Pergolas and gazebos in Charleston
Shade decides whether you use a Charleston backyard in July. We build pergolas, gazebos and pavilions in wood or aluminum, set on concrete footings and anchored for coastal wind, and we build the patio underneath in the same job so the posts and the pavers line up.
We price a structure by its footprint, the material and whether it carries a roof. Send a photo of the spot and the size you have in mind, and you get the number the same day.
- We build
- Pergolas, gazebos, pavilions and shade structures
- Materials
- Wood or aluminum
- Set on
- Concrete footings, anchored for wind
- Warranty
- Two years on our workmanship
- Part of
- Our hardscaping work
Pergola and gazebo construction, from footing to roof.
- Size and placement sketched against the house, the sun and the view
- Permits and HOA or BAR approval checked before anything is ordered
- Posts set on metal bases above concrete footings, clear of the dirt
- Beams, rafters and roof built square, with roofs pitched to shed rain
- The patio underneath built in the same job, so posts and pavers line up
- Lights, fans and outlets roughed in by licensed trades if you want them
Plus the roof, if there is one. The material sets the range.
What a pergola or gazebo costs in Charleston: the roof and the material set the range.
An open pergola is a frame that filters the sun. A gazebo or a pavilion is a small building with a roof, and it costs, and gets permitted, like one.
Roots and buried lines at a footing are the surprises here. We file an 811 locate before we dig, and we move a footing rather than cut through a big root.
Built for coastal wind
An open pergola catches some wind, and a roofed pavilion catches far more. Charleston sits in a hurricane-prone coastal zone, so we size footings and anchors for the structure you are building, and on a roofed structure we tie the roof down to the posts instead of resting it on them.
Wood lasts here when it stays dry. The posts stand on metal bases above the footing, out of the dirt and the standing water, and we seal every cut end before it goes up.
Permits, HOAs and historic districts for pergolas and gazebos
A roof makes it a building. A roofed gazebo or pavilion needs a building permit in most towns here, and an open pergola may or may not, depending on its size and your town. We check your address before we price it, so the permit sits in the schedule.
Downtown, the street decides. In the historic districts, the Board of Architectural Review reviews new construction visible from the public street. HOAs in Mount Pleasant, on Daniel Island and in the island communities set height, color and roof material. We put the drawings and the HOA package together with you.
Big trees come first. A structure near a big oak needs its footings outside the root zone. Charleston County protects trees 24 inches across at chest height and up, and Summerville wants a permit from eight inches.
- Where we build
- Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, James Island, Johns Island, West Ashley, Daniel Island, Summerville, Hanahan and Goose Creek.
Pergola and gazebo questions Charleston homeowners ask us.
What is the difference between a pergola, a gazebo and a pavilion?
A pergola is an open frame of posts, beams and rafters that filters the sun. A gazebo is a freestanding roofed structure, six or eight sided. A pavilion is a roof on posts over a patio or a kitchen, open on the sides.
Do I need a permit for a pergola in Charleston?
A roofed gazebo or pavilion needs one in most towns here. An open pergola depends on its size and your town. We check your address and handle the HOA and BAR approvals before anything is built.
Wood or aluminum?
Wood looks warmer, takes paint or stain and costs less up front. Aluminum does not rot, does not feed termites and handles salt air, which makes it worth a look on the islands.
Can a pergola stand up to a hurricane?
One built on real footings, anchored and tied together, stands up to Charleston storms far better than one sitting on pavers or in shallow holes. No structure is storm-proof, and we do not claim one is.
Can you build a pergola over my existing patio?
Often. We lift the pavers where each post lands, pour a footing underneath and relay the pavers around the post base. A poured slab may need footings cut into it.
Can you add a ceiling fan and lights?
Yes. Licensed electricians run the power, and we plan the wiring route before the roof goes on.
Send the spot, take the price.
A photo of where you want shade and a rough size. That is enough for a real number the same day.