Do you need a permit for a pergola in North or South Carolina?
The general rules for attached, freestanding and roofed structures, which office to call, what a site plan is, and ten questions to ask before anything is built.
Permits. 7 minute read.
Pergola guides
Plain answers to the questions people ask before they build shade in the back yard: which structure, which material, how much shade to expect, where it can stand, and what the town and the HOA want to see first.
Pergola, pavilion or gazebo: what each one is and which fits your yard
Open rafters, a solid roof, or a small round shelter in the garden: how they differ in shade, rain, permits and the work it takes to build them.
Choosing a structure. 7 minute read.
More questions, answered
HOA pergola approval: what to send and how long it takes
What most HOA forms ask for, the drawing we give you, and the order that saves time: HOA first, then the permit, then the build.
HOA approval. 6 minute read.
Wood vs aluminum pergola in the Carolina climate
Pine, cedar or powder-coated aluminum: looks, upkeep over the years, shade options and repairs, with a plain list of who should choose which.
Materials. 6 minute read.
How much shade does a pergola give?
The simple rule behind the stripes, a table of shade by rafter size and spacing, which way the rafters should run, and six ways to get more.
Shade. 7 minute read.
Attached vs freestanding pergola: a ledger on the house or four posts
A ledger on the house frame or posts in the yard: what each one needs from the wall, the ground and the town, and which fits your house.
Planning. 7 minute read.
What a guide cannot tell you
A guide gives the general rules. It cannot see your patio, your wall or your lot. On permits and approvals the town, the county or the HOA has the final word, and rules change. The real sizes for your space are in the written quote, not on this page.
Want to know what moves a price? Read how pergola prices work. To see what we build, start at our services.
Ready for an answer about your own yard? Send photos and rough sizes and we send a free written quote. If your project needs a visit before we can price it, we'll tell you up front, before anyone drives out.
Start with a few photos of your patio or yard
Send us photos of the space and its rough width and depth, and we send you a free written quote. If your project needs a visit before we can price it, we'll tell you up front, before anyone drives out. We answer during business hours, usually the same day.
- Free written quote
- A drawing with sizes before the build
- English and Spanish
Not sure what to photograph? See our 1-page photo guide.