UK pergolas and covered patios
Plan your pergola
Size the pergola to your patio, check the planning rules, and add up the real cost. Then pick timber, aluminium or louvred with the trade-offs in front of you.
Cheapest to buy, needs treating, gives shade not shelter.
AluminiumFixed or canopy roofLow upkeep. A solid or fabric roof keeps the rain off.
LouvredBioclimatic louvresOpen for sun, closed for rain. Costs the most, needs drainage.
Plan
Size it to the furniture, then check the planning limits.
Standing comfortably under the beams, room for hanging lights and heaters, and why the advertised post height is not always the clearance you get.
BoundaryPutting a pergola next to a boundaryMeasuring to the fence properly, talking to your neighbour first, and why the height on the maker's drawing matters near a boundary.
PlannerPergola plannerRecommended pergola size and post-to-post space, a permitted-development traffic light, a sourced cost range and a supplier checklist.
PlanningDoes a pergola need planning permission?The England outbuilding limits a freestanding pergola is usually read against, the exceptions, wall-mounted pergolas, and how Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland differ.
LayoutWall-mounted or freestanding pergola?What changes when a pergola is fixed to the house: fixings, flashing, drainage, door and window heights, and how planning may treat it.
SizingWhat size pergola do I need?Size a pergola from the furniture under it, not the patio. Nominal versus post-to-post size, walkways, overhang and height.
SitingWhere to site a pergola in your gardenSun, shade, wind, the house wall and room to walk round the furniture. How to choose the spot before you choose the kit.
Cost
Kit, fitting, base and electrics, with dated sources.
Types
Louvred, fixed or retractable. Aluminium or timber.
Upkeep, lifespan, cost and what comes in the kit, for aluminium and timber pergolas in a UK garden.
ShapeCorner and L-shaped pergolasA corner or L-shaped pergola versus two standard kits side by side. What changes at the join, and why the maker's drawing still decides it.
CompareGazebo or pergola?Pop-up gazebos, permanent gazebos, pergolas and shade sails compared for UK gardens: shelter, wind, planning and cost.
RoofLouvred, fixed or retractable pergola roof?Bioclimatic louvres, solid and polycarbonate roofs, fabric canopies and open timber: what each does in British rain, wind and winter.
Build
Base, fixings, wind and snow.
How to tell whether your patio can take a pergola's bolts, and what to do if it cannot.
BasePergola base and fixingsPatio slab, concrete pads or ground screws: what a pergola stands on, how it is anchored, and what to ask the maker.
DeckingPutting a pergola on deckingFixing or standing a pergola on an existing deck. Why the frame under the boards matters more than the boards, and when to call in a competent installer.
WeatherPergolas in wind and snowHow to read a maker's wind and snow rating, why the conditions matter, opening louvres, anchoring, and exposed UK gardens.
RainRain and guttering on a pergolaWhere rain goes on a louvred or fixed pergola roof, how the gutter and posts carry it away, and why the outlet still needs somewhere to go.
RepairRepairing a rotten pergola postHow to spot rot at the base of a timber pergola post, when a carpenter or a replacement post is the honest answer, and why paint is not a repair.
UpkeepTimber pergola maintenanceKeeping a timber pergola kit sound in a UK climate: treatment, post bases, fixings, plants and annual checks.
Extras
Side screens, heaters, lighting and the electrics behind them.
Growing climbers over a pergola without rotting the timber or overloading a kit frame. What to ask before you plant, and how to keep on top of it.
ElectricsPergola electrics, motorised roofs and Part PPower for motorised louvres, heaters and lighting: what Part P covers in England, RCD protection, and what to ask your electrician.
ExtrasPergola side screens, heaters and lightingSide blinds and curtains, electric patio heaters and their clearances, festoon and fixed lighting, and when you need an electrician.
Buy
Round-ups from published specifications. Not tested by us.
Around the garden