Corner and L-shaped pergolas

Not every patio is a rectangle. A patio that wraps round the corner of a house, or a garden with a seating area in one corner, can suit a pergola that is not a simple box. There are broadly three ways to do it, and each has its own trade-offs.

Option 1: a purpose-made corner or L-shaped design

Some makers and installers offer a layout that turns a corner, either as a kit or made to measure. The frame is designed as one structure, with a shared post or beam where the two arms meet.

• Pros: one design, one set of instructions, and the join is the maker's problem, not yours.
• Cons: fewer options and less choice of kit. Made-to-measure is usually priced by quote rather than off the shelf. The louvred cost page explains how we treat prices.

Option 2: two standard kits side by side

Two rectangular kits placed at right angles, or end to end with one turned, can cover an L-shaped space.

• Pros: standard kits, easier to find and compare. Each one can be fitted on its own if needed.
• Cons: the join. Two kits are designed to stand alone. Placing them together leaves either a gap, which lets rain through, or a doubling of posts in the corner. Joining them with your own beam or fixings is outside the maker's instructions.

Ask the maker before you join two kits. Some say that modifying or linking frames affects the guarantee or the stated ratings.

Option 3: a single larger rectangle

Sometimes the simplest answer is a single rectangular pergola over the main seating area, with the rest of the L left open or shaded by a parasol or sail. It is easier to buy and to fit, and nothing in the corner needs a special detail.

What changes at the corner

Wherever two arms meet, check:

• Posts. A corner layout may need a post at the inside corner, right where people want to walk. Find out where the posts actually go.
• Rain. Two roofs meeting at an angle need a way to deal with the water at the join. On louvred or fixed roofs that means a gutter or seal at the junction. See the rain and guttering guide.
• Wind. An L-shape has a different wind behaviour from a rectangle. Ask the maker whether their stated ratings apply to the combined layout.
• The house wall. Many L-shaped layouts run along two walls of the house. That raises the questions in the wall-mounted or freestanding guide.

Why the drawing still matters

With an unusual shape, the product photo tells you even less than usual. You need a dimensioned plan showing every post, the overall size of each arm and the height. Check:

• the clear space between posts in each arm, measured against your furniture with the chairs pulled out
• where the posts land on your patio or base
• the overall height at every point, including where the arms meet.

The what size pergola guide explains how to size each area from the furniture. For choosing the spot, see where to site a pergola.

Material choice

Timber suits custom shapes better, because a carpenter can cut a beam to fit. Aluminium kits come in fixed sizes, so an L-shape usually means a maker's own system or a made-to-measure order. The aluminium or timber guide compares them in general terms.

Can I join two pergola kits together?

Only if the maker says you can and tells you how. Joining two frames that were designed to stand alone changes how they behave in wind, and may affect the guarantee.

Is an L-shaped pergola treated differently for planning?

The shape itself is not the usual question. Size, height, position and whether it is fixed to the house matter more. Read our planning permission page and check with your council if in doubt.

Is a corner pergola cheaper than two kits?

It depends on the products and who fits them. We do not print a figure. Get prices for both layouts with the same roof type and the same fitting, and compare like with like.