Local pros · Outdoor structures
Hiring a pergola or deck builder
A pergola kit looks like a weekend project until you get to the anchors. Heavy aluminum louvered kits need footings or a slab that can hold them down in a storm, and most towns treat a deck or a roofed pergola as a structure that needs a permit.
Hire right once: Have the builder check the kit's wind and snow ratings against your address and size the footings to the maker's anchor requirements. Re-pouring footings later costs more than doing them once.
Before you hire, check:
- Contractor license or registration and liability insurance
- Permit, setback and HOA approval before anything is ordered
- Footing or slab specs from the kit maker's installation manual
What they do for these products
- Kit assembly: assemble and square aluminum, steel or cedar kits, anchor them to an existing slab or new footings, and wire louvered roofs' motors or lights (or bring in an electrician).
- Custom pergolas: design and build in wood or aluminum to your footprint, often attached to the house.
- Decks and pads: build the deck or pour the concrete pad a pergola, hot tub or sauna sits on, sized for its filled or loaded weight.
- Load checks: compare the structure's rated wind speed and snow load to your site's design values, which you can look up with the ASCE Hazard Tool.[1]
Licensing and permits
Contractor licensing for decks and outdoor structures varies widely: some states license general or residential contractors, others only require local registration. Ask for proof of liability insurance either way. Decks almost always need a building permit, and pergolas often do too, especially when attached to the house, roofed with louvers, or over a size threshold set by your town. HOAs may require design approval first. Footings must go below the frost line where your code requires it.
Questions to ask
- Will my slab hold the kit's anchors, or do we need new footings, and how deep?
- Do the kit's wind and snow ratings meet our site's design values?
- Who pulls the permit and handles HOA approval?
- Is electrical work for motors, lights or fans included or subcontracted?
- How do you handle drainage from a louvered roof?
- What's your workmanship warranty, and does assembly by you keep the maker's warranty valid?
Typical costs
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Pergola kit assembly and install (labor) | $600–$1,500[2] |
| Custom-built pergola | $30–$65 per sq ft[2] |
| New deck | $25–$50 per sq ft[3] |
| Wood deck addition (national average job cost) | $18,263, about 95% recouped at resale[4] |
| Composite deck addition (national average job cost) | $25,096, about 89% recouped[4] |
Related buying guides
- Pergola buying guide (wind and snow ratings, anchoring)
- Hot tub buying guide (pad and deck weight)
- Concrete contractors (footings, piers and pads)
- Outdoor sofas and sectionals
Sources
- ASCE Hazard Tool: asce.org
- HomeGuide, Pergola Cost (2026): homeguide.com
- HomeGuide, Cost to Build a Deck (2026): homeguide.com
- Zonda, 2025 Cost vs. Value Report (national averages): jlconline.com