Free starting design ยท Freestanding pergola
144 sq ft, 9 ft high, freestanding on its own posts.
15 of 15 planner checks passed
Drawn by the designer from this planPreliminary checks against NDS design values and the IRC. Local approval not checked.
At least $1,874.05 at Home Depot prices in materials, before sales tax, delivery and tools.
Building it? The $29 pergola plan counts every piece. Free and paid, side by side
About this plan
The beam. Two beams sit on 4 posts of 6x6, each spanning 11'-6-1/2" between post centers, and the 2-ply 2x12 beam uses 81% of its allowable. Anything over 100% fails, so a 12 ft span leaves this beam little room to shrink.
The rafters span the other way, 11'-6-1/2" between the beams, and the 2x6 rafters at 16 in on center use 77%. The 2x2 slats on top barely load the frame at all.
Each footing is 26 in pad, 7 in thick, 42 in deep. Frost depth and snow load are local, so confirm both before you buy lumber.
Planner checks
No check fails and none needs a second look, so nothing here holds up construction. Local approval is still yours to get. Each bar is the percent of its allowable that a member uses, from the span, the loads and the lumber grade. A bar at 100% is at the limit, and over 100% fails.
what this plan uses room to spare
Green passes the rule or the calculation we checked against, amber asks you to look at something before you build, red fails it. These are preliminary checks, not a structural approval; your local building authority reviews and approves.
PassRafters 2x6
Our default
PassSlats 2x2
Our default
PassDouble beam 2-2x12
Our default
PassRafter overhang
Our default
PassBeam overhang
Our default
PassDouble beam to post
Our default
PassRafter ties
Our default
OKFraming spans
Our span check
Each member is checked against its allowable from the NDS design values: it passes while the percent used stays at or under 100%.
Pass6x6 posts, gravity
Our default
PassKnee braces
Our default
PassHeadroom at the braces
Our default
PassPost base
PassFootings
Our default
PassAcross load path
Our default
PassOverall stability
Our default
NoteBefore you build: no swings or hammocks
Our default
NoteLocal approval
Our default
PassSlat splices
Our default
Specification
| Size | 12 ft wide by 12 ft deep |
|---|---|
| Wood | Southern pine, pressure-treated |
| Beam | 2-ply 2x12, bolted either side of the posts |
| Rafters | 2x6 at 16 in on center |
| Slats | 2x2 at 8 in on center |
| Knee braces | Yes, both directions |
| Design code | TPR-CQT6-0BJP |
| Rafters | 2x6: span 11'-6-1/2", overhang 1'-2-3/4", allowable span 13'-1-3/4". OK, 77% used, governed by bending (snow case) |
|---|---|
| Slats | 2x2: span 1'-3-1/2", overhang 0'-3-3/4", allowable span 4'-6-3/4". OK, 6% used, governed by bending (snow case) |
| Double beam | 2-2x12: span 11'-6-1/2", overhang 1'-2-3/4", allowable span 12'-9-1/2". OK, 81% used, governed by bending (snow case) |
| Posts | 6x6: 4 posts, 9'-11-1/4" long, 1,616 lb on the most loaded post. OK, 11% used, governed by column buckling with bending (NDS 3.7 and 3.9) |
| Knee braces | 2x6: 24 in legs at 45 degrees, 3 bolts of 1/2 in at each end, foot at 7'-0", 1.50 in filler at the post, brace let into a 2.00 in housing in the post. OK, 93% used, governed by the bolts or brace compression (1,268 lb of 1,361 lb) |
| Beam bolts | 3 x 1/2 in: at each post, 1,863 lb. OK, against 1,616 lb down |
| 4 footings | 26 in pad, 7 in thick, 42 in deep |
|---|---|
| Frost depth | 12 in, confirm with your building department |
| Soil bearing | 1500 psf assumed |
Cost
Materials at Home Depot prices, about$1,874.05
Home Depot, Hamilton Mill store, prices read 2026-09-30 to 2026-11-04; your store may differ. Quantities and board lengths are exact for this design. Lines marked estimated are priced from a nearby length or another store; special order lines carry no price (special order, price at your lumberyard) and are left out of the total. Before sales tax, delivery, labor and site work.
Home Depot, Hamilton Mill store, prices read 2026-09-30 to 2026-11-04; your store may differ. Quantities and board lengths are exact for this design. Lines marked estimated are priced from a nearby length or another store; special order lines carry no price (special order, price at your lumberyard) and are left out of the total. 15 lines counted off the framing.
Before sales tax, delivery, labor and tools.
Lumber$982.24
| 4 | 6x6 x 12 ftShelf price | $209.92 |
| 4 | 2x12 x 16 ftShelf price | $187.12 |
| 8 | 2x6 x 8 ftShelf price | $77.44 |
| 12 | 2x6 x 16 ftShelf price | $233.76 |
| 50 | 2x2 x 8 ftShelf price | $274 |
Hardware$691.24
| 4 | Adjustable standoff post base, 6x6Shelf price | $237.68 |
| 24 | 1/2 x 10 in hex bolt, galvanizedShelf price | $107.66 |
| 36 | 1/2 x 6 in hex bolt, galvanizedShelf price | $128.88 |
| 120 | 1/2 in flat washer, galvanizedShelf price | $53.88 |
| 60 | 1/2 in hex nut, galvanizedShelf price | $31.18 |
| 20 | Rafter tie (hurricane tie)Shelf price | $19.60 |
| 4 | Rafter tie over each post, Simpson H11Z or equalSpecial order, no price | not priced |
| 304 | Exterior wood screw, 3 inShelf price | $32.44 |
| 4 | 12 in round concrete form tube, 4 ftShelf price | $79.92 |
Concrete$200.57
| 31 | Concrete mix, 80 lb bagShelf price | $200.57 |
Home Depot, Hamilton Mill store, prices read 2026-09-30 to 2026-11-04; your store may differ. Quantities and board lengths are exact for this design. Lines marked estimated are priced from a nearby length or another store; special order lines carry no price (special order, price at your lumberyard) and are left out of the total. Change the size in the pergola designer and the list follows.
Free and paid, side by side
Free
On this page and in the designer, no account
$29 once
The drawings you build from, for the pergola you finish.
You check out in the designer, with this design loaded. If the plan has an error, we fix it or refund you within 30 days. Guarantee terms.
Real sheets from the 12-sheet sample plan for the 12x12 ft pergola
The sample was printed on an earlier date, so its prices can differ from the estimate above. Your plan prints the same prices as the estimate.
Cover and project data
Plan view
Front elevation
Footing, brace and post base details
Member schedule and checks
Shopping list
Build phases
Each picture is this pergola at the end of its phase, drawn by the designer, with that phase's new parts in color.
Stake the post centers, check the diagonals, dig and pour the footings, and set the post bases.
Set the 6x6 posts plumb on their bases and brace them.
Fasten the 2-ply 2x12 beams to the posts with the through-bolts the plan gives.
Set the 2x6 rafters at 16 in on center across the beams, each tied down.
Fasten the 2x2 slats across the rafters at 8 in on center.
Bolt the knee braces between each post and beam in both directions.
This is the summary. The $29 builder's plan breaks these phases into a build order with the new parts highlighted, a how-to detail and a check at each step.
Putting it over a deck? Read where the posts can land when you add a pergola over a deck.
Questions
Anything else? Write to us or read the questions about all pergola plans.
This plan uses 6x6 posts, a 2-ply 2x12 beam, 2x6 rafters at 16 in and 2x2 slats. The rafters use 77% of their allowable span and the beam 81%. Treat that as a starting point and check local wind and snow loads.
Each of the 4 footings here is 26 in pad, 7 in thick, 42 in deep. Depth below the frost line is set by your local frost depth, which you enter in the designer. Check it with your building department before you dig.
A little smallerFreestanding pergola, 120 sq ft
Materials about $1,608.73
A little biggerFreestanding pergola, 192 sq ft
Materials about $2,435.15
Change the size, the posts and the lumber. The framing, the percent used and the materials list follow every change. Free, no account.
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