Not every job that comes through our shop is a whole house or a big barn. Some of the ones we enjoy most are small. A timber frame pavilion over a patio, a pergola out by the garden, a covered porch on the front of an old farmhouse. They go quicker, and they put pegged joinery right where people spend their summer evenings.

We get asked a lot what the difference is between the three, so here’s how we explain it.

Pergola, Pavilion or Porch

A pergola is an open frame of posts and beams with rafters or slats on top and no solid roof. It throws some shade, marks off an outdoor space, and gives climbing plants something to grab. Rain still comes through.

A pavilion stands on its own with a real roof and usually open sides. It keeps the sun and rain off, so it works well over an outdoor kitchen, a big table or a hot tub out in the yard.

A porch is attached to the house, and its roof ties into or runs off the existing building. It changes how the house looks from the road, so it has to work with the roofline and walls that are already there.

Each one fits a different need. It’s easy to build a nice pergola and then realize you can’t sit under it during a summer thunderstorm.

Start With How You’ll Use It

The easiest way to pick is to think about the one thing you most want to do out there. Maybe it’s dinner for ten on a Saturday. Maybe it’s coffee in the morning while it drizzles. Maybe it’s an afternoon nap in the shade.

Dinner for ten needs a good size footprint and probably a solid roof. Coffee in the rain points to a porch. Shade by the garden sounds like a pergola, maybe turned so the slats block the afternoon sun. Write that one sentence down and bring it to us. It usually tells us more than a page of measurements.

Things to Settle Early

Small structures look simple, but a few choices make a big difference. Lay out your table or grill on the ground with string and walk around it, so you know the size you actually need. Decide if you want a roof, because that changes the whole frame. Up north, a solid roof has to carry the snow all winter. If it’s a porch, it has to meet your house cleanly. Lights, outlets, a ceiling fan or an outdoor kitchen all need planning with your electrician and other trades.

We design the frame with you, cut it and raise it. Footings, wiring and the rest are done by other contractors, so it helps to bring them in early.

Why Pegged Joints Work Outside

An outdoor frame takes wind, hard sun, rain, and in a lot of places, a good load of snow. The joints need to stay tight year after year. A mortise and tenon pinned with an oak peg does that well. We cut every one by hand, with no nails or metal plates holding the joinery, and you can see how each piece carries its share.

We work in eastern white pine, Douglas fir, hemlock and oak. Each looks a little different, and Bruce can tell you which makes sense for your spot and how exposed it is. Our post on picking the wood covers the basics. A small frame can still have some personality, too. Curved braces or scroll ends on the plates go a long way on a pavilion. For roof shapes, see timber frame truss styles.

What Drives the Cost

Smaller doesn’t always mean simpler. Size and the number of posts and beams matter most. A solid roof takes more material and more structure than an open pergola. Oak is less common than the softwoods and works differently. Curved braces and other details add cutting time. And the farther you are from Alstead, the more shipping and travel come into it.

A Porch We Came Back For

On the Brookline, the owners wanted a 24-foot living room with no posts in the middle, in heavy snow country. We staggered the roof peak and layered two big timber plates together, which gave them a row of clerestory windows up high.

About a year after they moved in, they called us back to build a covered porch and an outdoor kitchen. They’d been living with the frame every day and wanted the outside to match. That’s about the nicest compliment we can get.

A small project is also a good way to get to know us before you take on something bigger. You can see some of our pergolas, pavilions and porches in the gallery.

If you have a spot in the yard picked out, send us a photo and rough measurements through our contact page, or call (603) 309-8793, and we’ll talk it over.