Pergolas & Pavilions

Outdoor Entertainment Spaces

Pergola and Pavilion Design with Weather-Resistant Materials

Pergolas and pavilions need to carry Michigan's snow loads — Oakland County regularly sees 30-plus pounds per square foot of snow load over a season. A structure that looks right but isn't engineered for that load is a hazard. We design and build cedar, pressure-treated, and powder-coated aluminum pergola and pavilion structures on frost-depth footings with beam and rafter sizing calculated for actual loads and wind conditions.

Cedar pergolas are the most common choice in Metro Detroit — the wood's natural rot resistance makes it appropriate for outdoor exposure without the chemical treatment smell of pressure-treated material, and it takes stain well for color matching. Pressure-treated structures carry more load at a lower material cost. Aluminum systems need no maintenance and suit contemporary architecture. We can add retractable canopy systems, motorized louvered roofs, and shade sails for adjustable sun and rain protection.

A pergola or pavilion that can't handle a Michigan winter creates real problems — damaged roofing, failed connections, and potential collapse after heavy snow loading. Every structure we build is engineered for year-round stability, which means concrete footings below 42 inches, properly sized hardware at all connections, and structural members with adequate section modulus for the spans involved.