Decks And Pergolas: Why Local Homeowners Keep Asking for Both

Every summer we get the same phone calls. Someone built a deck two or three years ago, loves it, uses it constantly in April and October, and then basically abandons it from June through August because it's 104 degrees out there with zero shade. By the time they call us, they're not asking about a new deck anymore. They want to know if a pergola can be added to the one they already have.

With this in mind, this blog speaks to two kinds of people: folks planning a new deck addition from scratch who want to build the shade in from day one, and folks with an existing deck wondering if it's too late to fix the sun problem. Short answer on that second one: it's almost never too late.

Why The Pairing Works

A deck by itself does one job well. It gives you a flat, sturdy surface where furniture doesn't sink into the yard and you're not tracking mud into the house. That's genuinely valuable, but it doesn't do anything about heat, glare, or the fact that Texas sun in July has opinions about your dinner party.

A pergola solves the problem a deck can't solve on its own. It won't turn your backyard into a cave, since the beams are spaced to let light and air through, but it cuts the harshest overhead sun enough that people will stay outside past 5pm instead of heading back in. Toss a fan up between the rafters, run some string lights, maybe even consider a shade pergola that includes polycarbonate panels to help shade the worst part of the afternoon, and you've got a space that gets used almost year-round instead of six weeks in spring and six weeks in fall.

And yes, pergolas pair well with patios too!

I'll be honest, most of our clients don't plan for this combination on their own. They come in wanting a deck, we ask about how they picture using it, and the pergola conversation happens naturally once we start talking about that 2pm heat.

What We're Building Right Now

There isn't one standard layout. In Richardson and parts of Garland, where a lot of homes back up to smaller yards, we tend to see pergolas covering just the dining table, with the rest of the deck left open. It keeps the budget reasonable and gives homeowners sun in the winter when they want it most.

Out toward Southlake and Rockwall, where lots run bigger, we're doing more full coverage pergolas tied straight into an outdoor kitchen setup. If someone's spending real money on a built-in grill or a drop in burner, they don't want that equipment or the person cooking on it baking in direct sun. Cedar tends to be the material of choice here, mostly because it looks right next to stone counters and it ages in a way people like.

Multi-level decks are their own thing. On a sloped lot, we'll sometimes put the pergola over just the upper tier, which does two things at once. It shades the part of the deck people sit on most, and it gives the whole structure a more finished silhouette from the yard, instead of looking like a flat box.

Do The Deck And Pergola Need To Match?

No, and some of the nicest deck and pergola projects we've built intentionally don't match. Composite decking from TimberTech or AZEK has become the default choice for decks around here because it shrugs off Dallas humidity without the yearly staining wood needs. But cedar is still what most people want overhead for a pergola, partly because it's not a walking surface so the durability concerns that push people toward composite decking just don't apply the same way up top.

Mixing materials this way isn't a compromise. It's honestly become the norm.

Permits, Because Someone Always Asks

Yes, you'll likely need one, sometimes two. Most cities in the DFW area, Dallas, Plano, and Garland included, require a permit for new deck construction, and adding a pergola with posts and footings usually triggers its own permit or gets rolled into the same one. If your neighborhood has an HOA, expect a design review before any of that even reaches the city. This is one of the parts of the process homeowners hate dealing with on their own, which is a big part of why we handle it as part of the build instead of leaving you to figure out setback rules at 9pm on a Tuesday.

A Few Things Worth Deciding Before Your Consultation

You don't have to walk in with answers to all of this, but it helps to have thought about it:

How much of the deck do you want shaded versus left open? Whether you want the posts built into the deck framing itself or set independently. Whether you want electrical run for fans or lighting, since that's far cheaper to plan up front than to retrofit later. And how the pergola style should relate to your home's roof line and trim, so it looks like it belongs there instead of looking bolted on.

None of this needs to get sorted before you call us. That's what the design consultation is for.

If you're picturing a new deck with a pergola built into the plan from the start, or you've got a deck already and just want the shade piece added, Archadeck of Northeast Dallas builds both, separately and together, across Addison, Carrollton, Plano, Richardson, Southlake, Rockwall, and the rest of our NE Dallas service area.

Call (972) 904 3325 or schedule a complimentary design consultation and we'll walk the property with you.

Agustin & Amanda Garza – Owners Archadeck of Northeast Dallas