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Pergola repair around Charlotte, NC
A post that is soft at the bottom. A beam that sags. A frame that leans a little more each year. We replace the bad parts and keep the good ones, and we tell you when a rebuild is the better deal.
Pergola repair: Quoted after we see photos free written quote, no visit needed to quote
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
- Our rule
- Repair first
- We fix
- Posts, beams, rafters, hardware
What goes wrong, and what we do about it
A pergola fails in a few known ways. Find yours below.
A rotten post base
The most common problem. Water sits at the bottom of the post and the wood goes soft. We replace the post and set the new one on a base that holds it off the concrete.
A sagging or twisted beam
A beam that sags or twists no longer carries the rafters level. We replace it with a new one sized for the span.
Split rafters
A rafter that has split along its length comes out, and a new one goes in. We cut its tail to match the others.
Loose or rusted hardware
Bolts and screws work loose, and some rust. We swap the rusted ones and tighten the rest.
A frame that leans
A pergola leans when it has no bracing. We add knee braces between the posts and the beams to stiffen it.
A fallen limb
A limb can break rafters or crack a beam. We replace what broke and check the posts and the hardware around it.
Swipe the drawing sideways to see all of it.
Where the water gets in
Water kills wood from the end grain. On a pergola that means three places: the bottom of each post, the top of each beam and the ends of the rafters.
You can check the posts yourself. Press the wood near the ground with a screwdriver. Sound wood pushes back. Soft wood means rot, and a close photo of that spot is what we need.
Two things make a repair last. One is a post base that holds the wood off the concrete. The other is a cap or a slope on top, so water runs off.
Repair first. Rebuild only when it is the better deal.
If the posts and the beams are sound, we replace the bad parts and keep the good ones. A pergola with one soft post does not have to come down.
Sometimes the rot is in most of the frame. Then a rebuild is the better deal. When that is your case, we say so, and we show you why from your own photos.
A rebuild is a new pergola. Read about wood pergolas and aluminum pergolas to see what that means.
A repair makes sense when
- The posts and the beams are sound.
- The damage is in a few parts you can point to.
A rebuild may be the better deal when
- The posts and the beams themselves are soft.
- The bad parts outnumber the good ones.
The photos that let us quote a repair
We need to see the whole frame and every bad spot.
- The whole pergola, from two corners
- So we see how it stands and if it leans.
- Each problem, up close
- The soft post, the split rafter, the rusted bolt. One photo for each spot.
- The bottom of every post
- Where the wood meets the ground or the concrete.
- The top, if you can see it
- A photo from an upstairs window is fine. Please do not climb on the pergola.
- The rough size
- Width, depth and about how tall, in feet.
What comes back to you
A free written quote. It lists the parts we replace and the parts that stay.
If your project needs a visit before we can price it, we'll tell you up front, before anyone drives out.
After you say yes, we confirm the sizes on site as part of the job. No wood is ordered before that.
How a pergola repair is priced
Every pergola repair is quoted after we see photos. The parts decide the number, and the written quote is free.
- How many parts
- One post is a small repair. Several posts and a beam make a bigger one.
- Which parts
- A post or a beam carries weight, so it takes more work than a rafter.
- What the post stands on
- A new base on a sound slab, or a new footing in the ground.
- Height and size
- A tall or wide frame takes more time to work on.
- Matching the old shape
- New rafters are cut to match the tails of the old ones.
- Access
- How we reach the pergola with long boards.
Our workmanship warranty terms are being finalized. The written quote states the warranty that applies to that job. If a rebuild is on the table, the pergola cost page shows what moves the price of a new one.
What a repair cannot do
A repair makes the frame sound again. It does not make old wood new.
- New wood looks new
- A new post or rafter will not look like the weathered wood beside it. Pressure-treated wood also arrives wet. It shrinks and opens small checks as it dries, and that is normal.
- Stain comes later
- New pressure-treated wood should dry before stain or sealer goes on. That can take weeks to a few months. The written quote says if stain or sealer is part of the job.
- Sometimes the answer is a rebuild
- When most of the frame is soft, we tell you a rebuild is the better deal, and we show you why from the photos.
- We do not touch wiring
- If lights or a fan are wired to the pergola, a licensed electrician has to handle the wiring. We do no electrical work.
- Loose pavers cannot hold a post
- If a post stands on loose pavers, the new one needs a footing under it.
- The floor under it is not ours
- We repair the pergola. The boards and the frame below it are the work of our sister company Carolina Deck Repair.
If the repair turns into a rebuild
Swapping a few parts is one thing. A rebuild is a new pergola, and the usual questions come back: how big it is, where it sits on the lot, and what your HOA says.
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.
We do not give legal advice. The final word belongs to your town, your county and your HOA. Our guide do you need a permit for a pergola lists what to ask them.
How a repair goes
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Send photos of the damage
Send photos of the whole pergola from two corners and a close-up of each problem, with the bottom of every post. Add the rough size. 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.
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We confirm on site and set the day
After you say yes to the quote, we confirm the exact sizes on site as part of the job, before any wood is ordered. The build date goes in the written quote.
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Bad parts out, new parts in
We take out the parts that failed and fit the new ones: posts on bases that hold the wood off the concrete, beams sized for the span, rafters cut to match. The good wood stays.
Common questions
Can you replace one rotten post without rebuilding the pergola?
Why did my pergola post rot at the bottom?
Why is my pergola leaning?
Should I repair my pergola or replace it?
How much does a pergola repair cost?
Do you repair pergolas that someone else built?
A tree limb fell on my pergola. What should I do?
Send the soft spot. We tell you what it takes.
Photos of the whole pergola and a close-up of each problem. The free written quote lists what we replace and what stays.
Send photos for a quoteNo photos yet? Start your estimate in 3 taps and pick the repair choice, or describe the problem in the form.
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.
- Wood Pergolas
- Aluminum Pergolas
- Attached Pergolas
- Pavilions
- Privacy Walls
- Pergola Repair You are here
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.
- Free written quote
- A drawing with sizes before the build
- English and Spanish
Not sure what to photograph? See our 1-page photo guide.