Heavy Timber Pergolas: A Comprehensive Guide
Last Updated: Mar 29, 2025Any home's value and visual appeal can be increased by a simple wooden structure called a pergola.
Pergolas have adorned yards and gardens for more than 3,000 years, dating back to ancient Egypt, where a high court official built a garden pergola. Today, pergolas can be custom-built or purchased in kits in hundreds of unique shapes and styles to match any home style or intended use, from entryways to entertaining spaces. Today, we’re focusing on one of our favorites: a heavy timber pergola.
Table of Contents
- What is Heavy Timber Pergola?
- What Type of Wood Is Used for a Heavy Timber Pergola?
- How Much Does it Cost to Build a Pergola?
- Gazebo vs. Pergola
- Do Pergolas Block the Sun?
- Creative Pergola Ideas
- What Will You Do With Your Pergola?
What is Heavy Timber Pergola?
A heavy timber pergola is simply an outdoor wooden structure composed of posts and crossbeams with the top left open and airy. They make for a beautiful addition to any yard or garden or a functional space for entertaining.
The heavy timber makes it possible to grow plants up the posts and even over the top, using the crossbeams to climb and create a gorgeous, natural “roof.” You might choose to grow berries, grapes, ivy, or even fragrant wisteria up the posts and over the top for a truly luxurious outdoor atmosphere. If you’d prefer to leave the top open, you could still use the posts as stakes to grow plants like tomatoes and peppers.
What Type of Wood Is Used for a Heavy Timber Pergola?
Choosing a rot-resistant hardwood makes for a durable and robust pergola that will last 40 years or longer. Most pergolas are built with cedar, hemlock, tamarack, or Douglas fir and can be left natural to age to a beautiful silver color. If you avoid painting and staining your pergola, it can even be composted at the end of its life.
Installers use large, heavy, rough-cut lumber rather than finished lumber for a longer-lasting pergola that can withstand weather and the weight of climbing plants.
How Much Does it Cost to Build a Pergola?
Pergolas range in price from just $1,000 for a small and straightforward entryway to upwards of $6,000 for larger, more intricate designs. Ready-made pergola kits are easy to self-install and available at set prices, so you can choose the pergola that fits your available budget. With just a few friends, you could start the installation in the morning and enjoy your new pergola by dinnertime.
Or, you can hire a professional to design, build, and install a unique pergola just for you. When planning with your chosen professional, talk to them about options in wood, labor, and other factors that may impact the finished cost. If you’re planning to add walls or a canopy to your pergola, be sure you budget for that extra expense as well.
Gazebo vs. Pergola
Many people use the words “gazebo” and “pergola” interchangeably, not realizing a difference. The most significant difference is the shape of the structure and whether or not it has a covering.
A pergola is usually square or rectangular and held up by posts, leaving the top and sides open. This design makes a pergola an excellent choice for a home entrance, walkways, and over patios and decks. Pergolas are available in various styles, including arched tops, high-pitched open roofs, stately columns, or even a unique shape like those commonly used in Japanese-style gardens. Built custom or from a kit, pergolas can be installed long and narrow, big and square, or anywhere in between.
On the other hand, Gazebos are usually round or octagonal, have a solid roof, and many have low walls around the edges. Gazebos are often very intricate in design with scalloped edges and delicately cut features. A gazebo is usually smaller than a pergola and may be raised with steps leading up, making them popular for wedding vows and artsy entertaining stages. And, because gazebos include a solid roof (and a lot more timber), they may last longer than the typical pergola.
Do Pergolas Block the Sun?
Unlike gazebos, pergolas can be built to your preference for sun coverage. It can block the sun completely, leave the roof open to allow sunlight to pour in, or be made with retractable tops and walls.
Outdoor Sports Bar
If you enjoy watching sporting events, you might design your pergola like a pub. It could include a wet bar complete with beer taps, shelving for bottles and glasses, and even a wine fridge. Stock your backyard sports bar with a blender, cocktail shaker, funky margarita glasses, and decorate it with unique light fixtures, signs, and posters. You might add outdoor TVs or projectors to watch your favorite team in the great outdoors or have a family video game night. A pool or foosball table and a dartboard will complete the at-home sports bar.
What Will You Do With Your Pergola?
With so many options in size, shape, and style, your pergola can be designed to match your home and serve any lifestyle you might enjoy. From outdoor parties to grand entryways, your pergola is sure to make a difference to your yard.
Laura Bourland
Laura grew up in the California suburbs, far removed from environmentalism, but nature always has a way. She uprooted her life in 2015, moving to the countryside of Washington to live a more sustainable and simple life on 12 acres. She and her fiancee are learning on the job as they attempt everything from gardening and natural pest control to eco-friendly building and home improvement.