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Wood pergolas built on site, near Charlotte
Pine or cedar, cut and put together in your yard. The size follows your patio, not the sizes a kit comes in. Send photos and two rough sizes, and we send a free written quote.
Wood pergolas: 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
- Wood
- Pressure-treated pine or cedar
- Size
- Built to your patio
An open frame that marks a place to sit
A pergola is posts, beams across the posts, and rafters across the beams. It is open to the sky. It breaks up the sun and gives the patio a ceiling without closing it in.
We cut and build each one on site. So the size follows your patio or your yard. Common footprints run from 10 by 10 feet to 16 by 20 feet, with about 8 feet of clear height under the beam.
It can stand free in the yard, or it can start at the house. If you want it on the wall by the back door, read about attached pergolas.
A wood pergola fits when
- You want partial shade and an open sky over a patio or a corner of the yard.
- You want real wood that you can stain.
- The space has its own size and a kit will not fit it.
Look at something else when
- You want to stay dry in the rain, or sit in full shade at noon. That is a pavilion.
- You never want to stain or seal anything. That is an aluminum pergola.
- The pergola you have only needs a post or a beam. That is a repair.
The parts, in plain words
Six parts make a wood pergola. The sizes below are typical. The written quote gives the real sizes for your span.
Lumber names are not the real sizes. A 6x6 post is really 5.5 by 5.5 inches. A 2x8 is 1.5 by 7.25 inches, and a 2x6 is 1.5 by 5.5 inches.
Swipe the drawing sideways to see all of it.
Posts
Typically 6x6. Pressure-treated posts are rated for ground contact. Trim at the base finishes the bottom of each post.
Beams
Two boards side by side, typically 2x8 to 2x12, depending on how far they span. They run from post to post and carry the rafters.
Rafters
Typically 2x6 or 2x8, set every 12 to 24 inches. Each one is notched to sit down over the beams. The ends, called tails, are cut to a shape.
Top slats
Optional 2x2 strips across the top of the rafters. You add them when you want more shade than the rafters give.
Knee braces
Short diagonal pieces between a post and a beam. They stiffen the frame so it does not lean.
Post bases and footings
What each post stands on. A base holds the wood off the concrete, so water does not sit at the bottom of the post.
Pine or cedar, and what each one asks of you
Both make a good pergola here. They cost different amounts and they age in different ways.
Pressure-treated pine
Southern yellow pine is the common pergola wood in the Carolinas. It arrives wet. As it dries it shrinks and shows small cracks along the grain.
Cedar
Lighter and more stable than pine, and it resists rot by nature. It costs more. It turns silver gray unless it is sealed.
Stain and sealer
Wood needs stain or sealer over the years. Pressure-treated pine should dry first, which can take weeks to a few months. The written quote says if stain or sealer is included.
Still between wood and metal? Read wood vs aluminum in the Carolina climate.
Swipe the drawing sideways to see all of it.
What the posts stand on
Water kills wood from the end grain: the bottom of a post, and the top of a beam or a rafter. So the bottom of each post gets the most care.
On a concrete slab that is thick and sound enough, each post stands on a steel base anchored to the slab. On grass, or on a patio of loose pavers, we dig a concrete footing below the frost depth the local code sets. Loose pavers cannot hold a post.
We build the pergola and its footings. We do not pour patio slabs or lay pavers.
What we need from you
Five things, all from your phone. Close is fine.
- The whole space, from two corners
- Step back so we see the patio or the yard, the house and what is around it.
- The ground, up close
- Concrete, pavers or grass. On a slab, a photo of the edge helps us see how thick it is.
- Anything overhead or in the way
- Gutters, windows, vents, utility lines and trees.
- The rough width and depth
- In feet. A tape measure along two sides is enough.
- What you want
- Pine or cedar, freestanding or attached, and how much the shade matters to you.
How the quote works
You send the photos and the sizes. We send a free written quote with the wood, the sizes and the price.
If your project needs a visit before we can price it, we'll tell you up front, before anyone drives out.
When you say yes, we come out and confirm the exact sizes as part of the job. Only then is the wood ordered.
How a wood pergola is priced
Every wood pergola is quoted after we see photos. The written quote is free. These six things move the number.
- Size
- Longer beams and more rafters mean more wood and more time.
- Pine or cedar
- Cedar costs more than pressure-treated pine.
- Freestanding or attached
- A ledger on the house is different work from two more posts.
- Slab or new footings
- Post bases on a sound slab, or footings dug in the ground.
- More shade
- Closer rafters and top slats add wood.
- Paperwork and access
- A permit, a drawing for the HOA, and how we reach the yard with long boards.
Our workmanship warranty terms are being finalized. The written quote states the warranty that applies to that job. See the pergola cost page for how every price is built.
What a wood pergola will not do
Better to read this now than after it is built.
- It is not full shade
- An open pergola gives partial shade, and the shade moves with the sun. At noon in a Carolina summer the sun is very high, so open rafters shade the least right then. Want more? In order of cost: closer rafters, top slats, a fabric canopy or shade cloth, climbing plants, a clear or tinted cover, a pavilion roof. See how much shade to expect.
- New wood moves
- Pressure-treated wood arrives wet. It shrinks as it dries and opens small cracks along the grain, called checks. That is normal. It is not a defect.
- Wood asks for care
- Stain or sealer, again and again over the years. If you do not want that job, look at an aluminum pergola.
- Paperwork can add weeks
- A permit or an HOA approval can add weeks before the first build day. We cannot promise a yes from either one.
- No wiring
- We do no electrical work. Lights, fans and outlets need a licensed electrician and often their own permit. Plug-in string lights need no wiring.
- Not our trade
- Concrete slabs, paver patios, outdoor kitchens, and gas and fire features. We build the pergola and the footings under its posts.
Permits and your HOA
We cannot give you the legal answer. Your town, your county and your HOA have the final word. This is what they usually look at.
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.
Read do you need a permit for a pergola and what an HOA asks for.
- The size
- North Carolina's residential code treats a detached structure with any dimension over 12 feet as a building that must meet the code. So many towns and counties ask for a building permit above that size.
- The place on the lot
- A smaller freestanding pergola may still need a zoning permit. It checks where the pergola sits: the setbacks and how much of the lot is covered.
- Your HOA
- Many HOAs in Union, Mecklenburg, York and Lancaster County must approve an outdoor structure before work starts. They look at the size, the height, the material, the color and where it sits. That can take a few weeks. We give you a drawing with sizes and materials to send.
How the job goes
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Send photos and rough sizes
Send photos of the whole space from two corners, a close-up of the ground, and the rough width and depth. Tell us pine or cedar. 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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Approvals, the final measure and the date
If your HOA or your town has to approve the pergola, that comes first, and we give you a drawing with sizes and materials to send. After you say yes to the quote, we confirm the exact sizes on site as part of the job, before anything is ordered. The build date goes in the written quote.
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Footings, posts, then the frame
We set the footings or the post bases and stand the posts. Then the doubled beams go up, and we cut and fit the rafters on site, with the tails cut to the shape you picked.
Common questions
How much does a wood pergola cost?
How much shade does a wood pergola give?
Should I pick pine or cedar?
Can I stain a new pergola right away?
Can the posts stand on my patio?
Do I need a permit for a wood pergola?
Can you add lights or a fan?
Send the space. We draw the pergola to fit it.
Photos from two corners, the ground up close and two rough sizes. That is enough for a free written quote on a wood pergola. We answer in English and Spanish.
Send photos for a quoteShort on time? Start your estimate in 3 taps. Or use the form, and we text or call you back.
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 You are here
- Aluminum Pergolas
- Attached Pergolas
- Pavilions
- Privacy Walls
- Pergola Repair
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.