Pergolas · Buying guide

Pergola Buying Guide: Aluminum vs Steel vs Wood, Louvered Roofs, Wind and Snow Ratings, and Permits

By Jarad Mitchell · Updated October 18, 2026 · Based on manufacturer spec pages, HomeGuide cost data, ASCE design-load tools and model building code provisions linked below

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A pergola can be a $1,500 weekend kit or an $18,000 motorized louvered roof. Most buyers compare looks and price. The questions that decide whether it's still standing, and still legal, in five years are material, roof type, whether its wind and snow ratings fit where you live, and how it's anchored and permitted. This guide takes them in that order.

The short answer

For most people who want a roof that opens and closes, an aluminum louvered kit is the low-maintenance default. For a classic open-beam look or a custom size, wood (or a bracket system like Toja Grid with your own lumber) gives you the most flexibility. Whatever you choose, compare its wind and snow ratings against your address (see below). This is where many kits fall short.

Aluminum vs steel vs wood

Aluminum

Aluminum doesn't rust, and a powder-coated finish needs little more than washing. It's the most common material for louvered kits. Mirador, Paragon and Purple Leaf all sell aluminum louvered models^[3][4][5]. Aluminum is lighter than steel, so strength comes from the profile: post and beam size and wall thickness. Purple Leaf, for example, advertises a 4.33-inch crossbeam on one model and a 1.5mm column wall^[5]. Compare those numbers, not just the word "aluminum."

Steel

Steel is stiffer and heavier, and it's usually cheaper for the same size. Backyard Discovery's Sarasota louvered pergola uses galvanized, powder-coated steel posts and anchoring plates^[6]. The weak point is the coating. Once it chips or scratches, steel can rust, especially near the coast or where sprinklers hit it. Inspect it once a year and touch up any damage.

Wood

Wood is the traditional choice and the easiest to customize. Cedar resists decay naturally. Yardistry's 12 × 12 pergola uses 6 × 6 posts and FSC-certified cedar with a factory stain^[8]. Pressure-treated pine is cheaper. Use lumber rated for ground contact anywhere wood touches soil or concrete. Wood needs re-staining or sealing, and its warranties are often short. Yardistry's gazebo manual lists one year on materials and workmanship and five years on lumber against rot and decay, with maintenance required^[8].

Hybrid: steel brackets, your lumber

Toja Grid sells powder-coated steel brackets made in Canada that turn standard 4 × 4 or 6 × 6 lumber into a pergola of nearly any size. You buy the wood locally, and the kits don't include lumber or anchoring hardware. The brackets carry a 5-year manufacturing-defect warranty^[7]. It's a good middle path if you want wood with less cutting and joinery.

Open, louvered or solid roof

• Open beams or slats: partial shade, no rain protection, the lowest cost and wind load, and nothing on the roof for snow to pile on. Add a shade sail or retractable canopy if you need more cover.
• Louvered (adjustable): aluminum or steel blades that tilt open for light and close for shade and rain, usually with gutters that drain down the posts^[5][6]. Manual crank or motorized. HomeGuide puts a 12 × 12 at $6,500–$15,800 installed for manual and $7,900–$18,000 for motorized^[2]. Closed louvers shed most rain, but they aren't a sealed roof, and makers tell you to open them in high wind or snow^[3][5].
• Solid (hardtop): metal or polycarbonate panels. These are technically closer to a gazebo or patio cover, they carry snow and wind load all the time, and they're more likely to need a permit.

A motorized roof, lights, fans or outlets add electrical work. Backyard Discovery builds outlets and USB ports into some posts, but you still need a power source^[6]. Outdoor wiring should be done by a licensed electrician under a permit.

Wind and snow ratings: what they mean where you live

Kit makers publish a wind rating in mph and a snow load in pounds per square foot (psf). Here's what several current product pages list:

Two cautions. First, these are manufacturer claims, usually conditional on anchoring, and we didn't find a common third-party test standard behind them. Mirador's own FAQ lists different numbers (13.8 or 17.7 psf, and 73 or 82 mph, depending on model) from its product spec block^[3], so confirm the rating for the exact model and size you're buying. Second, compare them to your local design loads:

• Wind: building codes use the ASCE 7 basic wind speed for your location, a 3-second gust measured 33 feet above open ground. For ordinary buildings it's on the order of 105–115 mph across much of the inland U.S., and much higher along the hurricane coast. FEMA's ASCE 7-22 fact sheet cites Risk Category II speeds of 146 mph for Mobile, Alabama, and 152 mph for Destin, Florida^[10][11]. A 72–102 mph kit rating is below those design speeds, so in windy or coastal areas, treat a kit as a seasonal shade structure unless it's engineered and permitted for your site.
• Snow: look up your ground snow load in the free ASCE Hazard Tool by entering your address^[10]. In snowy regions it can be several times the 13–27 psf ratings above, and drifting next to a house wall adds more. In those climates, choose open beams or louvers you can leave open, clear heavy snow, or buy a structure engineered for your load.

Hurricane zones (Florida and the Gulf and Atlantic coasts)

In South Florida's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (Miami-Dade and Broward), cities' pergola permit checklists ask for a current Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA), a Florida Product Approval, or sealed engineered plans^[13]. Some louvered systems, such as Azenco's R-Blade, hold a Miami-Dade NOA^[13]. Most online kits don't, so ask before you buy. Elsewhere on the coast, check your county's wind speed in the ASCE tool and ask the building department what it needs.

Snow country (Northern tier, Mountain West, Great Lakes snow belts)

Prefer louvered roofs you can leave open all winter, or open beams. A closed louvered roof is meant to carry some snow. Purple Leaf markets its 13 psf rating as holding snow off your furniture^[5], but a big storm can exceed that quickly. Footings matter more here too (see below).

Anchoring and footings

Nearly every kit's wind rating assumes it's bolted down correctly. Mirador and Purple Leaf both tie their ratings to anchoring, and Purple Leaf specifies expansion screws into a "hardened floor"^[3][5]. Common setups:

• Existing concrete patio: a pergola is only as good as the slab under it. A thin or cracked patio may not hold anchors in a gust. Many installers pour separate footings under each post.
• Concrete footings in soil: piers under each post, with depth set by local code. In cold climates that often means below the frost line, to prevent frost heave from lifting and racking the frame. Ask your building department.
• Wood deck: the deck framing has to carry the uplift and lateral loads. Attach to joists and blocking with through-bolts, not to deck boards. An engineer or deck builder should check heavy louvered units.
• Call 811 before you dig. It's free, and utilities will mark buried lines. Most states require a few business days' notice^[12].

Permits, HOAs and setbacks

Permit rules are local, but most U.S. cities start from the International Residential Code (IRC). Under IRC section R105.2, one-story detached accessory structures up to 200 square feet can be exempt from a building permit^[9]. Many cities apply that to freestanding open pergolas. Common reasons you'll still need a permit:

• It's attached to the house, where the detached exemption doesn't apply.
• It's over 200 sq ft or has a solid roof.
• It has electrical work (a motorized roof, lighting, outlets), which needs an electrical permit.
• Your city or county amended the exemption. Many have.

Even when no building permit is required, zoning setbacks (distance from property lines), easements, flood zones and HOA rules still apply. Purple Leaf's listing specifically tells buyers to check HOA approval before purchasing, because many associations regulate louvered pergolas^[5]. Get approvals in writing before you order a kit that may be non-returnable once it's opened.

Brands on paper

Mirador(paid link) Paragon Outdoor(paid link) Purple Leaf(paid link)

Backyard Discovery(paid link) Toja Grid(paid link) Yardistry(paid link)

What it costs

HomeGuide's national estimates:

Hidden costs to budget for: footings or a new slab, anchors (sometimes sold separately), permits and HOA fees, electrical work for motorized roofs and lights, and freight. Big louvered kits ship as several hundred pounds of crates. Mirador lists its 10 × 10 at 308 pounds, and Backyard Discovery lists the 10 × 10 Sarasota at about 482^[3][6]. Plan for at least two to four people on assembly day^[5].

Planning a hot tub under it? Check the roof clearance and the electrical disconnect location first. See our hot tub buying guide.

Sources

1. HomeGuide, "How Much Does a Pergola Cost? (2026)" (kit and custom costs, material cost per sq ft, labor): homeguide.com
2. HomeGuide, "How Much Does a Louvered or Motorized Pergola Cost? (2026)": homeguide.com
3. Mirador Outdoor, 111DA 10' × 10' louvered pergola product page (snow load, wind rating, weight, warranty, FAQ): miradoroutdoor.com
4. Paragon Outdoor, Suprema louvered pergola and louvered pergola comparison: paragon-outdoor.com · Lugano
5. Purple Leaf, adjustable louvered aluminum pergola product page (wind, snow, anchoring, HOA note, assembly): purpleleafshop.com
6. Backyard Discovery, 10 × 10 Sarasota Steel Louvered Pergola product page: backyarddiscovery.com
7. Toja Grid (Toja USA), pergola kits, FAQ and warranty: tojaliving.com · FAQ · warranty
8. Yardistry, 12 × 12 Pergola (Costco) product page and 12 × 14 gazebo instruction manual (warranty terms): yardistrystructures.com · manual (PDF)
9. Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Building Codes training, "Accessory Structures, 2021 IRC" (R105.2 permit exemptions): bsd.dli.mt.gov (PDF)
10. ASCE Hazard Tool (ASCE 7-22 wind and snow by address): gis.asce.org · about
11. FEMA, "Highlights of Significant Changes to the Wind Load Provisions of ASCE 7-22" (fact sheet): fema.gov (PDF)
12. PHMSA, "Call Before You Dig" (811): phmsa.dot.gov
13. City of Hollywood, FL, Gazebo/Pergola permit submittal checklist; Miami-Dade NOA 25-0205.04 (Azenco R-Blade): hollywoodfl.org · miamidade.gov (PDF)