Wooden Pergolas: Timber That Lasts Outdoors
A wooden pergola kit in Ireland costs €428 to €733 for a 2.4 m square up to a 3.4 m corner pergola in pressure-treated softwood. Larger timber pergolas are built to measure by a carpenter and priced on the job. How long one lasts comes down to one detail: the posts must sit on metal shoes above the ground, never in soil or concrete.
The timbers, the sizes, and the detail at the foot of the post.
Free, no obligation. One local company prices it, not five.
- €428 to €733a timber kit
- 2.4 mthe smallest stock size
- Off the groundwhere the posts should sit
Which timber
| Timber | Where you'll see it | Looking after it |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure-treated softwood | What most kits are | Re-treat cut ends. Stain or oil every two to three years |
| Larch or Douglas fir | Heavier sections, built by a carpenter | Weathers to silver if left. Lasts longer than softwood |
| Oak | Green oak frames, pegged joints | Moves and cracks as it dries. That's normal |
| Glulam | Long spans without a middle post | Factory made. Needs a finish kept up |
The foot of the post
Timber rots where it stays wet, and that is at the ground. A post set in concrete holds water around its base and fails there first. A post bolted into a galvanised shoe, with a gap under it, dries out after every shower. Ask how the posts will be fixed before you ask anything else.
Sizes that work
- 2.4 m square: a bench and a small table. The smallest stock kit.
- 3 × 3 m: four chairs, or a corner sofa.
- 3 × 4 m: a table for six. Usually built to measure in timber.
- Over 4 m: needs a deeper beam or a middle post.
What timber costs
| Job | Typical cost | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Timber pergola kit, 2.4 m square to a 3.4 m corner | €428 to €733 | Size and timber. Fitting and a base are extra |
| Side screens and blinds, a side | €265 to €489 | Width, fabric or slats, fixed or sliding |
A timber kit is delivered, not built. A carpenter's day, post shoes and a base are extra.
Wood or aluminium?
Timber is cheaper, warmer to look at and easy to alter. It needs a coat of something every few years. Aluminium costs more, needs nothing but a wash, and is the one that takes a louvred roof: see aluminium pergolas. For building detail, see pergolabuilders.ie.
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Types, kits, prices and ideas.
Pergolas in every county
- Carlow330 mm of rain, May to September
- Cavan402 mm of rain, May to September
- Clare450 mm of rain, May to September
- Cork384 mm of rain, May to September
- Donegal445 mm of rain, May to September
- Dublin306 mm of rain, May to September
- Galway475 mm of rain, May to September
- Kerry445 mm of rain, May to September
- Kildare345 mm of rain, May to September
- Kilkenny333 mm of rain, May to September
- Laois360 mm of rain, May to September
- Leitrim414 mm of rain, May to September
- Limerick387 mm of rain, May to September
- Longford389 mm of rain, May to September
- Louth333 mm of rain, May to September
- Mayo488 mm of rain, May to September
- Meath347 mm of rain, May to September
- Monaghan374 mm of rain, May to September
- Offaly354 mm of rain, May to September
- Roscommon401 mm of rain, May to September
- Sligo481 mm of rain, May to September
- Tipperary372 mm of rain, May to September
- Waterford374 mm of rain, May to September
- Westmeath357 mm of rain, May to September
- Wexford365 mm of rain, May to September
- Wicklow319 mm of rain, May to September
Pick your pergola
Four taps: the type, where it's going, the size and the help you want. You see our price guide for it. Your number is only asked for at the end, if you want one pergola company that covers your county to ring you.
Questions people ask
How long does a wooden pergola last?
A treated softwood pergola with its posts off the ground and a finish kept up lasts many years. Posts set in soil are what fail early.
Can a wooden pergola have a roof?
Yes: polycarbonate sheets on the rafters with a slight fall.
Will it hold a swing seat or a hammock?
Only if it was built for it. A kit pergola is sized for its own weight and climbers.
Get a price for a pergola in your garden
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