There’s one reason I really love pergolas…they’re a great way to extend your living space and elevate your home without breaking the bank. Over the last decade or so, we’ve become pergola experts at Creative Concepts & Design. When it comes to custom deckbuilding, there’s really nothing better to complement a beautiful deck than a pergola. One of the biggest advantages pergolas offer is their affordability. Let’s delve into the price of a pergola.
Why You Should Add a Pergola Instead of a Sunroom
While sunrooms/3-season rooms are also wonderful, they entail a lot more from both a construction and a cost standpoint. Room additions or four-season rooms are even more expensive. First, before we talk about the price of a pergola, let’s clarify the difference between a pergola, a sunroom, and a room addition:
Pergola – A pergola is an outdoor structure consisting of columns that support a roofing grid of beams and rafters. This roof grid may be left open or covered to create an area sheltered from the elements. Pergolas may be freestanding or attached to a house.
Sunroom – Also known as a three-season room, these additions have roofs and enclosed sides (usually glass) but do not have heating and cooling so they are not as comfortable in extremely cold weather (hence the “three-season” name).
Room Addition – Also known as a 4-season room, these structures are fully insulated and include plumbing, heating and cooling, and electricity.
The Price of a Pergola Makes It a Perfectly Practical Home Improvement
According to Forbes, the average cost of a three-season room is $25,000 and the cost to add a four-season room is $45,000. Those are national averages and the cost for the KC market is a bit different. In 2024, it is very hard to build any roof addition (three-season or fully enclosed addition) for under $40,000 and that’s not counting the deck or patio under the roof. The average price of our most popular heavy timber pergolas is $12,000. You could spend plenty of money on any of these additions, but you will get almost as much enjoyment out of a pergola for a much lower investment. You get added living space for three seasons out of four for about one-fourth the price of a sunroom and much less than a room addition! It’s no surprise that we’ve been building more and more pergolas in recent years.
Pergolas Add Privacy, Peace, and Personality to Any Deck
Pergolas elevate decks immensely. It’s amazing what they bring to the party for the affordable price. First, they offer protection from the sun in the heat of summer. Whether you have an open roof or covered, it provides quite a bit of shade. It’s also very easy to add fabric between the lattice top to create even more shade.
Pergolas are also very versatile. You can build a pergola on a patio, add it to your deck, attach it to your home, put it on a freestanding platform, create a poolside cabana, a garden getaway, or a firepit for late-night smores. You can give it its own personality with lighting, plants, furniture, rugs, and more. Simple lattice walls can create fast and affordable privacy. Add fabric sides and an outdoor heater for early spring and late fall days. See why homeowners are falling in love with pergolas.
Expand Your Living Space with a Pergola
So if you’re looking for more living space, but don’t have the budget for a sunroom or a full room addition, a pergola is the way to go. We love building pergolas almost as much as we love building decks. You’ll have it made in the shade by adding a freestanding pergola or incorporating a pergola into your deck. Check out our pergola gallery for ideas. There’s sure to be one that fits your style. Get ready to pop up some party lights and throw a pergola party!
