Decks & Pergolas
Pergolas in Raleigh & Wake County
A room defined in the open air.
A pergola defines a room in the open air. It filters the hard afternoon sun into dappled shade, gives climbing plants and string lights something to hold onto, and turns an exposed patio into a space that feels intentional and enclosed.
Our approach
What’s included, and how we build it
What a 1OAK pergola includes
We build pergolas — freestanding or attached — as real structures on proper footings or anchored connections, in wood or low-maintenance materials, sized and proportioned to the space they define. Beam spans, rafter spacing, and post detailing are designed for both strength and looks, and we can integrate shade options, lighting, fans, and privacy elements so the pergola does more than stand there.
How we approach shade, wind, and integration
Orientation is the whole game with a pergola — we position and space the rafters to manage the specific angle of your afternoon sun, and we engineer the structure to handle wind loads properly, which matters for an open frame. Attached pergolas are flashed and connected to the house correctly to protect it, and we design the pergola to sit in harmony with your patio, deck, and planting so it reads as architecture, not an add-on.
Common questions
Pergolas, answered
- How much does a pergola cost in Raleigh?
- Pergola cost depends on its size, the material you choose, whether it is freestanding or attached, and any add-ons like shade panels, lighting, or fans. We charge materials at our cost with no markup and detail the estimate, so you are paying for the structure and craft, not a margin.
- Does a pergola actually provide shade?
- An open pergola provides partial, dappled shade, and we design the rafter size, spacing, and orientation around your specific sun to maximize it. For fuller coverage we can integrate shade panels, a canopy, or a louvered roof system.
- Freestanding or attached to the house?
- Attached pergolas extend the home and are ideal directly off a patio door; freestanding pergolas can define a destination anywhere in the yard, like a dining zone or a spot by the pool. We help you choose based on your layout and detail the connection or footings accordingly.
- Do pergolas need a permit?
- It depends on size, whether the structure is attached, and local rules, and many Wake County neighborhoods also require HOA architectural-review approval for a pergola. We confirm what applies to your property and handle the process before we build.
Explore related work
Often designed together
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See it before you build it.
Start with your address. We study your property, design it in 3D, and hand you a transparent estimate with materials at our cost — before we ever visit.
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