Pergola height and headroom

Height is easy to overlook when you buy a pergola. Most people check the width and length against the patio and assume the height will be fine. Then the beam is lower than expected, a lamp hangs at head height, or a tall guest ducks every time they stand up.

Several heights, one product page

A pergola has more than one height, and product pages do not always say which one they mean.

• Post height. The length of the post, sometimes including the part in a spike or shoe.
• Clearance. The height from the ground to the underside of the lowest beam, gutter or frame. This is what you walk under.
• Overall height. From the ground to the highest point of the roof or louvre frame. This is the figure that matters for planning.

The headline height on a listing may be any of these. On a louvred roof, the gutter frame often hangs below the top of the post, so the clearance is less than the post height. On a sloping fixed roof, the clearance at the low side is less than at the high side.

Use the maker's dimensioned drawing for the exact model. If it does not show the clearance, ask the maker before you order.

What reduces your headroom

Work out the real clearance by taking off everything that hangs below the beams and adding anything that raises the floor.

• Hanging lights, fans or heaters that drop below the beams.
• Side screens and their boxes, which often fix under the top beam.
• Curtain rails and tracks.
• A raised patio or decking under the pergola, which brings the floor closer to the beams.
• Bars, swings and hanging chairs, which need clear room around them as well as height.

Standing, not sitting

It is easy to check headroom sitting down and forget that people stand up from the table, walk round it and carry trays. Stand under the lowest part, with the tallest member of the household, and reach up. Then think about a hanging light over the table, where people will stand to serve.

Hanging lights and heaters

A pendant light or heater over the table eats into headroom where you least want to lose it. Check the drop of the fitting, plus any chain or bracket, against the clearance from the drawing. Heaters usually have minimum clearances from the maker, so follow their instructions. Our side screens, heaters and lighting guide covers the products. We do not give wiring instructions. Fixed electrics are covered on the electrics and Part P page.

The roof affects how high it feels

An open frame feels taller than its height, because you see sky through it. A solid or louvred roof at the same height can feel lower and darker, especially near the house. The roof types guide compares them.

Taller is not always better

A taller pergola gives more headroom, but it also:

• catches more wind
• lets in more low sun and rain from the sides
• can be more noticeable to neighbours
• may be limited by planning, especially near a boundary.

We do not print a legal height. The planning permission page explains how height is treated. Rules differ across the UK, so check with your council if in doubt.

Fixed to the house

If one side is fixed to the house, the height at the wall is set by doors, windows and the eaves. That can fix the height of the whole pergola. The what size pergola guide covers how size and height fit together.

Can I make a pergola kit taller?

Only if the maker offers taller posts or extensions for that model. Adding height with your own post extensions or raised blocks changes how the frame handles wind and may affect the guarantee.

How much headroom do I need under a pergola?

It depends on who uses it and what hangs from it. Stand under a similar structure, or mark the height with a cane, and test it with the tallest person in the household.

Does the advertised height include the gutter?

Not always. On some louvred pergolas the gutter frame sits below the top of the post. Check the drawing for the clearance under the lowest part.