
Attached pergolas
An attached pergola bolts to the house on one side, so it needs fewer posts and shades the patio right at the door. In return it almost always needs a permit and a wall that can carry it, so check both before you choose a kit. If you want a solid roof against the wall rather than slats or louvers, a wall-mounted gazebo is the other route.
Updated Oct 20, 2026

What an attached pergola asks of your house
A freestanding kit stands on its own posts and is the easier one to get past a building department. An attached kit hangs part of its weight on the wall, so what sits behind your siding matters, and where it meets the wall needs flashing so rain doesn’t run behind it. Fix one to the house and almost every place treats it as an addition that needs a permit; the permit guide shows where the line falls.
Check that the maker’s warranty allows fixing the kit to a house, too. If you’d rather keep the house out of it, compare freestanding pergolas.
Want a solid roof against the wall?
A pergola roof is slats, louvers or fabric. If you want a steel or polycarbonate roof that stays shut, look at wall-mounted gazebos, which cover the same patio-door spot with a hardtop and add gutters and curtains on some kits.















