Last updated: November 2026

Attached pergolas over the patio by your back door

One side on the house, the other side on posts. The shade starts at the wall, right where you step outside. Send a photo of the wall and the patio, and we send a free written quote.

Attached pergolas: Quoted after we see photos free written quote, no visit needed to quote

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Prefer a form? Get a free written quote from your photos and rough sizes.

Price: Quoted after we see photos
Quote: Free, in writing from your photos
House side: Ledger board and flashing
Outer side: Posts on footings or a slab

A pergola that starts at the house wall

An attached pergola has posts on one side only. The other side sits on a ledger board, a long board bolted to the frame of the house.

It suits the patio right outside the back door. There are no posts along the wall, so nothing stands between you and the door.

Not every wall can take a ledger. When yours cannot, we set posts next to the house, and the pergola stands on its own beside the wall. Not sure which one you need? Read attached vs freestanding.

A ledger fits when

The patio sits right against the house.
You want the shade to start at the door.
The wall is not brick veneer or stone.

We set posts by the house when

The wall is brick veneer or stone.
The wall is painted and the home falls under the lead paint rule below.
Something fixed to the wall sits where the ledger would go.

How the house side is built

The house side is the part that matters most. The ledger has to hold on to the frame of the house, and the rain has to stay out from behind it.

So two parts do the work on the wall, and the posts do the work on the other side.

Swipe the drawing sideways to see all of it.

An attached pergola hangs from a ledger board bolted to the house frame, with flashing above it. When the wall is brick veneer or stone, we usually set posts next to the house instead.

The ledger board

A long board on the wall that carries the house side of the pergola. It is bolted through to the frame of the house, not just to the surface of the wall.

The flashing

A strip above the ledger that sends rain out and over the board, so water does not run behind it.

The posts

The outer side stands on posts, typically 6x6. They sit on footings in the ground, or on steel bases anchored to a sound concrete slab.

Brick, stone and older painted walls

Brick veneer and stone are a skin on the outside of the house. On those walls we usually do not hang the pergola from the wall. We set posts next to the house. It looks attached, and it stands on its own.

A painted wall on an older home is the second case. The notice beside this text says what we do there today.

So tell us what the wall is made of. The quote form also asks how old the home is.

Photos of the wall come first

The wall tells us how the pergola can attach. Send these six things.

The house wall, straight on: The whole wall where the pergola would start, from the ground to the roof edge.
The door and the windows: So we see how high the ledger can sit and what it has to clear.
What is fixed to the wall: Gutters, vents, utility lines and anything else on it or above it.
The patio, up close: Concrete, pavers or grass, where the posts would stand.
Two rough sizes: The width along the house and the depth out from the wall, in feet.
What the wall is made of: Brick, stone or something else. A close photo helps.

What the quote tells you

The free written quote says which way we would build it: on a ledger, or on posts beside the house. It gives the sizes, the material and the price.

If your project needs a visit before we can price it, we'll tell you up front, before anyone drives out.

Once you say yes, we measure on site as part of the job. Nothing is ordered before that.

Send photos Start in 3 taps

How an attached pergola is priced

Every attached pergola is quoted after we see photos. The wall and the size do most of the moving, and the written quote is free.

Width and depth: How far it runs along the house and how far it reaches out.
Ledger or posts: A ledger with flashing, or a second row of posts by the wall.
The outer posts: Bases on a sound slab, or footings dug in the ground.
The material: Pressure-treated pine, cedar or aluminum.
The permit: An attached pergola usually needs one, and the drawings that go with it.
Access: How we reach the back of the house with long boards.

Our workmanship warranty terms are being finalized. The written quote states the warranty that applies to that job. For the full list of what moves a price, see the pergola cost page.

What we will not do on your wall

Attaching to a house is the part that can go wrong. These are our limits.

The wall decides: We do not hang a pergola from brick veneer or stone. On those walls it stands on posts next to the house.
Shade, not shelter: An open pergola gives partial shade that moves through the day, and rain comes through it. For a dry spot, look at a pavilion.
A permit is likely: A pergola attached to the house is treated as part of the house, and it usually needs a permit. That can add weeks. We cannot promise that the town says yes.
The outer posts need a real base: Loose pavers cannot hold a post. Each outer post gets a footing under it, or a base on a slab that is thick and sound enough.
Not the roof of the house: Roofing on a house is not our trade. Neither are screened porches or sunrooms.
No wiring: If you want a fan or a light under it, that work needs a licensed electrician and often its own permit. We do none of it.

An attached pergola usually needs a permit

A pergola attached to the house is treated as part of the house. So it usually needs a permit.

Where you ask depends on where you live. In Mecklenburg County, building permits go through the county, and zoning goes through Charlotte or your town. Each town has its own office and its own form.

If your project needs a building or zoning permit, the written quote says so, and who files it is agreed in writing before any work starts.

Your HOA may be a second yes. Many HOAs must approve an outdoor structure before work starts, and we give you a drawing with sizes and materials to send. We do not give legal advice, and we cannot promise an approval. The town, the county and the HOA have the final word.

Two guides help here: do you need a permit for a pergola and HOA pergola approval.

The job, step by step

Send photos of the wall and the patio

Send a photo of the house wall straight on, the door and windows, what is fixed to the wall, the patio surface, and the rough width and depth. Tell us what the wall is made of. 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.
Permit, the final measure and the date

An attached pergola usually needs a permit, and your HOA may have to approve it too. After you accept the quote, the exact sizes are confirmed on site, as part of the job, before we order the wood. The build date goes in the written quote.
Ledger and flashing, posts, then rafters

We bolt the ledger board to the house frame and set the flashing above it. We stand the posts on their footings or bases and set the beam. Then the rafters run from the ledger out to the beam.

Common questions

How does an attached pergola connect to the house?

With a ledger board. It is a long board bolted to the frame of the house, with flashing above it so rain runs over the board. The rafters start at the ledger and reach out to a beam that sits on posts.

Can you attach a pergola to a brick house?

When the wall is brick veneer or stone, we usually do not hang the pergola from it. We set posts next to the house. The pergola stands on its own and still covers the patio by the door.

Do I need a permit for an attached pergola?

Usually, yes. A pergola attached to the house is treated as part of the house. If your project needs a building or zoning permit, the written quote says so, and who files it is agreed in writing before any work starts. Your town or county has the final word. Our guide do you need a permit for a pergola lists what to ask.

Does the age of my house matter?

It can, when the wall is painted. If your home was built before 1978, tell us when you send photos. Until our lead-safe certification is in place, we build freestanding at those homes and do not attach to painted walls.

Attached or freestanding: which one should I pick?

Attached fits a patio right against the house, when the wall can take a ledger. Freestanding fits anywhere in the yard, and beside a wall of brick veneer or stone. Our guide attached vs freestanding pergola walks through it.

How much does an attached pergola cost?

Every attached pergola is quoted after we see photos. The price moves with the width along the house, the depth, a ledger or a row of posts by the wall, and what the outer posts stand on. The written quote is free.

Will an attached pergola keep the rain off my door?

No. An open pergola gives partial shade, and rain comes through it. A solid roof on posts is a pavilion.

Send the wall. We tell you how it attaches.

A photo of the wall, the door and the patio, with two rough sizes. The free written quote says if the pergola hangs on a ledger or stands on posts by the house.

Send photos for a quote

In a hurry? Start your estimate in 3 taps. The form on this page works too, and it asks about the age of the home.

Get a free written quote

Tell us what you want to build or fix. We text or call you back during business hours, usually the same day. Photos get you a faster quote: send them here.

Not sure what to photograph? See our 1-page photo guide.

English and Spanish Free written quote

Your name

Phone number

Zip code

We use it to check that you are in our service area.

What do you want? (optional)

Was the home built before 1978? (optional)

It matters only if the pergola attaches to the house. Older homes may have lead paint.

Tell us about the space (optional)

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Our pergola services

Wood, aluminum and attached pergolas, pavilions, privacy walls and pergola repair, across south Charlotte, Union County and York and Lancaster County, SC.

Cities we serve

These towns have their own page. We also work in the towns around them. If you do not see yours, send your photos with your zip code and we tell you before we quote.

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.