Traditional Pergolas - Fine Homebuilding FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Main Menu
Subscribe

In every issue you'll find...

  • Expert insights on techniques and principles
  • Unbiased tool reviews
  • Step-by-step details to master the job
  • Field-tested advice and know-how
Subscribe Now!
Subscribe
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
  • Join
  • Log In
Main Menu Subscribe
Design / Build

Traditional Pergolas

Design/Build: A nearly infinite range of profiles are possible. Here are four common designs.

By Marianne Cusato Issue 274 - April/May 2018
Article Image

A pergola is a decorative shade structure. Pergolas are often used to connect buildings, similar to a breezeway but without full cover from the elements. They are also found as freestanding garden follies, providing a focal point to terminate a vista or a quiet corner for reflection. Perhaps most commonly, they are erected as an extension of a home similar to a covered porch.

Four parts of a pergola

Traditional pergolas have four primary building blocks: the columns, or elements of support; the beams, or spanning elements; the rafter tails, or shading elements; and the purlins, which link the rafters together (and create still more shade). Within the various uses for a pergola and through the many possible variations of the building blocks, you will find endless opportunities when designing a traditional pergola.

Column and beam alignment

Column and beam alignment

When using tapered round columns, the alignment of the neck of the column with the beam above is a critical detail to get right. The common mistake is insetting the column under a beam that is too big. You can either set the beam width to match the neck of the column, aligned front and back, or set it smaller than the neck and center the beam on the column.

Column-spacing options

How you choose to space the columns will largely depend on the application, as well as the column height, the scale of elements, and the length and width of the pergola. When the pergola is freestanding or connecting two buildings for longer distances, the column spacing will be similar to the column spacing for an arcade, where you typically want the distance between the columns to be no greater than the height of the columns, but ideally not less than the width of a golden rectangle.

Column spacing

If the pergola is linking structures that are close together or acting as an extension of the building, the rule of thumb for column spacing is different, as now the overall composition comes into play. In these cases, there is more flexibility in the space between columns. You might find a wider span works as a framing element within a larger composition where tighter spacing would create obstacles.

Rafter TailsRafter tails

The rafter tails are the defining element of a pergola. On a practical level, they are the element that provides shade and shadow. On an aesthetic level, they are the place where you can customize your design with unique profiles.

Typically rafters are built out of 2x material, but in some cases, they can be larger. Rafter tails offer an opportunity for custom design and ornamentation where the full thickness of the rafter depth transitions to a decorative element.

Simple ogee: A gentile curve transitions from
the full depth to the tip of the rafter.

Scroll: With the profile similar to a bracket,
this transition offers more shadowlines.

Quarter round: Rather than reducing the depth,
this design eases the edges.

Angle: A straight angle offers a
more streamlined look.

For diagrams and more information on four common pergola designs, click the View PDF button below.

Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers.

Sign Up

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

×
View PDF
X
X

New Feature

Fine Homebuilding Forums

Ask questions, offer advice, and share your work

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Sign up Log in

Become a member and get full access to FineHomebuilding.com

More Design / Build

View All
  • Boxed-eave Gable-end Returns

  • Gable-End Eave Design

  • Design/Build: How to Choose the Right Exterior Door

  • kitchen cabinets

    Make Smart Choices When Customizing Kitchen Cabinets

View All

Up Next

Featured Story

how to choose the best windows and doors

The Cornerstones of Comfort: How To Choose the Right Windows and Doors for Your Climate

In this webinar, Passive House expert Enrico Bonilauri shares his strategy for evaluating the wide range of window and door options on the market so you can make the best choice for your budget and your needs.

Featured Video

A Modern California Home Wrapped in Rockwool Insulation for Energy Efficiency and Fire Resistance

The designer and builder of the 2018 Fine Homebuilding House detail why they chose mineral-wool batts and high-density boards for all of their insulation needs.

Related Stories

  • Fix a Timber Retaining Wall

  • Slinky Shade Screens

  • Alternative Patio Base

  • Podcast 201: Broken Bricks, Unloved Concrete, and Portable Tablesaws

Discussion Forum

Recent Posts and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
View More Create Post

Highlights

  • Fine Homebuilding All Access
  • Fine Homebuilding Podcast
  • Tool Tech

    Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20

  • "I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.

    Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

    Sign Up See all newsletters

Video

View All
  • Podcast 201: Broken Bricks, Unloved Concrete, and Portable Tablesaws

  • Podcast Episode 180: Rigid Foam Over Roofs, Warm-Climate Insulation Details, and Fuel-Efficient Work Trucks

  • How to Install a Vinyl Privacy Fence: Layout Post Holes

  • How to Install a Vinyl Privacy Fence: Dig and Prepare the Post Holes

View All

Outdoor Spaces

View All
  • Fix a Timber Retaining Wall

  • Slinky Shade Screens

  • Alternative Patio Base

  • A Courtyard Room Creates Privacy on a Narrow Lot

View All

BOOKS, DVDs, & MERCH

Shop the Store
  • 2020 Fine Homebuilding Archive

    Buy Now
  • Fine Homebuilding Magazine Slipcase

    Buy Now
  • Musings of an Energy Nerd

    Buy Now
Shop the Store

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 297 - February/March 2021

    • Foundations for Success
    • Staircase Renovation
    • Ditch the Hose
  • Issue 296 - Dec 2020/Jan 2021

    • Insulating Glass Keeps Getting Better
    • Simple Way to Make Old Walls Straight and Plumb
    • Making Sense of Minisplits
  • Issue 295 - Kitchens & Baths

    • Condo Kitchen Reimagined
    • Row-House Remodel
    • Rise of the IAQ Monitor
  • Issue 294 - Oct/Nov 2020

    • Schoolhouse Reimagined
    • Tool Test: Folding Sawhorses
    • A Better Way to Build Tall Walls
  • Issue 293 - Aug/Sept 2020

    • A Practical Guide to Fall Protection
    • Installing Frameless Cabinets
    • Make Any Tablesaw Safer

Fine Homebuilding

Follow

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Sign Up See all newsletters

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Manage Preferences

Taunton Network

  • Green Building Advisor
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Fine Gardening
  • Threads
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Accessibility

© 2021 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

    Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk
  • Account

  • Log In
  • Join

    Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk
  • Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

    Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

    All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

    Shop the Store

  • Books
  • DVDs
  • Taunton Workshops

    More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast
  • Customer Support

    Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Sign Up See all newsletters

Follow

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to 52%

Subscribe

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in