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DIY Kit for a Simple Pergola With Roof - Any Size Up to 12' x 12'

⬩ Wall-Mounted 1-Block pergola with a 4x4 frame
⬩ Slatted Roof (Angled 2x4s)
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Original price $819
Original price Starting at $819
Original price $819
Current price $649
Original price $819
Starting at $819 $649
Current price $649
Original price $819
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About this Pergola Kit:

FREE-STANDING

1-block pergola with 4 posts
(see the house-attached 2-post kit)
1-block pergola
(see wall-mount kit)

UP TO 12' x 12'

can be any size up to 12' x 12'
(width & depth are interchangeable)
can be any size
up to 12' x 12'

FOR 4x4s + 2x4s

actual sizes: 3.5" x 3.5" / 1.5" x 3.5"
(see kit for 6x6s and 2x6s)
actual sizes: 3.5 x 3.5" / 1.5 x 3.5"
(see kit w/ 6x6s + 2x6s)

ANGLED 2x4s

change roof to: canopy, straight 2x4s, 2x4s atop beams or 4x4 postschange roof to: canopy, straight 2x4s, 2x4s atop beams or 4x4 posts

0 PRIVACY WALLS

see this same kit with a privacy wallsee kit with a privacy wall

FAR SPACING

between the roof slats / rafters
(see kit w/ medium or close spacing)
between roof slats
(see med or close spacing)

DESIGN NEW KIT

Included in This DIY Kit for Simple Pergola With Roof:

4x

BASE BRACKETS
for 4x4 wood

4x

3-ARM POST BRACKETS
for 4x4 wood

24x

INSERT BRACKETS
for 2x4 wood

All

ALL SCREWS NEEDED
stainless steel

4x

BASE BRACKETS
for 4x4 wood

4x

3-ARM POST BRACKETS
for 4x4 wood

24x

INSERT BRACKETS
for 2x4 wood

All

ALL SCREWS NEEDED
stainless steel

NOTE: Lumber (wood) and anchoring hardware for securing the base brackets to a solid foundation are NOT included and will need to be purchased locally.
NOTE: Lumber (wood) and anchoring hardware for securing the base brackets to a solid foundation are NOT included and will need to be purchased locally.
Artboard-66
Artboard-66

Additional Information

Not Included in this Kit

This assembly-made-easy pergola kit does not include the following items, which you will need to purchase at a local home improvement store or lumber yard:

Wood - Lumber is a) very expensive to ship and b) readily available to most people at local home improvement and building supply stores. By buying your wood locally, you also have more options on the exact type of wood you'd like that is appropriate for your area's climate.

Anchoring Hardware - Because the hardware you need will vary based on the type of material you're mounting the base brackets to, the kit does not include anchoring hardware for securing the base brackets to a secure foundation (i.e. cement pad, deck, landscape toppers, concrete footing, etc.). The kit does, however, include stainless steel wood screws for securing all of the wood posts/slats into the steel brackets.

This assembly-made-easy pergola kit does not include the following items, which you will need to purchase at a local home improvement store or lumber yard:

Wood - Lumber is a) very expensive to ship and b) readily available to most people at local home improvement and building supply stores. By buying your wood locally, you also have more options on the exact type of wood you'd like that is appropriate for your area's climate.

Anchoring Hardware - Because the hardware you need will vary based on the type of material you're mounting the base brackets to, the kit does not include anchoring hardware for securing the base brackets to a secure foundation (i.e. cement pad, deck, landscape toppers, concrete footing, etc.). The kit does, however, include stainless steel wood screws for securing all of the wood posts/slats into the steel brackets.

Required Lumber & Estimated Cost

As noted above, wood (lumber) is NOT included in this bracket kit for a pergola complete with roof, nor is the hardware you'll need to anchor the base brackets to a secure foundation. Before you can build your simple backyard pergola, you'll need to purchase the following items from a local building supply store or lumber yard (assuming you plan to build a 12' x 12' pergola that is 8' tall):

  • Four (4) 8' long 4x4 posts
  • Four (4) 12' long 4x4 posts
  • Twelve (12) 12' long 2x4 slats
  • Anchoring hardware (16 pieces)

The estimated cost for the above lumber and anchoring hardware is $358. This is only an estimate; actual costs will vary depending on the type of wood you decide to buy, your location, local stores & availability, and various other factors.

As noted above, wood (lumber) is NOT included in this bracket kit for a pergola complete with roof, nor is the hardware you'll need to anchor the base brackets to a secure foundation. Before you can build your simple backyard pergola, you'll need to purchase the following items from a local building supply store or lumber yard (assuming you plan to build a 12' x 12' pergola that is 8' tall):

  • Four (4) 8' long 4x4 posts
  • Four (4) 12' long 4x4 posts
  • Twelve (12) 12' long 2x4 slats
  • Anchoring hardware (16 pieces)

The estimated cost for the above lumber and anchoring hardware is $358. This is only an estimate; actual costs will vary depending on the type of wood you decide to buy, your location, local stores & availability, and various other factors.

Optional Add-Ons

Make your simple DIY pergola even better by adding a bracket kit for:

Make your simple DIY pergola even better by adding a bracket kit for:

Assembly Information

Assembling a Zen Pergola is quite easy (even for novices) and only requires basic tools. Following these simple instructions, it should only take 2-3 hours for you and a helper to assemble your simple-assembly pergola.

Assembling a Zen Pergola is quite easy (even for novices) and only requires basic tools. Following these simple instructions, it should only take 2-3 hours for you and a helper to assemble your simple-assembly pergola.

Shipping & Returns

Shipping is free on all orders delivered within mainland USA. Shipping fees will apply for orders being delivered to Alaska, Hawaii & Canada. Click here for more details. Although we reserve the right to use any carrier we choose, we typically ship products via UPS or USPS.

All products ship directly from our Boise, ID facility within 1 business day, so you'll be ready to assemble your easy-to-assemble pergola in just a few days.

Click here to learn more about how we handle returns.

Shipping is free on all orders delivered within mainland USA. Shipping fees will apply for orders being delivered to Alaska, Hawaii & Canada. Click here for more details. Although we reserve the right to use any carrier we choose, we typically ship products via UPS or USPS.

All products ship directly from our Boise, ID facility within 1 business day, so you'll be ready to assemble your easy-to-assemble pergola in just a few days.

Click here to learn more about how we handle returns.

5-Year Warranty

We stand behind this DIY kit for making it easy to build your own pergola. We will gladly replace any bracket that breaks, cracks, chips or corrodes within 5 years of purchase. Read more about our 5-year limited warranty.

We stand behind this DIY kit for making it easy to build your own pergola. We will gladly replace any bracket that breaks, cracks, chips or corrodes within 5 years of purchase. Read more about our 5-year limited warranty.

Frequently Asked Questions
What size of wood do I need to buy?

The wood sizes listed on this page & throughout our website use standard U.S. lumber sizes (where the actual dimensions are a half-inch smaller than the name implies):

  • Our 4x4 brackets are designed for "four-by-fours" (actual size: 3.5" x 3.5")
  • Our 2x4 brackets are designed for "two-by-fours" (actual size: 1.5" x 3.5")
  • Our 6x6 brackets are designed for "six-by-sixes" (actual size: 5.5" x 5.5")
  • Our 2x6 brackets are designed for "two-by-sixes" (actual size: 1.5" x 5.5")

If you stick with these standard lumber sizes, the wood will slide right into the brackets and fit perfectly.

Make sure NOT to get "rough-cut" of "rough-sawn" lumber, which is slightly bigger than standard dressed lumber. Rough-cut lumber will not fit into our brackets.

What type of wood do you recommend?

In general, any straight dry lumber will work just fine. Some types of wood may just require a little more maintenance than others. The two most common types of wood to use are western red cedar and redwood. They are naturally insect- and rot-resistant and have natural oils & resins that make them more resilient to the elements. Another great option is pressure-treated pine, as the pressure-treating process makes the wood more weather- and insect-resistant. This is far from a complete list of lumber options; there are many other types of wood that will work great.

What height do you recommend for the posts?

We recommend using 8-foot lumber for the pergola's posts. The parts list and estimated costs shown in the 'Required Lumber & Estimated Cost' section (above) assumes that you will be using 8-foot lumber. That said, many of our customers opt for 10-foot posts instead, in which case we recommend adding corner support brackets to make the pergola more stable. Posts should not be taller than 10 feet.

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Is a 12x12 pergola really exactly 12' x 12'?

The answer depends on whether you're referring to the inside dimensions of the pergola's roof (i.e. the "roof opening") or the outside dimensions of the roof (i.e. the full outside-edge-to-outside-edge measurement). 

When we say a pergola is 12' x 12', we're referring to the roof opening (i.e. the inside dimensions of the roof) which is exactly 12' wide x 12' deep.

But the overall outside-edge-to-outside-edge dimensions of a "12x12 pergola" built using 4x4 brackets will be 12 ft. 7.3 in. x 12 ft. 7.3 in. (Note: If you're using 6x6 brackets, the outside dimensions will be 12' 11.3" x 12' 11.3".)

To give the pergola maximum strength and stability, we've designed our 3-, 4- and 5-arm brackets (as well as the "L" and "T" brackets, for that matter) to have the vertical post go all the way to the top of the brackets. Thus, the horizontal roof beams only slide in to the end of the horizontal channel they're sitting in (rather than going all the way through the bracket). To put it another way, a roof beam only slides halfway into a 3-arm corner bracket (since the "other half" of the bracket is already occupied by the top part of the vertical post going down to the ground).

So if you're looking at the roof of a pergola with 12-foot-long roof beams, you've got the following (going from left to right):

  • 3.65 inches of the "left half" of the 3-arm corner bracket on the left side (which is occupied by the top part of the left vertical post) +
  • 12 feet for the 12' long roof beam (with approximately 3.5 inches sitting inside the horizontal channel of the 3-channel corner bracket on both the left and the right side) +
  • 3.65 inches of the "right half" of the 3-arm corner bracket on the right side (which is occupied by the top part of the right vertical)

This gives you a total edge-to-edge width of 12 ft. 7.3 in. (But again, the inside dimensions of the roof opening are exactly 12' x 12'.)

What if you want the edge-to-edge width and/or depth to be exactly 12 feet? Simply use a circular saw (or hack saw or miter saw) to trim 7.3 inches off the 12-foot posts. This will make the overall edge-to-edge dimensions exactly 12' x 12' and the inside dimensions of the roof opening 11' 4.7" x 11' 4.7". (Important Note: Our shade canopies are specifically designed to fit roof openings that are exactly 8x8, 8x10, 8x12, 10x10, 10x12 and 12x12. If you're purchasing a kit that includes a shade canopy, you cannot trim down the roof beam posts.)

How many people will I need to assemble my pergola?

The majority of the steps in the assembly process can easily be done by just two people. However, there are a couple steps that will require more people (typically four people for a pergola using 4x4 brackets and six people for one using 6x6 brackets) for just a few minutes here and there. Most tasks (including assembling the roof frame and even adding roof rafters) are completed on the ground. The entire building process should only take 2-3 hours.

If you're curious about the building process, please take a few minutes to read through the fully-illustrated assembly instructions.

How do I make sure the roof rafters (and wall slats) are spaced evenly?

Click the following links for detailed, illustrated instructions for evenly spacing roof rafters and privacy wall slats.

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Do you provide enough screws to fill every hole of every bracket?

Yes, we do. Putting a screw in every hole is technically overkill (and some people would argue that it puts too much stress on the lumber and could cause cracks & fissures in the wood over time). But some customers really want every hole filled, so we include enough screws to fill every hole (plus a few extra). Really, you only need to put 2 screws into each bracket face (using the 2 outermost holes in instances when the face of the bracket has 4 holes).

What wind speeds can Zen Pergolas withstand?

When installed correctly following the assembly instructions, Zen Pergolas can withstand winds of up to 50 mph. If you live in an area that experiences wind gusts in excess of 50 mph, we recommend adding corner support brackets. Not only do they look beautiful, but they also make the pergola structure more stable and secure. We also recommend checking your local building codes to make sure your pergola is mounted to the ground and/or house or other structure properly.

If you buy a kit that includes one or more shade canopies, we recommend taking them down in windy conditions (i.e. 30+ mph winds), during storms, and also through the winter months when you're not enjoying your pergola.

I need help figuring out what brackets I need. Can you help?

Absolutely! We realize that piecing together the perfect modular pergola can be complex. That's why we have pergola design experts standing by and ready to help. You can reach us during regular business hours at (877) 760-6992. You can also send us an email at