# Pergola Fort Collins | Fort Collins Deck Contractors > Pergolas and solid covers over decks and patios in Fort Collins. A wood pergola about 12 by 12 feet runs $2,500 to $7,000. URL: https://fortcollinsdeckcontractors.com/covered-decks-and-pergolas/ - Free estimates - Wood or composite - Fort Collins and nearby towns # A pergola in Fort Collins puts shade over the deck or patio you already use Fort Collins Deck Contractors [/ →](/) builds wood pergolas and solid covers over decks and patios for homes in Fort Collins and nearby towns. A pergola gives open shade; a solid cover keeps off sun and snow. Get Your FREE Estimate [#estimate →](#estimate) See prices [#pricing →](#pricing) ![Wood pergola over a backyard deck casting shade behind a Fort Collins home](/images/misc/wood-pergola-over-a-backyard-deck-casting-striped-.webp) ## Pergola or solid cover? Not sure which way to go for covered decks and pergolas? The choice comes down to what you want overhead: open shade or a real roof. A pergola gives open shade. A solid cover keeps off sun and snow. Either one can go over a deck or a patio. | | Pergola | Solid cover | | --- | --- | --- | | Shade | Filtered, set by rafter spacing | Full | | Snow and rain | Passes through | Kept off the space below | | Size of the job | Smaller | Bigger | | Over a deck | Frame and footings need a check | Can mean new footings and engineering | A pergola in Fort Collins is the one most people picture: posts, beams, and rafters across the top with sky between them. A solid cover has a roof. It keeps the sun off completely and keeps snow off the deck or patio below. It’s a bigger job than a pergola, and over a deck it can mean new footings and engineering. Fort Collins design criteria call for a 35 psf ground snow load and a 30 inch frost depth. That’s why a roof needs a frame and footings built to carry real weight. ## What a pergola is made of A wood pergola stands on posts. Beams run across the tops of the posts, and rafters run across the beams. The spacing of the rafters sets how much shade falls on the deck. Rafters are commonly set somewhere between 12 and 24 inches apart. Closer rafters give you more shade, and wider ones let in more light. - **Over a patio:** the posts stand on their own footings. - **On a deck:** the posts are fastened to the deck frame. Snow matters here too. The city’s sunshade handout asks for gaps of at least 3 inches, or twice the member size if that’s bigger, so snow can fall through. ## A pergola on a new deck If you’re planning a new deck and want a pergola on it, the best time to plan the pergola is with the deck. In Fort Collins, a pergola or cover sitting on a deck needs engineered plans, and the deck frame and footings can be sized for it from the start. Planning both together also saves you from reworking a finished deck later. See deck building [/deck-building/ →](/deck-building/) for how a new deck comes together. ## A pergola on a deck that’s already there A pergola can go on a deck that’s already built too. We look at the frame and footings under the deck first, since the deck has to carry the pergola. Engineered plans for a pergola set on a deck are extra. If the frame needs work, you’ll know before anything goes up. ## Over a patio A pergola or cover over a patio stands on its own posts and footings, next to the patio or at its corners. The patio itself doesn’t carry it. Size and height decide whether you need a permit. Fort Collins doesn’t require one for a freestanding pergola that’s 8 feet tall or less, under 120 square feet, and at least 3 feet from the property line. Anything bigger or taller does. Call Fort Collins Building Services at 970.416.2740 to confirm your plan before you build. ## Wood for a pergola We build pergolas in wood, and a wood pergola takes a penetrating stain like a wood deck does. If the deck under it is wood too, the two can be stained to match. More on wood is on our wood and cedar decks [/wood-and-cedar-decks/ →](/wood-and-cedar-decks/) page. Ready to talk through a pergola or cover for your deck or patio? Reach out and we’ll look at your space with you. ## What a wood pergola costs around Fort Collins Priced for a wood pergola of about 12 by 12 feet. ### Wood pergola, about 12 by 12 feet $2,500 to $7,000 A wood pergola over a deck or patio: posts, beams and rafters. Engineered plans for a pergola set on a deck are extra. A solid roof is priced at the estimate; a roof over a deck can mean new footings and engineering. Get Your FREE Estimate [#estimate →](#estimate) ![](/images/misc/pergola-rafters-against-a-bright-blue-colorado-sky.webp) ## Pergolas and covers in Fort Collins In Fort Collins, a pergola or cover sitting on a deck needs engineered plans. A roof over a deck can mean new footings and engineering, because the deck below has to carry it. Around Fort Collins, the footings for a deck attached to the house go below the frost line, about two and a half feet down. Call 811 before digging. Fort Collins sits nearly a mile up, and the sun is stronger here than at sea level. That's a big part of why people want shade over a deck. Pergola rafters against a blue sky seen from the deck below ## How a pergola or cover gets built Shade starts with what's underneath it. 1. 1 ### Send the estimate form Tell us whether it's over a deck or a patio, and whether you want open shade or a solid cover. 2. 2 ### We look at the spot We look at the deck or patio underneath, the house, and where the shade needs to fall. 3. 3 ### You get a written estimate The estimate covers the pergola or cover and anything the deck below needs, in writing. 4. 4 ### We build it Posts, beams and rafters for a pergola, or posts, beams and a roof for a solid cover. ![Pergola posts and beams going up on a backyard deck](/images/misc/pergola-posts-fastened-to-a-deck-frame-with-new-be.webp) ## Covered Decks and Pergolas cost and planning questions ### Do you need a permit to build a pergola in Colorado? In Fort Collins, a pergola or patio cover needs a permit if it's attached to the house, over 120 square feet, over 8 feet tall, or within 3 feet of a lot line. Wellington lists patio covers and pergolas among the projects that need a town permit. In Berthoud, a pergola needs a permit if it's attached to the house or over 120 square feet. The other towns around Fort Collins set their own rules, and we check what applies to yours. ## Related services ### Deck Building New decks from bare ground: the footings, the frame, the boards, stairs and railings, in wood or composite. New deck installation→ [Deck Building →](/deck-building/) ### Wood and Cedar Decks Pressure-treated and cedar decks. Wood and cedar decks→ [Wood and Cedar Decks →](/wood-and-cedar-decks/) ![Finished wood pergola over a patio behind a Fort Collins home](/images/misc/finished-wood-pergola-over-a-patio-with-a-table-an.webp) ## Want some shade over the deck? Send the form and tell us about the deck or patio. We'll look at it and put the estimate in writing. - Free estimates - Wood or composite - Fort Collins and nearby towns ## Get Your FREE Estimate Tell us about your deck and where it is, and we will put together your estimate. Thanks, we got your request. We'll be in touch about your estimate.