So you want to know how to build a pergola. Here are seven quick and easy tips to get you on the right track.
# 1. Check out the permit requirements before you begin any work. This varies by location.
# 2. Be safe by calling your state's 811 "call before you dig" number. They'll put you in touch with the relevant utility companies who will come out within a few days and mark up the location of your utility lines. They do this for free!
You can find your State's 811 number by calling 1-888-258-0808.
# 3. Save yourself a small fortune by building the pergola yourself rather than hiring a contractor. It only takes a weekend and cost a few hundred dollars. A contractor will charge several thousand dollars.
# 4. Do not want to build it yourself? – Buy a good set of plans complete with step-by-step instructions, materials and tools list. Get the materials from your local hardware store and hire a handyman to build it for you. It'll still save you thousands of dollars.
# 5. Only buy pressure treated timber. Otherwise the timber will quickly rot. Be aware that the preservatives do not penetrate very deep into the wood, so cutting the wood will expose untreated ends. You will need to apply a wood preservative to any cut edges.
# 6. It's worth paying extra for cedar wood. It'll last for decades.
# 7. Check with your supplier that any metal fasteners are approved for use with treated timber. In recent years the chemicals have changed and can corrode some types of metal fastener.