Pergolas and Patio Covers for Houston Backyards
Cedar and steel structures that add real shade, lighting, and fans so the space works in July, not just October.
What it is, and who it's for
In Houston, shade is what turns a patio you look at into a patio you use. A pergola or covered structure gives you relief from the sun, a place to mount fans and lighting, and a defined outdoor room. It's for anyone whose backyard is unusable from May through September because there's nowhere to escape the heat.
How Live Oak designs and builds it
We size and orient the structure around where the sun actually falls on your lot, not a generic template. Cedar reads warm and traditional, powder-coated steel reads clean and modern, and we build both to carry fans, downlights, and heaters that are wired in cleanly. Posts are set on real footings and flashed where they meet the house so water never finds its way in.
Why it holds up
Wind and sustained heat are the tests here. We engineer connections and footings to handle Gulf Coast storms, seal and finish cedar so it ages evenly instead of graying and splitting, and detail every roof-to-wall junction to keep water out. The result is a structure that still looks intentional a decade in, backed by our workmanship warranty.
Every pergolas & patio covers build, the full scope
Projects from $9,500
- 01Cedar or powder-coated steel structure sized to your lot
- 02Footings and connections engineered for Gulf Coast wind
- 03Integrated wiring for fans, downlights, and heaters
- 04Flashing and sealing at every house connection
- 05Finish or stain selected to age evenly in Houston sun
Where this shows up in real projects
Houston builds that included pergolas & patio covers, with real budgets and timelines.
The Bellaire Project
A covered outdoor kitchen and pergola that turned a plain slab into the family's main hosting space.
- Budget
- $95,000 – $110,000
- Timeline
- 6 weeks
The rest of the yard
Answers, with real numbers
What Houston homeowners ask most about pergolas & patio covers. Straight answers on cost and timeline.
Pergolas typically start around $9,500 and run into the low $30,000s for larger covered structures with fans, lighting, and a solid roof. Cedar and steel price differently, and we walk you through both on the first visit.
A standalone pergola is usually one to three weeks on site. When it's built over a new patio or kitchen, it folds into that project's overall five-to-eight-week timeline.
Yes. We set posts on engineered footings and detail the connections for sustained wind, which is exactly where cheaper kit structures fail here.
Ready to see what your yard could be?
Book a free design consultation. We'll walk the space, talk through what's possible, and give you a real plan and budget, no pressure to decide on the spot.