Pergolas & Pavilions

About our pergolas & pavilions work

Custom pergolas and pavilions anchored to engineered footings and built to stay square through San Antonio's UV load and sudden Hill Country wind events. We frame in rough-sawn cedar, kiln-dried douglas fir, or powder-coated steel — picked for span, span-to-post ratio, and the look you're after. Posts land on Simpson ABU post bases set into 24-inch concrete piers (deeper where soil is sandy or expansive clay), never face-nailed to a slab. Beam-to-post connections use through-bolts or hidden steel knife plates, not toe-screws. Pavilion roofs get full structural framing — 2x rafters at code spacing, hurricane ties on every bearing, decking, underlayment, and either architectural shingle, standing-seam metal, or R-panel. Pergolas can stay open, run louvered (manual or motorized), or carry a polycarbonate rain panel. We tie new structures into existing flatwork with epoxy-set anchors or pour a new pad sized to the load. Stain, seal, and powder-coat selections are made up front so the finished structure matches the house and holds up to 90-degree summers and west sun.

How the project runs

1. 1

   Site walk and design

   We measure the patio, check sun angles, note HOA constraints, and lock in dimensions, post locations, and roof style before pricing.

2. 2

   Engineering and permitting

   Structures over jurisdictional thresholds get stamped drawings for wind load (115 mph baseline) and pier specs. We pull the permit.

3. 3

   Footings and post-base set

   Piers are dug to bearing soil, rebar caged, and poured with anchor bolts placed to template — never wet-set by eye.

4. 4

   Frame, roof, and finish

   Posts, beams, and rafters go up square and plumb. Roofing, trim, and stain or powder-coat finish wrap the build.

5. 5

   Final inspection and walkthrough

Frequently asked questions

Cedar or steel — which lasts longer in San Antonio?

Powder-coated structural steel will outlast cedar by decades if the coating is maintained. Cedar looks warmer and is easier to modify later, but it needs re-staining every 2–4 years on west-facing exposures. Both are valid — the call is aesthetic and budget, not durability in absolute terms.

Do I need a permit for a pergola or pavilion?

Most San Antonio jurisdictions require a permit for any structure with a roof, and many require permits for pergolas over a certain size or attached to the house. We handle the permit and pull stamped engineering where the AHJ requires it.

Can you attach to an existing patio slab?

Sometimes. We core the slab and check thickness, rebar, and edge distance. Thin or unreinforced slabs get a new isolated pier next to or through the slab — anchoring a post to 3 inches of unreinforced concrete is a wind-uplift failure waiting to happen.

What about HOA design review?

We provide elevation drawings, material samples, and roof pitch specs formatted for HOA submittal. Most reviews take 2–4 weeks; we won't start framing until approval is in writing.

Motorized louvered roof — worth it?

Yes if you want a pergola that flips between open-air and rain-tight. Quality systems (Struxure, Apollo) carry a real warranty and integrate with smart home. Budget systems leak and seize within 3–5 years — we won't install them.

Why hire us for pergolas & pavilions