It is the first question almost everyone asks, and the hardest one to get a straight answer to. Search “how much is a pergola” and you will find prices from under £200 to well past £10,000, with very little to explain the gap. This guide gives you the real numbers: what pergolas actually cost in the UK in 2026, what drives the price up or down, and exactly what you get at each level. At Cape & Co we sell aluminium louvred pergolas, so we have used our own live prices as worked examples wherever it helps to see a real figure rather than a range.
In This Guide:
- The short answer: typical UK price bands at a glance
- What drives the price: the five things that move the number
- Cost by material: wood vs aluminium vs steel
- Cost by size: 3m x 3m up to 6m x 3m, with real prices
- Installation: what fitting a pergola costs
- UK market price check: how the main sellers compare
- The extras: blinds, bases, delivery and other add-ons
- Are cheap pergolas worth it: where the value really sits
- FAQs: the quick-answer cost questions
The short answer
A pergola in the UK typically costs between £300 and £6,000, depending mainly on material and size. As a rough guide:
- Budget wooden kits: £300 to £1,500
- Basic fixed-roof aluminium: £1,200 to £2,500
- Quality aluminium louvred pergolas: £2,000 to £6,000+
- Bespoke or oak structures: £3,000 to £10,000+
- Professional installation: add £500 to £1,500
For a real example, our Meridian aluminium louvred range runs from £2,100 for the 3m x 3m to £4,200 for the 6m x 3m, with installation from £500.
What drives a pergola's price
Five factors explain almost the entire spread between a £300 pergola and a £6,000 one. Knowing them lets you read any price tag and see what you are actually paying for.
The five cost drivers
- Material: softwood is cheapest, then aluminium, then oak and bespoke timber. This is the single biggest lever on price.
- Size: footprint scales the cost of frame, roof and fixings. A 6m x 3m uses roughly twice the material of a 3m x 3m.
- Roof type: an open slatted frame is cheapest, a fixed polycarbonate or glass roof adds cost, and an adjustable louvred roof sits at the top because of the engineering involved.
- Installation: a self-assembled kit costs nothing in labour, professional fitting adds a few hundred pounds, and a full groundworks-and-build job costs more again.
- Finish and extras: coating quality, side blinds, lighting and integrated drainage all move the price, and they are where cheap and premium pergolas genuinely diverge.
The thread running through all five is the difference between buying a garden feature and buying an outdoor room. If you want to understand whether the spend pays off at all, our guide to whether pergolas are worth it and the piece on how much value a pergola adds to a home both tackle the return side of the question.
Pergola cost by material
Material is where the money goes first. Here is what each one costs in the UK and what you trade for the saving or the spend.
| Material | Typical UK price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Softwood kit | £300 to £1,500 | Tight budgets and DIY builds, accepting regular upkeep |
| Oak / bespoke timber | £2,000 to £10,000+ | Natural character and period settings, with maintenance |
| Basic aluminium (fixed roof) | £1,200 to £2,500 | Low upkeep on a modest budget |
| Aluminium louvred | £2,000 to £6,000+ | An all-weather outdoor room with an adjustable roof |
| Steel | £1,500 to £5,000 | Strength and span, at the cost of weight and rust risk |
Wood wins the entry price and it is not close, but the ten-year cost tells a different story once staining, treating and earlier replacement are counted. We set out that full trade-off in our aluminium vs wooden pergola comparison. Aluminium has become the default for permanent garden structures because it does not rot, warp or rust, and the better systems carry an adjustable louvred roof that timber simply cannot replicate.
The Meridian 4m x 3m Aluminium Louvred Pergola in Graphite Grey
Pergola cost by size
For a given material and roof type, size is the next biggest factor. The table below uses our own Meridian aluminium louvred range as a worked example, so these are real 2026 prices rather than estimates, with the matching size and seating guidance alongside each one.
| Size | Seats | Meridian price | With side blinds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3m x 3m | 4 to 6 seat dining or corner lounge set | £2,100 | £3,350 (3 blinds) |
| 4m x 3m | 6 to 8 seat dining or full lounge suite | £2,500 | £3,750 (3 blinds) |
| 6m x 3m | 8 to 10, or split dining and lounge zones | £4,200 | £5,900 (4 blinds) |
The 3m x 3m is where the range begins and suits most patios; the 4m x 3m is the sweet spot for full dining-and-lounging; and the 6m x 3m is the entertainer's footprint. Match the pergola to the garden furniture that will live under it, whether that is an outdoor dining set, a sofa set or a lounge set, so the footprint earns its keep.
How much does pergola installation cost?
Installation is the cost most price lists hide. A flat-pack pergola you build yourself adds nothing in labour but a weekend of your time and a second pair of hands. Professional fitting in the UK typically runs £500 to £1,500 depending on size, access and whether groundworks are needed. A full bespoke build on fresh foundations costs more again.
Our own pergola installation service is a fixed add-on: £500 all-in on the 3m x 3m and 4m x 3m, and £800 on the 6m x 3m, covering assembly and ground fixing, usually in two to three hours. It is optional, so the kit price stands on its own if you would rather self-assemble onto a firm, level base.
Cape & Co. tip
When you compare quotes, always check whether installation, delivery and the base are included or extra. A headline price that looks cheap can climb fast once fitting and groundworks are added, while a slightly higher all-in price is often the better deal. Ask for the total cost to standing-in-your-garden, not the box price.
UK market price check: how the main sellers compare
Headline price bands only tell you so much, so here is a like-for-like check against three of the UK's best-known aluminium louvred pergola sellers: Harbour Lifestyle, Pergolux and Suns Lifestyle. Each is priced as an installed bundle in the three most popular configurations. All figures were taken from each seller's own website on 13 June 2026 (Suns via its authorised retailer Woodlark Garden Luxury); competitor prices move, so treat the table as a dated snapshot rather than a live quote.
| Provider | 3m x 3m + 3 blinds, installed | 4m x 3m + 3 blinds, installed | 6m x 3m + 4 blinds, installed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape & Co (Meridian) | £3,850 | £4,250 | £6,700 |
| Harbour Lifestyle | £4,098 | £4,498 | £8,899 * |
| Pergolux | £4,728 + install | £6,056 + install | from £6,279 + install |
| Suns Lifestyle | £6,490 + install | £7,190 + install | £8,790 + install |
On a like-for-like installed basis, the Meridian is the lowest-cost option in all three sizes here, and one of only two sellers in the group that publishes a fixed installation price rather than quoting on request. A few notes so the table is read fairly:
- "+ install" means installation is by quote. Pergolux and Suns offer fitting only on request (price on application), so a true installed total lands above the figure shown. Cape & Co and Harbour both publish fixed installation prices.
- Some sellers include LED lighting. Harbour and Suns build in integrated LED; Cape & Co and Pergolux do not as standard, which accounts for part of the difference.
- Blinds are bundled or added. Cape & Co and Harbour include the side blinds in the price; Pergolux (retractable privacy screens) and Suns (zip blinds) are priced per panel, added in here at their listed rates.
- The starred Harbour figure is nearest-equivalent. Harbour's 6m x 3m comes only in its larger Deluxe tier with 4 blinds, which is why that cell reads high; its 3m x 3m and 4m x 3m are like-for-like with three blinds.
The extras that change the total
Beyond the frame itself, a handful of add-ons shape the final bill. None are compulsory, but they are worth budgeting for so the total holds no surprises.
Common add-ons
- Side blinds: manual Textilene side blinds add privacy and shelter. Ours are £450 for a 3m blind and £499 for a 4m, and the bundled sets work out below buying the parts separately.
- The base: a pergola needs a firm, level surface. If you do not already have a suitable patio or slab, factor in groundworks.
- Delivery: often charged separately elsewhere. Ours is free on UK mainland orders over £100, with a typical 7 to 14 day lead time.
- Furniture and parasols: the space under and around a pergola usually wants furnishing, from sun loungers to garden parasols for the uncovered corners.
The Meridian 3m x 3m Louvred Pergola with 3 Side Blinds
Are cheap pergolas worth it?
A cheap pergola is worth it if you are honest about what it is: a seasonal garden feature, not a year-round room. A £300 softwood kit gives you shade and a frame for climbing plants, and if you enjoy the upkeep it can look wonderful. The catch is that the low price assumes your own labour and your own maintenance, and a neglected softwood frame can need replacing inside a decade, which quietly erases the saving.
The value question is really about cost per year of use. An aluminium louvred pergola costs more upfront but gets used in February as well as July, asks for little more than a wash-down, and lasts decades, so the cost spread across its life is often lower than a cheap kit that is replaced twice. If you are weighing structure types before material, our pergola vs gazebo guide and the broader pergola buying guide are the right next read, and the planning permission rules apply whatever you spend.
What you get at Cape & Co
To put a real figure on the premium end, here is exactly what the Meridian buys. Each one is a 6063-T5 aluminium frame in Graphite Grey with a triple-layer powder-coated finish, a double-skinned adjustable louvred roof that opens for sun, tilts for shade and closes to shed rain through integrated drainage, optional Textilene side blinds, and a two year warranty on the structure including the louvre mechanism. Delivery is free on UK mainland orders over £100, typically in 7 to 14 days, with professional installation available from £500. Buy furniture alongside a Meridian and there is a saving to be had on the furniture range too.
FAQs
How much does a pergola cost in the UK?
Most UK pergolas cost between £300 and £6,000. Softwood kits run from £300 to £1,500, basic aluminium from £1,200 to £2,500, and quality aluminium louvred pergolas from £2,000 to £6,000 or more. Oak and bespoke builds can exceed £10,000.
How much do pergolas cost to install?
Professional pergola installation in the UK typically costs £500 to £1,500, depending on size, access and groundworks. A self-assembled kit costs nothing in labour. Our own installation service is £500 on the 3m x 3m and 4m x 3m, and £800 on the 6m x 3m.
Why are some pergolas so expensive?
Price climbs with material, size and roof type. An adjustable louvred roof with integrated drainage, a thick powder-coated aluminium frame and side blinds cost far more to engineer than an open softwood frame, but they buy an all-weather room rather than a seasonal feature.
What is the cheapest type of pergola?
A self-assembled softwood kit is the cheapest, from around £300. It is the lowest upfront cost but assumes your own labour and regular treating, and a neglected timber frame can need replacing within ten years.
How much is an aluminium pergola?
Basic fixed-roof aluminium pergolas start around £1,200, while quality louvred models run from roughly £2,000 to £6,000 or more. Our Meridian louvred range is £2,100 for the 3m x 3m, £2,500 for the 4m x 3m and £4,200 for the 6m x 3m.
Does a pergola add value to a house?
A well-built, permanent pergola can add appeal and usable outdoor living space, which supports value, though the effect varies by property and finish. We cover the detail in our guide to how much value a pergola adds to a UK home.
