Pergola Construction
Handis pergola construction puts an open-roof shade structure on a residential deck, patio, or backyard — Western Red Cedar timber-frame or powder-coated aluminum with motorized adjustable louvers, attached to the house with a ledger or freestanding on four to six concrete-set posts — from $5,000 for an 8-by-10 cedar plan to $30,000 for a large motorized aluminum louvered configuration. The deck that gets full afternoon sun from 2 PM to 7 PM in July and is unusable for the family dinner. The patio under the maple where the dappled shade only lands in a corner. The hot tub that the neighbor's second-floor window now overlooks. A pergola is the shade infrastructure that turns those spaces into usable summer rooms. Four variants below cover the budget natural-wood plan, the premium controlled-blade aluminum system, the attached-to-the-house configuration with the structural permit, and the freestanding plan that often clears the permit threshold entirely. Same crew, same concrete footings, same hardware torque spec on every build.
Variants
Pergola Construction Pricing
Final pricing depends on size, material (cedar vs aluminum louvered), attachment (attached vs freestanding), and the structural permit scope on attached configurations. Each variant page below lists detailed pricing for that build type. Permit fees on attached pergolas pass through transparently as a named line item. Line-voltage lighting and motorized-louver line-power circuits are invoiced separately by the licensed electrician. Request a free estimate for an accurate quote.
Tell us the footprint and whether it attaches to the house or stands free — we will quote the cedar plan, the louvered plan, or both so you can compare honestly.
Why Handis for Pergola Construction
The most common booking call we get is the homeowner who has been looking at pergola photos on Pinterest for a year, has a 10-by-12 deck or a 12-by-14 patio that needs shade from June through August, and cannot decide between cedar and aluminum louvered. The honest answer is the choice between accepting open-roof shade (cedar — rain falls through, sun filters in dappled light, the wood weathers silver) and paying for controlled-roof shade (aluminum louvered — blades open and close, rain sheds through an integrated gutter, the manufacturer warranty stays in force for a decade). Both are good answers; they solve different problems. A cedar pergola is a furniture-grade backyard feature for $5,000 to $14,000. A louvered system is a year-round outdoor-room infrastructure for $12,000 to $30,000. We quote both on the booking call so you can compare the numbers without a sales pitch and pick the one that matches the use case.
Estimate
Tell us the footprint (rough length and width — a 10-by-12 measurement off the deck or a sketch of where the posts could land), the material preference (Western Red Cedar timber-frame or aluminum louvered with motorized blades), whether the structure attaches to the house or stands free, the use case (dining, seating cluster, hot tub canopy, full outdoor room), and any low-voltage lighting or motor wiring you want integrated. We name the permit scope and any licensed-electrician scope on the estimate so you see the full project cost up front.
Customer Reviews
Recent pergola construction reviews from real Handis customers.
12x16 freestanding cedar pergola over our flagstone patio in Magnolia. Handis power-augered the six footings, set 6x6 cedar posts on Simpson ABU anchors with the 48-hour concrete cure, raised the 4x8 beams with a deck post jack on a Saturday, and had the 2x6 rafters trimmed and the tails chamfered by end of Sunday. Reads exactly like the inspiration photos we showed them. Two summers in and the cedar is right at that silver-grey patina we wanted.
14x16 Struxure motorized louvered pergola attached to our deck off the master bedroom in Bellevue. Blades open in summer, close in October when the rain returns. Handis ran the structural permit through Bellevue, coordinated the louver-motor wiring, and the electrician sub trimmed the line-voltage feed on the same day. Manufacturer warranty stays in force because they ran the dealer-installer protocol. Three days of work, one framing inspection, one final inspection, no surprises.
10x12 attached cedar pergola off the back deck in our 1962 Mercer Island split-level. Handis pulled the Mercer Island permit, through-bolted the ledger into the rim joist with the Z-flashing kit at the top to keep water out of the wall, and set the two outer posts on auger-dug footings. Cedar reads as if it has always been there. Final inspection cleared first pass.
8x10 freestanding cedar pergola over our hot tub in Kirkland. Smallest plan they build but Handis took the same care — power-augered the four footings, set the 6x6 cedar posts plumb against a 4-foot level, raised the 4x8 beams, chamfered the rafter tails. Under the 200-square-foot threshold so no Kirkland permit was needed. Five days from booking call to finished pergola.
12x14 freestanding cedar pergola in our Ballard backyard — full dining-table size. Handis dug six footings with a power auger because the lot has heavy clay (would have taken a week with a manual post-hole digger), set the posts on the cured concrete, raised the 6x8 beams (they up-sized the beams from 4x8 because of the 12-foot span), and chamfered the rafter tails. Looks like furniture-grade carpentry, not a kit assembly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Handis pergola construction — pricing, the cedar-versus-louvered choice, attached vs freestanding, permits, lead times, and licensed electrician handoff.