How Much Does a Pergola Cost in the UK? 2026 Price Guide

The same footprint can honestly cost £450 or £9,000, and neither figure means someone is trying it on. What separates them is the frame material, how deep the posts go, and whether anybody had to build a base before the first upright was stood up. Quotes for identical-looking structures land miles apart because installers are silently pricing very different amounts of groundwork.

We have costed this the way a landscaper builds a job sheet: frame, fixings, base, labour days, and the extras bolted on at the end. Below are the ranges we see on UK quotes in 2026, what each line should be worth, and what to check before you pay a deposit.

Prices below are all-in for the structure on a sound existing surface. Anything requiring a new base sits outside these figures. Note how flat-pack and bespoke differ by a factor of four for the same coverage — you are paying for post depth, timber section and someone else's time.

• •Softwood flat-pack kit, 3m x 3m, self-assembled: £280–£950 for the kit alone
• •Bespoke softwood pergola built on site, 3m x 4m: £1,800–£3,200 installed
• •Green oak or Douglas fir frame, 3m x 4m: £4,500–£9,000 installed
• •Aluminium louvred (bioclimatic) pergola, 3m x 4m: £5,500–£11,000 installed
• •Lean-to pergola fixed to the house wall: usually £150–£400 less than the freestanding equivalent, because two posts disappear
• •All-in per square metre: £120–£220 for softwood, £380–£700 for oak, £450–£850 for aluminium louvred

If a quote is itemised, these are the numbers to hold it against. Timber prices settled through 2025 after several volatile years, so anything far above these bands needs explaining. UC4-treated timber is the minimum for anything in ground contact — C16 is fine for rafters, C24 where spans exceed about 3.6m.

• •100 x 100mm UC4-treated softwood post, 2.4m: £18–£28 each
• •150 x 150mm green oak post, 2.4m: £95–£150 each
• •47 x 150mm C24 rafter, 3.6m: £16–£24 each
• •Postcrete, 20kg bag: £7–£10; allow two bags per post at a 600mm hole depth
• •Galvanised bolt-down post shoe or spike: £12–£30 each
• •Structural timber screws, box of 50: £28–£45
• •Two coats of exterior stain or oil over a 3m x 4m frame: £45–£80 in product
• •4-yard skip for spoil and offcuts: £180–£280

On a bespoke timber pergola, labour is typically 55–65% of the total. Materials for a 3m x 4m softwood frame rarely exceed £900 at trade prices, so a £2,600 quote implies roughly £1,700 of labour — about three days for a two-person team, which is honest for digging six holes, setting posts plumb, cutting joints and finishing.

Aluminium louvred systems invert that completely: the unit is 75–85% of the bill and installation is often a single day. If someone quotes £8,000 for a louvred pergola and only two days on site, that is not a red flag — the money is in the extrusion, motors and warranty, not the fitting. Day rates in 2026 run £180–£260 for a landscaper or carpenter outside the South East and £260–£380 within London and the Home Counties, and the same regional gap shows up across wider garden works and makeover budgets.

Six variables account for almost all the spread between quotes. Ask about each one before comparing numbers, because a cheaper quote is often a quote that has assumed away the expensive part.

• •No usable base: laying paving first costs £70–£140/m² supplied and fitted, and the sequencing matters — see our guide to laying a paver patio before you let anyone build over bare ground
• •Ground conditions: heavy clay, tree roots or an existing concrete slab requiring core drilling and resin anchors add £120–£280 to the job
• •Access: no side gate, so every post and bag of postcrete goes through the house — add half a day, £120–£190
• •Roof choice: open slats are free, 16mm polycarbonate is £60–£110/m², a retractable fabric canopy £600–£1,600, motorised louvres considerably more
• •Lighting and power: an outdoor circuit is notifiable under Part P, so budget £280–£650 for a registered electrician and certificate
• •Region: London and the South East run 15–25% above national average; the North East, Wales and Northern Ireland typically 8–15% below

These are complete jobs with every line included, based on quotes we have seen this year. The gap between the first and third is not quality of workmanship — it is specification.

Example one, DIY softwood kit on an existing patio, 3m x 3m: kit £480, bolt-down shoes and fixings £68, two bags of stain £52, hire of an SDS drill for a day £22. Total £622, plus two weekends of your own time. Example two, bespoke softwood, 3m x 4m, installed on existing paving in the Midlands: materials £880, labour three days for two people £1,440, sundries and waste £130, stain applied on site £95. Total £2,545 including VAT.

Example three, 4m x 3.5m aluminium louvred pergola with LED strip and one motorised side screen, Surrey: unit £6,200, new concrete pad and porcelain topping £1,050, two days' installation £860, electrician for the supply and certificate £395. Total £8,505. That is roughly what a modest outdoor kitchen build costs, which is worth knowing if you are choosing between the two.

A fair quote is a specific one. Vagueness is where margin hides, and it is also where disputes start. Run every quote through these checks before you shortlist.

• •Post fixing method and depth stated in writing — 600mm minimum for freestanding softwood, or a named bolt-down anchor for concrete
• •Timber grade and treatment named (UC4, C16 or C24), not just 'treated timber'
• •VAT shown separately, or the firm stated as not VAT-registered — a quote that goes quiet on VAT can grow by 20%
• •Deposit capped at 25% and staged against progress, never the full amount up front
• •Waste removal and reinstatement of any lifted paving included, not 'by others'
• •A written guarantee on workmanship — two years is normal, and manufacturer cover on aluminium systems is typically ten
• •Three quotes on an identical specification; our notes on comparing contractor estimates cover what to normalise first

Figures come from 2026 UK merchant and DIY retailer pricing for materials, published day rates for landscapers and carpenters across five regions, and quotes shared with us by homeowners in the Midlands, South East and North West. All prices include VAT unless stated. We have assumed level ground, standard domestic access, and pergolas under 2.5m high where they sit within 2m of a boundary — above that, or forward of the principal elevation, and permitted development rights may not cover you, so read when planning permission and building regulations apply first.

One last thing worth pricing in: a timber pergola needs recoating every two to three years, roughly £60 in product and half a day of work, while aluminium needs washing down and nothing else. If that rhythm matters, weigh it alongside the pergola versus gazebo decision. Revisit quotes annually — timber pricing has swung 30% in a single year before now.