Dropped $600 on a pergola kit from the big box store and it was a nightmare

I thought I was being smart buying one of those aluminum pergola kits from Home Depot last spring (you know, the ones with the adjustable louvers). It was on sale for $600 and I figured how hard could it be to put together? Well, 3 weekends of frustration later and I realized the instructions were basically written in riddles. The holes didn't line up right on the posts and I had to drill new ones myself. Plus the louvers never sit flat so when it rains, water drips through in spots I don't want it. Honestly wish I had just saved up for a custom wood one from a local carpenter. Has anyone else had luck with those cheaper kits or did I just pick a bad brand?

3 comments

3 Comments

verawhite28d ago

Heard a contractor on a podcast say those big box pergola kits are designed more for the "look" than actually working right (the whole louvers thing is a known problem). I read a bunch of reviews after seeing your post and it sounds like the cheaper aluminum ones warp pretty bad in direct sun too. The hole alignment issue you had is super common, I saw a guy on YouTube had to buy a whole new set of mounting brackets because his kit was off by a quarter inch. For $600 you'd think they'd at least make the metal parts line up, right?

elliot_taylor1d ago

My buddy Mike bought one of those kits last summer. Put it together in his backyard over a weekend. By August the whole frame was bowing on one side from the heat. He tried to fix it but the screws stripped out. Ended up just taking it down and building a wood one himself.

the_brian28d ago

Those adjustable louver kits are TOTAL garbage from what I've seen. My neighbor bought one and spent more time fixing the alignment than actually enjoying it. Save your money and go with a real carpenter next time.