Add a Pergola or Gazebo to Your Backyard!
Gazebos and pergolas can transform your outdoor living space by adding outdoor “rooms”. They offer the perfect space to relax, dine, nap and sip – after all, who doesn’t like a cup ‘o joe outdoors when the sun rises or a perfectly mixed cocktail as it sets?!
While gazebos and pergolas lack solid walls and sometimes roofs, the structures give shape and definition to your outdoor space. And being able to see-through them offers the beauty of being outside with a modicum of protection and shade.
Buying and Building Pergolas
A pergola is a structure that offers partial relief from the sun with its intermittent beam “ceiling”, and can provide support for climbing vines, like the purple clematis. Pergolas built by a pro can cost around $3,500 for labor and materials – usually wood. But you can also build your own for a bit less. Check out the how-to steps from handyman Ron Hazelton who can help break down the build into manageable pieces — if you’re handy with a circular saw and a nail gun!
Here’s an inspirational pergola how-to from DIY Network that can span an entire backyard and from Country Living 16 ideas for attached and detached pergolas, with swinging beds, fireplaces, curtains, hot tubs and adjacent pools and fire pits. You can light and decorate with Edison bulbs, shutters, ceiling fans, hanging potted plants, outdoor furnishings, and pendant lighting.
Pergolas don’t alter the structure of your home so they don’t require a building permit and can improve the appearance of a cement patio, or seating area. You can also buy prefab pergolas from your local Home Depot: 10×12-foot, 10×14-foot and 12×20-foot cedar pergolas run from $1,000 to $5,000 and there are composite, vinyl and aluminum options, too.
Here are plans for a combination pergola-gazebo measuring 16’ wide and 18’ long (the gazebo) plus a 12’ x 10’ pergola. The plans are $60 to $70 – with an upgrade option for a decorative gable roof. Check out this inspirational gallery of 36 backyard pergola and gazebo designs from HGTV. And for easy-to-assembly Amish-Built kits, check out this Amish Country site for pergolas, gazebos, and pavilions!
Gazing at Gorgeous Gazebos
Gazebos are typically round or octagonal, while pergolas are square or rectangular. Gazebos have a roof, while pergolas have cross beams, but no roof. The benefits of a covered gazebo are not only the unique fun living space it can add to your yard, but also one that you can enjoy all year long. On average, building a gazebo costs just over $6,400. Most homeowners pay between $3,500 and $9,400. Pre-built structures or kits are between $1,500 and $7,000 (e.g., Sam’s Club in Thornton has a kits for $400 to $4200).
For easy-to-assembly Amish-Built kits, check out this Amish Country site for pergolas, gazebos, and pavilions!
Gazebos, as this post on HGTV reveals, can be dainty and delicate or full-on outdoor rooms without walls but with trellises, built-in or furniture seating, shingled, acrylic or living roofs. The Spruce offers another 27 gorgeous gazebo design ideas for every taste and style.
Backyard Living in Colliers Hill
The warmer weather sends people outside in Colliers Hill to enjoy the fresh air, views of the Front Range, and indoor-outdoor living in a master-planned community with tons of amenities. The beautiful model homes from top builders include offerings by Richmond American Homes, Seasons, Boulder Creek and KB Home in ranch, two-story and paired designs, priced from the upper $500s.
