Footing: A concrete anchor which holds the pergola to the Earth. They need to be deeper than the frost line, but also large enough and deep enough to hold the pergola to the Earth during a strong wind. Footing size should never be less the 42" deep and 12" diameter.
Pier: This in a small stone wall on which a pergola can be mounted. The pier is always supported by a footing or a concrete slab. If building a stone wall or pier, it would be wise to anchor a 5/8" threaded rod into the footing to anchor a pergola.
Post: The 6x6 or 8x8 vertical member which supports the pergola top.
Post skirt: This is a box of trim which conceals the post mounting bracket.
Superior post: This is a taller box of trim which conceals the post mounting bracket and gives visual balance and weight to the bottom of the pergola.
Braces: Some people call them gussets which is perfectly appropriate. Regardless of what you call them, braces and gussets provide diagonal/lateral strength between the post and the beam. These are what keep the pergola rigid.
Main Beams: The beam fit between the posts and supports the rafters. The gussets attach to the beams in such a way as to provide stability and support, in effect narrowing the overall span.
Rafters: These are the primary shade creating members that make up the pergola. They are 1.5" thick by 5.5" tall. They are notched to support and let in the purlins. The typical overhang which is measured from the center of the post to the tip of the rafter is 16" inches.
Purlins: These make up the top layer of the pergola. Each purlin measures 1.5" thick by 3.5" tall. They notch down over the rafters and keep the rafters in a perfect grid. The typical overhang which is measured from the center of the post to the tip of the purlin is 16" inches.
Lattice panels: Thin lats of pressure treated lumber assembled into a panel with perpendicular lats. The panels are about 1/2 inch thick and can be cut to size to fit the pergola. They create lots of shade and support for climbing plants like grapes, wisteria, or clematis.
Overhang: This is the distance from the center of a post to the tip of the rafter or purlin. Typical overhangs are 16" for pine pergolas.
Room size: This is the distance from the center of one post to the center of the opposite post.
Shade area: This is the overall size of your pergola which includes the overhangs, so it's basically your rafter length and your purlin length. It's represented on your site plan by the outermost rectangle.
Spans are measured from center of footing to center of footing. Often the design calls for large open spans so a beautiful view can be unobstructed. This causes two design concerns: The beam must be built in such a way that it can support the weight of the rafters and purlins without sagging. The larger concern is this: The wind loading of the entire pergola must be divided by the number of posts. Fewer posts means more stress on each post. We solve this wide span problem by placing two posts close together on either end of the span.
Our typical pine pergola beams are capable of supporting a 16' pergola with post centers 15' 1.75" center to center. If you want to go further than that, then we upgrade you to glue-lam beams which allow a center of post to center of post distance of 21' feet 1.75" inches. A pergolas job is to provide a feeling of protection when you are within it. "If a branch were to fall toward me, this pergola would protect me from harm.". If the spans are super natural, the pergolas occupants will be wondering what's holding it up and therefore will be in a state of fear rather than security.
Height is also a structural concern because each post has mechanical advantage like a lever. When you apply ten pounds of force to the side of the top, you exert eight times that amount of force to the bottom, assuming that the post is eight feet tall. Our typical offerings are designed to endure high winds, but large residential pergolas and commercial jobs may require engineering. These are things which get discussed.
Our easy shade systems work very well with all of our pergolas. We have a entire page of information about the Easy Shade system which you can link to here. The information on this page is specific to combining an Easy Shade system with a Baldwin Pine Pergola.
The Easy Shade has a main, central beam which wants to be centered and run perpendicular to the rafters. When you order a pergola with a shade system, we create three of your rafters with lumber inside which allows one to attach the mono-beam securely.
The fabric is hung from cross-bars which roll back and forth within the centered mono-beam. We restrict each end of the cross bar from being blown upward with shade rails. These shade rails attach to the inner face of the main beams. If your pergola is attached to your house, then the inner shade rail is attached to the bottoms of the rafters. By lowering the outermost shade rail, we can get rainwater to flow away from the house.
Determine where you want the center of your posts. Measure distance in width and depth. Determine how much overhang you would like on each side. Overhang is measured from the center of the post to the tip of the rafter or purlin. The standard overhang is 22" inches. Rafter length is your depth from center to center plus your front and rear overhangs. Purlin length is your width from center to center plus your left and right overhangs. Consider height and sight lines. Remember, short pergolas give more shade under the pergola. Consider the time of day you will use your pergola and the angle of the sun at that time. Take a few photos of your site and send them to us.
We have an online pergola pricing tool you can use to configure your pergola. When you are using the pricing tool, you will need to select your options such as: The cut on the ends of the beams and rafters, post size and type, color, fabric color.
The pergola pricing tool will give you a price for the pergola, your electrical options, drapery and even a trucking quote. It’s easy to modify your pergola until it is exactly what you desire. You can feel comfortable using this no dicker, always accurate pricing tool. We do reserve the right to adjust prices due to lumber costs without notice.
If the pergola you desire cannot be built using our system, please enter the pergola as closely as possible then describe what you would like done differently in the notes section. You can also call our sales team during business hours at 800 344-5103x1 and they will do all of this for you.
When you are pleased with your pergola and are ready to talk to one of our designers, click the “Submit information” button. Your data gets sent to us.
We review your pergola choices and call you to answer any questions you might have. We suggest making changes that would either make your pergola more useful or more beautiful, but we also look for ways to reduce the lead time and your cost.
When all of your concerns have been addressed and pricing established, a deposit gets the wheels rolling. Along the way you can request an elevation drawing of the front, back, or either side so you can see what pergola will look like. Based on this visual, you may request changes. We adjust your file and explain any changes in price. We also create another visual for your approval. When you are happy with the drawings you confirm every detail and we begin production.
During production you may get a call or email from the production team asking about your ceiling fan height or what color light switches you want. When the pergola kit is complete, we require final payment before shipping. If you are within 300 miles, we offer you our in-house, white glove delivery service.
If you are more than 300 miles from our factory, we use Yellow Freight as our over the road trucking company. In case of a freight company delivery, you will be responsible for physically removing the pergola or pavilion from the truck. Unless you have a forklift, this requires entering the truck, unpacking the structure and physically unloading it from the truck, member by member. You are also required to remove all the pallets and packaging from the truck. A freight forwarding service could be hired to preform this service for you, but that expense is typically $700 or more.
Baldwin Pergolas are designed to be very easy to put together, but there are still difficult aspects such as using a level to determine the lengths of the posts, cutting the posts to length, drilling the concrete and anchoring the mounting brackets. If this sounds like more then you want to do, we may be able to suggest experienced pergola installers in your area.
Use the following chart as a guideline to learn what a Pine Pergola might cost. More precise pricing and selection of options can be found by designing your pergola using our custom pergola pricing tool below.
Patio size | Base price | Lattice roof | Shade system | Site plan |
---|---|---|---|---|
8 x 8' | $2520 | $311 | $1340 | |
8 x 10' | $2630 | $347 | $1470 | |
8 x 12' | $2880 | $392 | $1560 | |
8 x 14' | $2930 | $454 | $1720 | |
8 x 16' | $3150 | $522 | $1890 | |
10 x 10' | $2770 | $383 | $1730 | |
10 x 12' | $2950 | $475 | $1870 | |
10 x 14' | $3080 | $549 | $2080 | |
10 x 16' | $3270 | $630 | $2310 | |
10 x 20' | $4080 | $736 | $2730 | |
12 x 12' | $3140 | $560 | $1880 | |
12 x 14' | $3280 | $648 | $2120 | |
12 x 16' | $3480 | $740 | $2360 | |
12 x 20' | $4340 | $880 | $2940 | |
12 x 24' | $4690 | $1040 | $3400 | |
14 x 14' | $3450 | $731 | $2450 | |
14 x 16' | $3650 | $833 | $2720 | |
14 x 20' | $4520 | $1024 | $3350 | |
14 x 24' | $4880 | $1219 | $3970 | |
14 x 28' | $5380 | $1480 | $2450*2 | |
16 x 16' | $3980 | $958 | $3010 | |
16 x 20' | $4960 | $1174 | $3530 | |
16 x 24' | $5480 | $1390 | $4050 | |
16 x 28' | $5950 | $1609 | $2720*2 | |
16 x 32' | $6430 | $1825 | $3010*2 |
When a pine pergola is attached to a home, posts are removed which allows a savings of $162 per post.
Steve FlintI set this up by myself in two days (using sawhorses to brace the uprights) and although I'm reasonably handy, I'm no carpenter! All in all it was an excellent experience and my hat's off to you for being able to construct and ship such a good kit. Even considering the shipping costs, there is no way we could have purchased lumber and paid people to construct something like this for the same money. We're considering doing another identical unit in the opposite corner of our courtyard. Well done. And good luck in this economy!
Jonathan SweetThanks Max! I'll send you a picture today once we finish the install. It is truly AMAZING how well everything went together, especially considering the custom nature of the job and the need to build it against an existing structure.
Dan HarmonI was very impressed with how easily the assembly went - the process was intuitive, every part just dropped into place.
Duane DottaWe are extremely pleased. If there is any picture that I haven't taken and you need one a special way, Don't hesitate to call or write. Max made everything easy for us, make sure he sees these pictures.
Susan HallHey Max, I thought you would enjoy these. Feel free to use them. Anytime you have someone in the area that would like to see a pergola. I am happy to show them ours. Thanks so much it is absolutely beautiful!!! I just added it to HGTV. I am sending you a link so you can see. Enjoy!
Troy GordonThe guys just left and the pergola looks great! Thanks so much! ... The guys were great and everything looks super!
Pete and Susan LangSorry it has taken so long to get these pictures to you (a few years to be truthful). We love our pergola and also the furniture. It really does make the space like a room outside. Your product is fabulous. It was easy to assemble and it makes a profound difference in the space. it was a joy working with you and Cheri. We both hope you continued success in your endeavors.
Lynn & JimThe pergola is the focus of our garden and patio area. It succeeded in bringing it all together as we had hoped! The shade is more than ample. I do not believe that I would change any of the specs or proportions if I had a chance to alter the order. It worked out marvelously and have received tons of compliments! Your attention to detail and quality construction is to be commended. Thank you for a job well done.
Mara CruzWe love it! Your assistance and patience during our installation was greatly appreciated.
MichaelHello Matt, This could not have been easier, and it looks absolutely beautiful! took us just shy of 6 hours to put it up, and my wife is already priming the mahogany caps. wish i had another one to put somewhere! thanks again