your choice.
- Solid roof, pavilion styleA full roof over a heavier frame. Rain stays out, and the space under it works like an outdoor room.
- Plywood and shinglesSheathed and shingled to match the house. This is the only roof we fit gutters to.
We do not install aluminum patio covers or shade sails. A kit with a metal or louvered roof is a different story: that one we assemble.
What a custom redwood pergola costs
Priced by footprint, and the rate falls as the pergola grows: the posts, footings and setup are the same work on a bigger frame.
| Footprint | Per sq ft | Range |
|---|---|---|
| 100 to 200 sq ft | $90 | $9,000 to $18,000 |
| 200 to 350 sq ft | $75 | $15,000 to $26,250 |
| 350 to 500 sq ft | $65 | $22,750 to $32,500 |
That covers the open frame: redwood posts, beams and rafters cut and built on site, with footings and hardware sized for the span. A roof is quoted on top. Past 500 sq ft a structure stops being sized and starts being engineered, so we price it from the drawing.
Price my pergolaA pergola over a deck
The posts need footings of their own or a deck frame built to carry them. Planned together, the pergola posts go in with the deck framing and the two read as one structure.
What pergola owners run into
- Rafters that run the wrong way give little shadeThe top slats have to cross the path of the afternoon sun. Turned the other way, the sun slides between them for most of the day.
- A pergola without bracing swaysPosts bolted to a surface with nothing tying them to the beams can rack sideways. Knee braces or a stiff post-to-beam connection are what keep it square.
- Slats keep sun off, not rainOwners who wanted a dry spot for the table found the rain goes straight through. For that you need a roof, and a roof needs a heavier frame.
- Wood asks for a coat of stain on a scheduleOwners who love their wood pergola still re-coat it every few years. Owners who wanted none of that went with metal.
- Measure around the steps and doorsA post in the wrong spot blocks a stair or a door swing. The footprint is set by how you walk through the space, not only by what fits.
Questions people actually ask
How much does a custom pergola cost in the Bay Area?
In our calculator a custom redwood pergola runs about $90 per sq ft of footprint from 100 to 200 sq ft, $75 from 200 to 350 and $65 from 350 to 500. A 12 by 14 foot pergola, 168 sq ft, comes to about $15,000. A roof and a permit are extra.
How much does it cost to assemble a pergola kit?
Our assembly labor on a kit you bought runs $850 to $1,200 for a four-post pergola and $1,200 to $1,800 for six posts. With glass walls it is $1,500 to $3,500 for four posts and $2,500 to $5,000 for six. A four-post kit takes a day; six posts or glass walls take one to two days.
What is the best roof for a pergola?
For light and rain protection, clear or tinted polycarbonate such as Suntuf. For a roof that looks like part of the house, plywood and shingles, and that is the one that takes gutters.
Do you sell pergola kits?
No. You buy the kit at Costco, Home Depot, Wayfair or online, and our crew assembles it and anchors it to your slab, deck or pavers.
Can a pergola go on top of a deck?
Yes. The posts need footings of their own or a frame built for the load, so it is easiest to plan the pergola with the deck, not after it.
Does a pergola need a permit?
It depends on the city and on the structure: size, a roof, attachment to the house. We check your city's rule at the estimate. If a permit is needed we can run it for $2,500; the city's own fees are paid directly to the city.
Kit or custom, you get a number first
The calculator prices a custom pergola by footprint and a kit by its posts and walls. The roof, the finish and the permit are settled at the estimate visit.