If you want to add a little bit of style to your garden, then a pergola is the perfect solution. Not only will you be able to have an area which provides much needed shade from the sun, but it also serves as an excellent place to entertain friends with a garden party or BBQ during the summer. So should you buy a pergola, or build one yourself with one of the many pergola plans available? Let's take a look...

Buying a pergola

While there are many styles of pergolas available to purchase, the simple fact of the matter is that they are extremely expensive, and in this tough economy not many people can afford them right now. Most households are struggling to pay the bills, nevermind having the ability to splash the cash on a pergola!

Building a pergola

Because of the steep prices, many people are now going down the DIY route by building a pergola themselves. Luckily, you don't require any experience in doing this kind of thing, as the vast majority of pergola plans out there are extremely easy to follow and allow you to go through the step by step instructions to assemble your very own pergola. Perfect for a beginner!

Quite possibly the best place to find beginner pergola plans is on a website called Ted's Woodworking (more on this later), and there are also some websites that give you free plans, although the quality of these are a bit hit and miss.



A simple plan for building a pergola:

Step 1 – Choose the location


There are basically two options when it comes to choosing the location of your pergola. You can have it attached to your house or free standing in the garden.

Which option you choose really comes down to what you will be using the pergola for, as having it close to the house will be ideal for entertaining friends, and going for a more remote location will give you some peace and quiet.

Step 2 – Think about the size


You can build a pergola whatever size you want, it just depends on what you will be using it for. Luckily, there are numerous pergola plans that come in all shapes and sizes, so you should have no problem finding the right one for you.

As an example, if you want a pergola that attaches to the side of your house that can be used by the whole family, then you will need a large pergola to accommodate everybody.

Step 3 – Find the right pergola plan and buy the materials


As mentioned earlier, Ted's Woodworking Plans are by far the best source of pergola plans out there. Sure, you could find free pergola plans, but many of these are incomplete or not very well organized, which means your project might never get off the ground.

Once you have found the right pergola plan for your own individual needs, then it's simply a case of buying the materials so you are able to get started. The plans found on Ted's Woodworking site will tell you EXACTLY what materials you should be buying, which mean there is no guesswork involved.



More about Ted's Woodworking


Everybody in the woodworking community is talking about Ted McGrath and his site Ted's Woodworking, and it's easy to see why. In a nutshell, this is without a doubt the most comprehensive package of woodworking plans in the world, and is the perfect place for both beginners and experts alike.

Ted has spent his entire life as a woodworker, where he still works on the job, while teaching other professionals his methods and running the website. Amazingly, there are over 16,000 woodworking plans on his website, with plans for things such as bird feeders, garden chairs, furniture, and of course...pergola plans.

Make no mistake about it, once you get immediate online access to Ted's Woodworking Plans, you will have at your fingertips the biggest resource of woodworking projects ever created. Nowhere else even comes close.

So what exactly do you get? Let's take a closer look...

Detailed blueprints


If you have never attempted a DIY woodworking project before, then it's important that the pergola plans come with detailed blueprints so you are able to get straight to work with the least of amount of hassle possible.

In fact, you will find that many of the plans can be completed in a single weekend, so you don't end up wasting too much of your valuable time.

Over 150 instructional videos


Let's face it, sometimes having the plans in your hand isn't enough, which is why membership to Ted's Woodworking site also gives you access to over 150 instructional videos so you can see close up just how everything is done.

Woodworking guides


There is also a selection of woodworking guides provided by Ted, that takes the beginner through all of the basics, and gives a range of tips and advice on the best way to approach your project.

Money back guarantee


Although just about everybody in the community has applauded Ted's Woodworking Plans, it's still good to know that get you a bit of extra insurance with your purchase.

This comes in the form of a 60 day, no questions asked, money back guarantee, and if you are unsatisfied in anyway then simply get every single penny of your money back. You have nothing to lose.



The final word


In short, there is no better resource on the internet for pergola plans than at Ted's Woodworking. It's doesn't matter if you have zero experience, very little money, and no clear idea of exactly what you want your pergola to look like...there is such a huge collection of plans uploaded by Ted, and many of them are so easy to understand and perfect for a beginner, that you will have a stunning pergola in your garden just in time for the summer.

So what are you waiting for? Check out the range of pergola plans at Ted's Woodworking website right away, and in no time at all, every one of your friends and neighbors will be wondering where you got that amazing pergola.