Timber Pergolas: Freestanding, House-Attached & Covered

Often not — a pergola is a lighter, more open structure than a fully enclosed garden room, which generally makes it less likely to trigger planning requirements. That said, permitted development rules still set limits based on size, height and how close the structure sits to a boundary, and these rules can be removed or restricted locally through an Article 4 direction, or not apply at all to listed buildings or flats. We are not a planning consultant and do not submit applications, but we will flag anything that looks like it needs checking, and always recommend confirming the position with your local planning authority or the Planning Portal before committing to a design.

A freestanding pergola stands on its own posts and can be positioned anywhere in the garden. A house-attached pergola fixes to an existing wall on one side, usually over a patio or back door, and needs that wall tied into properly so the structure is carried safely rather than relying on light fixings alone. Both are built from the same timber-framed approach — the difference is mainly in how the load is supported.

Yes. Alongside traditional open rafter designs, we build louvred and slatted roof pergolas that give genuine rain cover and shade, with the roof structure sized to the span and designed to shed water off to one side.

We discuss timber choice at the design stage based on budget and how much maintenance you want to take on — treated softwood is more affordable and needs periodic staining or oiling to keep its finish, while a hardwood option needs less frequent attention but costs more upfront. We explain the trade-off honestly rather than defaulting to whichever is easiest for us.

Yes — this is one of the most common reasons people want a pergola. We size and space the timber with the eventual weight of mature climbing plants, such as wisteria or grapevines, in mind from the start, rather than building a light frame that struggles once the planting matures.

For most pergolas, yes — post footings are straightforward enough that our team sets them as part of the build. Where ground conditions are poor, the structure is unusually large, or a reinforced base is needed, we bring in a groundworker rather than cut corners on something outside our usual scope.

There is no fixed figure, because size, whether it is freestanding or attached, roof style (open, slatted or covered), timber choice and whether you want power run to it all affect the price. We start with a free site visit, then provide a fixed, itemised written quote — we do not quote ranges over the phone.