In the midst of the pandemic, when sawmills were closed and wood prices were at their highest, and landscapers were quoting me through the roof (partly down to timber prices), I decided to build my own pergola. Oh, did I mention I was also 24 weeks pregnant at this point! In just a day and a half, with my husband’s assistance (heavy lifting, because you know… pregnant!), we got to work measuring, cementing, cutting and drilling this budget-friendly, DIY modern lean-to pergola with slatted roof into place. This is a great beginner-friendly DIY project and doesn’t require any fancy tools- just a drill and a saw (a chop saw will do, or electric mitre/ circular for ease)l which you can borrow, hire or buy.

This DIY Pergola ended up being 2.5m high, 3.3m wide and 2.4m long with a 5% slope away from the house to allow for water run off, once I’ve put the polycarbonate roof on this year. The DIY lean-to pergola structure itself is super strong and sturdy and perfectly sections off our patio, creating a calming space to sit and listen to the wildlife. With the addition of some solar powered fairy lights on the DIY modern pergola roof, it’s also quite magical at night time!

Having bought all the materials mid-pandemic for £270, I’m happy to report that I’ve recently priced everything up again and it’s coming in at between £155 and £200 depending on where you are in the country. Check your local building supply merchant or saw mill, or somewhere like Travis Perkins who will have everything you need to get started on your own Easy DIY Pergola build that doesn’t require planning permission!

If you want to build a 4+ post pergola, simply skip the wall-mounting steps and concrete in your posts a max of 3 m apart. Add trusses for decoration or if your structure could use extra stability, for example if you’re using thicker wood than I am, or your distance between posts is larger than 3m.

Check out the part I talk about planning permission too as this will help you decide how big to have it and where you can put it.

Let me know if you have any questions and tag me on Instagram @_ohabode if you make your own!

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