Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Anchor Kit give a 1/4-inch clearance from the concrete platform? Bermuda building code.

The anchors are 1/4″-thick steel. So, by placing them on the concrete they will indeed automatically raise the wood posts off the ground by your required code. Plus, the anchor bolts will not sit completely flush at the base of the anchors, so this will add another 1/32″ or so height off the ground.

Also, we recommend taking a few minutes to add some paint (oil-based is best) to the bottoms and first few inches of the posts. Add a couple of coats to make sure they are 100% sealed up. For the tropics where there is an almost endless supply of water, this will make sure the bottom of the posts wick up as little moisture as possible. Since you are using our anchoring kit, the included wood trim pieces will hide the paint at the base of the posts—so if you have old, extra paint lying around, this is a great way to put it to good use.

Do you give any detailed directions on pergola assembly? Such as where chainsaw cuts are needed, how to attach the different poles, how to set the pole on top of a cement base, and any type of sealant?

A Pole Pergola is relatively simple to build. You will need a bit of muscle to put it together, but it’s healthy fun work. I would buy at least one extra pole in each size to make sure you have everything beforehand. When we build them locally, we have always cut at least one to the wrong size or placed a notch in the wrong place. And, we almost always make at least minor design changes as the structure starts to take shape. What you don’t want happening is having to email us a month from now to ship you ONE more post cross country.

We have installed about a dozen pole pergolas in California over the past couple years for customers that didn’t want to tackle it. We build them using just a few tools: a small chainsaw to resize and notch the posts, a drill to pre-drill the holes where the lag bolts will be screwed in, a ratchet for the lag bolts, a couple ladders, and a level to make sure everything is straight.

If you follow a few simple steps, you can have a beautiful Redwood Pole Pergola that will last for years!

Here are a few pointers we’ve picked up that will save you time and make the structures last a couple decades at least:

If the pergola is going on undeveloped ground, dig holes a couple feet deep (or below your local frost-line). You can use sonotubing about 8 inches wide or just dig a hole about 10” wide or so and add metal and rebar. Place a metal anchor (like a Simpson Tie brand anchor available at any hardware store in dozens of sizes) about two inches above ground level to dry into the concrete pour. A day after the concrete pour you can attach your posts to these metal anchors with lag bolts.

Make sure your corners are squared before pouring concrete. To square your corners, make sure the diagonals across to each corner are identical in length (or at least to a ¼” difference).

To maximize the life of these beautiful rustic pole pergolas, make sure to elevate the posts a couple inches off the ground (by pouring the concrete that way). This will keep the posts from absorbing constant moisture from the ground and you’ll significantly increase their life. Another thing to do is to seal up all the pole ends thoroughly. Use oil-based paint in a color that is closest to the natural wood color so it will blend in and barely be noticeable. Add 2 or 3 coats to all the ends to seal them up as much as possible. Take extra time to do this to the ones that will be facing down at ground level.

You’ll also need at least one helper with a good back to help hoist the poles in place and basic chainsaw operation and safety knowledge (yes, gloves and a helmet are excellent ideas!). When you are putting up the first pieces, you may need a second helper for a few minutes to hold things in place.

Now the real fun begins. Notch into the bark and a bit into the wood where the poles will meet to “lock” them together and to make the lag bolt go from wood to wood and not from bark to bark. Each spot where a pole meets another pole should be notched this way. Then drill through and attach a lag bolt. We usually use 8-inch log galvanized lag bolts. 3/8” thick is usually enough. As you lay out the poles, notice they all have taper of approximately 1 inch in diameter per 6 to 8 ft. This is the natural shape of the young trees. To compensate for this place the fat ends of the poles in alternating directions—one fat end followed by one thin end followed by one fat (per side), etc.

Other than that, be safe and have fun with it. A tiny chainsaw is more than sufficient to do the work. No need for a $500 saw—a $100 chainsaw will do the job fine.

I’d like to put a pergola on my existing wood deck, and I was wondering if your anchor kits would be compatible with a wood deck as the foundation?

We’ve built pergola kits for wooden decks many times. Sometimes, if the pergola is rather large (over 120 square ft), the customer winds up deciding to order some or all of the posts longer in order to anchor them to a support beam below deck level. You can then tie the pergola posts to the support beam with long carriage bolts.

How the pergola is attached really depends on your deck’s structure and the size of the pergola you are considering.

A five minute phone conversation usually covers any questions. If you prefer email, send a couple photos of your deck, along with the pergola size you are contemplating. We will take a look at your situation and offer a suggestion on how to best secure the pergola for long term safety and enjoyment.

[The following is an example taken from an email exchange.]

There are many ways to configure the pole structure. I will present just one idea for now and you can review and make changes from this starting point, to arrive at what would work best for you.

Pergola Made of Redwood Poles

If we are to cover a total roof space of up to 12′ 5″ x 28′ 5″ or slightly smaller, we will need at least a 6-post structure. For example, we can build a 6-post version of the 8-post pole structure pictured at right. If you don’t like this one, just let us know what you have in mind. I mention this one because it’s popular and simple. We place 6 poles in the ground and then run roof support poles between them along the long length (28′ 5″). The 6 post poles should be at least 8″ in diameter. The roof support poles can be a bit smaller, maybe 7″ in diameter. Once this basic roof structure is up, you can add the “roof” poles in just about any configuration that pleases you. From a more open design as shown in the photo to a more closed design with smaller poles if you prefer.

Please take a look at the several pole pergolas on our site and let us know if any of them are in the direction of what you’d like to accomplish. We can assemble and install the pole pergola for you because you are here in California. We will cut all the posts and make the necessary notching on site.  We will also do the necessary concrete work for the posts.

The pole cost is reasonable. If we build the basic structure of the photo with 6 posts and keep the pole spacing of the roof at roughly 3 feet on center, you will need:

• 6 post poles – 12 ft long, 7” minimum diameter
• 4 roof support poles – 14 ft long, 7” minimum diameter
• 9 roof poles – 14 ft long (trimmed to 12’ 5”), 5” minimum diameter
• 10 roof timber poles (highest roof level of photo above) – 14 ft long (2 poles will be spliced together at center to cover the 28’ span—this won’t be visible), 3.5” minimum diameter

What’s the difference between anchoring pergola posts above ground, and sinking them 3 feet under?

You can do it both ways, but sinking the posts is a better alternative if you’re going to buy the pergola in the Mature or Old-Growth Redwood. Both wood grades are very decay resistant in moist conditions (like underground) and will hold up fine for decades. The Redwood wood grade will only last 15 years if buried 3 feet underground. This is the reason both anchoring options are mentioned.

Sinking the posts is a structurally stronger way to attach the set. You’ll pay a bit more for the longer posts, but you don’t have to buy the anchoring kit. Some customers like the trim pieces around the base of the posts even when they are sinking the posts in the ground. If you are planning on sinking the posts and want the trim pieces, just let us know in the “Special Instructions & Custom Requests” box upon checkout. We’ll send them at no extra charge.

If you are in a relatively dry climate (less than 20 inches of rain per year), the Redwood wood grade is the best investment because it will last a couple decades in the drier climate and is less expensive than Mature or Old-Growth Redwood. If you’re going with the Redwood wood grade, do the concrete work and attach above ground for a long-lasting structure. If you’re planning to purchase the Mature Redwood, sink the posts and order them 12 feet long.

We rarely sell pergola kits in Old-Growth. It’s an exquisite wood most of our customers order for furniture instead. We will gladly build your pergola in Old-Growth if you prefer, but for most parts of the country, your best investment option in relation to durability is the Mature Redwood. It will last 25 to 30 years without maintenance even in severe climates, while the Old-Growth may last 5 to 10 years longer but at a significant price premium.

We are in the first stages of laying out a ground-level patio that is 12 feet squared. We have dug up the ground, laid plastic, and several feet of sand. The area is also leveled, and tomorrow we will be digging a trench for weeping tile around the top side of the very small slope that the patio lays on.

I have seen the photos on your web site on how to install the 4 posts into a cement style flooring. But, we will be laying down slate, granite, and stone of all different sizes onto the sand. How do we go about stabilizing the 4 main posts? My husband thinks we need to go just outside of the 12 foot square on each corner, dig post holes, level them, and fill the holes in as the starting point. Is my husband on the right track?

There are many ways to do it. You can attach the posts directly on the slate with our anchoring kit, but the slate may crack at installation or down the road. Ask your slate contractor how much weight/stress it can take. The pergola will add about 300 lbs per post.

You can do as your husband suggests, and place the posts outside the slate deck. Dig 3 feet down, add a bit of rebar and then fill with concrete. The structure will always be stronger if you bury the posts 3 feet in the ground.

If you don’t like the idea of having the posts outside the slate deck, build the pergola prior to placing down the slate. Place the posts where you’d like and do the same as mentioned above. Then build the slate deck around the posts. If you decide to place the posts within the slate deck, just keep in mind when pouring the concrete for the posts to pour to only within a few inches of ground level. This way the concrete around the post base will not interfere with the slate installation afterwards.

If we simply dig down the 4 feet, just below the frost line, then line each post up straight, back fill in, wouldn’t that be good enough, or would we have to do each post in cement?

Yes, you can do it the way you are describing, but it won’t be very strong and may move around over time. If you don’t want to use cement to save money you can do it the old-fashioned way. In the old days, fence posts were secured by jamming medium sized rocks into the hole with a steel rod. This is still done as an effective way to secure posts inexpensively. Just place the post in place below the frost line and add just enough backfill dirt and small stones to keep it level and upright.  Then start throwing in larger stones/rocks and jam them in. Continue until you are just a few inches from the top. Then add dirt to finish and seal it up. Or, to make it a bit stronger–and not spend much money–you can add just a bit of concrete. Water the mix so it will seap down through the stones to the bottom of your holes. The post holes don’t need to be more than about 10″ to 12″ wide.

I am concerned regarding the method of attaching the pergola posts to my deck framing. What is your experience here? The deck is framed with 2×10 and currently decked with plywood. It has yet to be waterproofed and can be torn up if needed. Should we use Simpson Ties or the like to mount the post to the deck joists?

You can attach the pergola using off-the-shelf “Simpson Ties” brand metal anchors. Just lag bolt them into the wood framing of your deck and then bolt the posts to the decking.

All the timbers are notched into one another to distribute stresses throughout the structure. The roof slats at the top of the roof are notched into the roof rafters below. The roof rafters are notched into the roof support timbers and the roof support timbers are notched into the posts. All the notching creates a “web effect” that is structurally very strong. All the timbers are full dimension. For example, the roof rafters are real 2″ x 6″ (not like a hardware store 2×6 that is really only 1 1/2″ x 5 1/2″).

All of the hardware used to reassemble the pergola is included and is stainless steel—except the post anchors. Whether you purchase our anchoring kit or use Simpson Ties, these are standard steel (cannot get the ties in stainless). If you order our anchoring kit, we’ll send the metal anchors, anchor bolts (for concrete) or lags (for securing to wood decks) plus the lag bolts to bolt the posts to the metal anchors. Our anchor kits include the wood trim pieces to create a “boot” around the base of the posts to hide the metal in an attractive way.