Your pergola,
costed.
Full pergola project cost: 4 corner posts (or 2 + house wall), 2 main girders, 4-12 cross rafters, optional roof (open lattice / louvered manual or motorized / canvas / metal panel). 5 materials × 6 roof styles × all 50 states.
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Inputs
Dimensions
Standard residential — 12″ sonotube buried below frost line, post anchor in wet concrete.
Selected: Western Red Cedar, Open lattice (wood).
Plan-view layout
Top-down diagram showing posts, girders, and rafter spacing.
Project advisories
Western Red Cedar · 25-yr lifespan
Manufacturer dataPremium-look natural wood — weathers to silver-gray, stainable, mid-life span. Maintenance ~$0.45/sqft/yr.
Roof: Open lattice (wood)
Manufacturer specsWood lattice top — partial shade, traditional pergola look, no rain protection. For full rain protection, switch to louvered manual/motorized or metal panel.
- Materials32%$2,733
- Labor55%$4,638
- Soft costs (permit / demo)4%$320
- Contingency (10%)9%$769
- Where the project budget goes — high estimate, including the 10% contingency reserve.
Bill of materials
National-median pricing 2026-Q1 (Home Depot/Lowe's/specialty pergola dealers). Regional labor multiplier: 1.22× (Northeast).
Project all-in
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Estimates use 2026-Q1 national-median pricing. Expect ±15% variance vs your local market. Pergolas may or may not require permits depending on jurisdiction — call your local building department before starting.
How to use
How to use the pergola cost calculator in 6 steps.
- 1
Enter dimensions + post height
Length × width in feet (typical 10×10 to 16×20). Post height 8-10 ft is standard; 12-14 ft for vaulted or oversized installs (triggers heavier framing).
- 2
Pick a material
Cedar (premium look, 25-yr life), PT pine (cheapest, needs annual stain), aluminum (maintenance-free, longest life, modern look), vinyl (white-only, low-maintenance), composite-veneered (cedar core + composite cap, premium hybrid).
- 3
Pick a roof style
No roof (posts + girders only, cheapest), open lattice (traditional partial shade), canvas (full shade, removable), louvered manual (adjustable, hand-crank, rain protection), louvered motorized (premium, remote control), metal panel (full rain protection).
- 4
Set attachment + footing
Freestanding (4 posts) or house-attached (2 posts, replaces 2 with house-wall ledger). Footing: surface mount (existing slab/deck), sonotube buried (standard, frost-line depth), or concrete pad (premium for heavy structures).
- 5
Add accessories
String / pendant lighting kit ($165), outdoor ceiling fan ($285 + electrician install). Motorized roof requires electrician for the motor circuit.
- 6
Read your project total
Materials breakdown (posts, girders, rafters, roof, footings, hardware), labor (region-adjusted), add-ons, soft costs, contingency. Plus side-elevation diagram.
How we calculate
How DeckMath calculates this — IRC 2021 sources.
The Pergola Cost Calculator estimates the full project cost for a residential pergola — 4 corner posts, 2 main girders, 4-12 cross rafters, optional roof (open lattice, louvered manual or motorized, canvas, or metal panel), footings, hardware, lighting, and labor. Pricing reflects 2026-Q1 retail across cedar, pressure-treated, aluminum, vinyl, and composite-veneered materials. Average 12×16 cedar pergola with louvered manual roof: $5,500-9,500. Same dimensions in motorized aluminum: $14,000-22,000. The calculator's BoM is permit-ready in most US jurisdictions.
IRC references
- IRC 2021 R301 — Wind/seismic loading on outbuildings
- IRC 2021 R403.1.4 — Footing depth + frost line
- AHJ-specific — pergolas may or may not require permit (varies)
Material prices 2026-Q1 (Home Depot/Lowe's/specialty pergola dealers). Aluminum pergola pricing reflects pre-fabricated kit channels (Shadowspec / SOJAG / Sunjoy / Yardistry). Labor multipliers from RSMeans 2026-Q1.
Freestanding pergola has 4 corner posts; house-attached uses the wall as 2 of the 4 supports. Post lf = count × height for material order.
Two main girders run parallel to the long dimension, each with 6″ overhang on both ends. Total lf = 2 × (length + 1 ft).
Rafter spacing depends on material: cedar/PT/vinyl 24″ o.c., aluminum 32″ o.c. Each rafter has 12″ overhang each end. A 16 ft pergola has 9 rafters at 24″ o.c.
Roof installed cost splits ~55% materials, ~45% labor. Open-lattice is just thin lattice strips ($3/sqft material). Metal panel + louvered systems include their own framing as part of installed cost.
Material-specific $/sqft × pergola area. Cedar 18, PT 15, aluminum 25 (kit assembly), vinyl 16, composite-veneer 22. Region multiplier 0.92× South to 1.28× West Coast.
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People also ask
Pergola cost questions, answered.
10×10 cedar with open lattice roof: $2,800-4,500. 12×16 cedar with louvered manual roof: $5,500-9,500. 14×16 aluminum with motorized louvered roof: $14,000-22,000. 12×12 PT pine no-roof: $1,800-3,200. National-average pricing — multiply by 0.92× South or 1.28× West Coast.
Cedar: traditional look, 25-yr lifespan, requires annual stain (~$0.45/sqft/yr), $50-80/sqft installed. Aluminum: modern look, 50-yr lifespan, zero maintenance, $80-130/sqft installed. Cedar is cheaper upfront; aluminum is cheaper over 25-yr TCO. Pick cedar for traditional aesthetics, aluminum for low-maintenance modern look.
Depends on your jurisdiction. IRC 2021 doesn't have a specific pergola section, but most AHJs require a permit for any structure > 200 sqft, > 8 ft tall, or attached to the house. Detached freestanding pergolas under 200 sqft are often permit-exempt. Always call your local building department before starting.
Open-lattice: ~$3/sqft, traditional look, 30% partial shade at noon, NO rain protection. Louvered manual: $38/sqft installed, adjustable shade, rain protection when closed, $1,500-2,500 upgrade. Louvered motorized: $95/sqft installed, premium, rain sensor option, requires electrician. Lattice is the budget choice; motorized is the luxury choice.
Cedar 25 years, PT pine 20 years (with annual maintenance), aluminum 50 years, vinyl 30 years, composite-veneer 35 years. Real-world variables: full sun shortens cedar/PT lifespan; salt-air shortens aluminum (use 316SS hardware near the coast); shaded north-facing pergolas extend lifespan by 2-5 years.
Yes — house-attached pergolas use 2 corner posts + a ledger bolted to the house wall (replacing 2 of the 4 posts). Saves ~30% on post + footing cost. Same code requirements as decks: ledger needs proper flashing, lateral-load anchors (Simpson DTT2Z), and 1/2″ × 5″ lag bolts at 16″ o.c. staggered.
Pressure-treated pine, 4 posts, no roof (just posts + girders + rafters), surface-mount footings on existing slab, DIY install. A 10×10 PT pergola with no roof: $1,200-1,800 in materials. Add lattice top for ~$300 more. The cheapest brand-name aluminum kit (Shadowspec / SOJAG) starts around $2,500 for a 10×12 with canvas top.
Yes — Remodeling Magazine's 2026 Cost vs Value report puts pergola ROI around 50-70% (recoup 50-70% of cost at sale). High-end aluminum pergolas with motorized louvers tend to recoup more (60-80%) because they appeal to luxury buyers. Cheap PT pergolas can DECREASE value if they look unmaintained — always maintain or remove.
Only with metal-panel or solid roof — open lattice / canvas / louvered roofs don't have a ceiling structure to mount the fan to. Use a damp-rated outdoor fan (UL listed for damp locations). Total install: $285 fan + $300-600 electrician for the new circuit (3-6 hours @ $95/hr).
Cedar / PT pine: 24″ o.c. (standard residential). Aluminum: 32″ o.c. (aluminum is stiffer per pound). Vinyl: 24″ o.c. (similar to wood). Tighter spacing (12-16″ o.c.) is needed if you're hanging heavy planters or vines from the rafters. The calculator computes rafter count automatically based on material + length.
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