Pergola Construction

A pergola turns a patio into a room

You have an outdoor space that’s unusable when the afternoon sun hits — too hot, too bright, no definition. A pergola fixes that. It filters sunlight, defines the space below, and turns an exposed slab into an outdoor room.

Ryan builds custom pergolas from the ground up. He designs the size, height, and rafter spacing for your specific space, sets posts on proper footings, and finishes with stain or paint that protects the wood. Every pergola is his from start to finish.

Pergola styles we build

Attached pergolas

An attached pergola connects to your house, extending your living space outward. One end is supported by a ledger board fastened to the house; the other rests on posts. This creates a seamless indoor-to-outdoor transition.

Ryan attaches ledgers with the same care he uses for deck ledgers — lagged into the house framing with proper flashing to prevent water intrusion. Done wrong, an attached pergola causes water damage. Done right, it becomes the most-used feature on your property.

Freestanding pergolas

Freestanding pergolas stand on their own and can go anywhere — over a fire pit, next to a pool, in a garden area, or in the middle of your yard. They’re the right choice when you want shade away from the house or when your exterior wall isn’t suitable for attachment.

Ryan builds freestanding pergolas on concrete footings with post bases that keep wood above grade. Every post is plumb, every beam is level, and the structure is engineered to handle wind loads.

Modern and minimalist designs

Clean lines, square profiles, flat-top rafters with no tails. Modern pergolas pair well with contemporary homes and hardscape. Ryan builds these in painted wood or composite with hidden hardware for a sleek, architectural look.

Traditional and craftsman designs

Decorative rafter tails, curved knee braces, and ornamental post caps. Traditional pergolas complement bungalow, craftsman, and Spanish-style homes common throughout Altadena and Pasadena. Ryan hand-cuts these details on-site.

Materials

Cedar and redwood

The natural choice for pergolas. Both woods resist rot and insects and take stain beautifully. Cedar is lighter in weight and color; redwood is denser and richer. Both weather to a silver-gray if left untreated. Ryan selects tight-grain lumber for structural members and recommends a sealing schedule to match your maintenance preference.

Pressure-treated pine

The budget-friendly option. Modern pressure-treated lumber holds up well outdoors when properly sealed or painted. It doesn’t have the natural beauty of cedar or redwood, but with a solid stain it looks great and costs significantly less.

Composite and aluminum

For homeowners who never want to maintain their pergola. Composite beams and aluminum frames don’t rot, don’t fade, and don’t need staining. They cost more upfront but the lifetime maintenance cost is zero. Ryan installs these to manufacturer specifications for full warranty coverage.

What makes a pergola solid

Proper footings

A pergola is a structure, and structures need foundations. Ryan sets every post on a concrete footing poured to proper depth, with a post base that anchors the post and keeps it above standing water. No burying posts directly in the ground.

Structural sizing

Post, beam, and rafter sizes depend on the span. Ryan sizes members based on load tables and engineering guidelines — undersized members deflect, sag, and eventually fail.

Connection hardware

Every beam-to-post and rafter-to-beam connection uses rated hardware — post caps, beam hangers, and hurricane ties where appropriate. These connections resist wind uplift and keep the pergola rigid.

Finishing

A new pergola that doesn’t get sealed immediately starts checking and graying. Ryan offers staining as part of every build so the wood is protected from day one. For painted pergolas, he primes all surfaces — including end grain — before the final coats.

Shade options

A traditional pergola with spaced rafters provides filtered shade — enough to cut the harsh midday sun while keeping the space bright. For full shade, Ryan offers:

• Shade cloth — UV-blocking fabric stretched over the rafter tops
• Retractable canopies — slide-on-wire systems for adjustable coverage
• Louvered panels — adjustable slats that rotate to control light angle
• Climbing plants — wisteria, jasmine, or grape vines trained along the rafters

Ryan orients rafters based on the sun path at your property. East-west rafters provide the most midday shade; north-south rafters create moving shadow patterns throughout the day.

Pergolas on Altadena properties

Ryan designs to complement your home’s architecture — not compete with it. He also accounts for local factors:

• Wind exposure on hillside properties requires beefier connections
• Fire considerations in WUI zones may affect material choices
• View framing — positioning the pergola to frame mountain or city views
• Mature tree integration — working around established trees and root systems

Ryan has built pergolas across the San Gabriel Valley and understands how local conditions affect design decisions.