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Finding the Ideal Pergola Height for Shade, Style, & Comfort

Finding the Ideal Pergola Height for Shade, Style, & Comfort

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You might think that building a pergola on your property is a good idea. This could be something that will add to the overall look of your yard.

Pergolas are also very useful in several ways. Being able to sit underneath the pergola and enjoy a bit of shade is nice.

If you’ve never had a pergola before you might not know too much about them. You might be wondering how big these structures are supposed to be.

How tall are pergolas? Is a pergola a very tall structure or can it be somewhat short?

Continue reading to learn more about pergolas and their typical height. This might help you to decide if a pergola makes sense for your property.

How Tall Should a Pergola Be?

The height of a pergola can vary quite a bit. However, the average height of a pergola is between eight and twelve feet.

Depending on various factors, you might want a pergola to be slightly taller or even slightly shorter. It’s not too common for pergolas to be shorter than eight feet tall, though.

So you should expect a pergola to be at least eight feet tall. One big factor that determines how tall the pergola will need to be is whether it is attached to a structure or not.

Pergolas can be either freestanding or attached to buildings. A pergola might be attached to your home or your garage.

When a pergola is attached to another building it makes sense for the height and proportions to match up with the building that it’s attached to. So sometimes the pergola might be a bit taller than usual.

Freestanding pergolas don’t have to worry about matching up with another structure. You can pretty much build them to suit whatever your needs are.

How Tall Can You Build One?

There isn’t necessarily a limit to how tall you can build a pergola. People have built pergolas that exceed thirteen feet.

It all depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. Also, it’s important to get the proportions and dimensions correct so everything will look right.

A very wide pergola is going to need to have a tall roof. So sometimes it makes sense to build a pergola that is a bit taller than normal.

Always make sure that you’re adhering to any rules and guidelines in your area, though. Sometimes you have to get permits to build pergolas and you might only be allowed to build one that is so large.

Remember that many people also have to work with homeowners’ associations when adding pergolas to their properties. You might have to discuss the rules in your area with representatives of the homeowner’s association to ensure that everything is done right.

How High Should a Pergola Be Over a Hot Tub?

Are you thinking of putting the pergola over a hot tub? This is a popular choice that many people make.

Having an outdoor hot tub has the potential to be fantastic. It’s great to enjoy yourself with friends or your significant other in a hot tub.

Having a pergola over the hot tub makes the entire area look nicer. It can also provide you with some shade so you can enjoy the hot tub to the fullest.

When putting a pergola over a hot tub you’re going to want it to be at least eight feet high. It’s common for people to build pergolas that are between eight and eleven feet high when putting them over hot tubs.

Consider Your Needs

Consider your needs when choosing how tall to make a pergola. Sometimes it’ll be better to build it to have a bit more clearance.

You also want to make sure that it looks good aesthetically. One of the main reasons people build pergolas and put them on their properties involves aesthetic appeal.

It’s important to build a pergola that you’re proud of. You want it to add to the charm of your yard while also being useful.

This doesn’t mean that a pergola needs to be unusually tall. You might have an easier time with some things if the pergola isn’t too tall.

For instance, many people like to put shade cloths on top of pergolas to provide the sitting area with more shade than usual. Taking the cloth on and off might be easier if the pergola isn’t too tall.

Generally, you’ll always want the pergola to be at least eight feet tall. There isn’t much of a reason to make a pergola that is substantially shorter than that.

Professional Help

Sometimes you might not have the time to build your own pergola. There are options that you can consider.

Many people simply buy pergolas from home improvement stores and then install them after taking a kit home. The kit has instructions that you can follow to erect the pergola and get good results.

If you don’t have a lot of time this option might not be appealing. Although a pergola can certainly be installed in a day, many people don’t like having to do this themselves.

Another option is to hire professionals to install a pergola for you. You can also task experts with building a custom pergola.

This allows you to enjoy a bespoke pergola that is perfect for your home. It’ll be a bit more expensive to go this route, but it might be worthwhile depending on your expectations and needs.

Final Thoughts

You should have a much better idea of how tall a pergola should be now. Typically, a pergola is going to be at least eight feet tall, but there might be some circumstances that will cause people to build them slightly shorter than this.

Most pergolas will be between eight and twelve feet tall. This is a very practical height that makes sense for these structures.

Pergolas that are attached to buildings might need to be taller. They need to match up properly with the buildings that they’re attached to, after all.

If you want to have the best experience with your pergola it might be worthwhile to look into getting a bespoke one created for you. This can ensure that it will look great and it’ll have the best dimensions that make sense for what you’re trying to accomplish.

Otherwise, it’s easy to buy pergolas at home improvement stores and install them. No matter what you decide, it’s easy to see that pergolas are great to have.

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