Easy DIY MODERN LEAN-TO SLATTED PERGOLA | For less than £200! | DIY Pergola for beginners

In the midst of the pandemic, when sawmills were closed and wood prices were at their highest, and landscapers were quoting me through the roof (partly down to timber prices), I decided to build my own pergola. Oh, did I mention I was also 24 weeks pregnant at this point! In just a day and a half, with my husband’s assistance (heavy lifting, because you know… pregnant!), we got to work measuring, cementing, cutting and drilling this budget-friendly, DIY modern lean-to pergola with slatted roof into place. This is a great beginner-friendly DIY project and doesn’t require any fancy tools- just a drill and a saw (a chop saw will do, or electric mitre/ circular for ease)l which you can borrow, hire or buy.
This DIY Pergola ended up being 2.5m high, 3.3m wide and 2.4m long with a 5% slope away from the house to allow for water run off, once I’ve put the polycarbonate roof on this year. The DIY lean-to pergola structure itself is super strong and sturdy and perfectly sections off our patio, creating a calming space to sit and listen to the wildlife. With the addition of some solar powered fairy lights on the DIY modern pergola roof, it’s also quite magical at night time!
Having bought all the materials mid-pandemic for £270, I’m happy to report that I’ve recently priced everything up again and it’s coming in at between £155 and £200 depending on where you are in the country. Check your local building supply merchant or saw mill, or somewhere like Travis Perkins who will have everything you need to get started on your own Easy DIY Pergola build that doesn’t require planning permission!
If you want to build a 4+ post pergola, simply skip the wall-mounting steps and concrete in your posts a max of 3 m apart. Add trusses for decoration or if your structure could use extra stability, for example if you’re using thicker wood than I am, or your distance between posts is larger than 3m.
Check out the part I talk about planning permission too as this will help you decide how big to have it and where you can put it.
Let me know if you have any questions and tag me on Instagram @_ohabode if you make your own!
Instagram - _ohabode
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[@diannam2307]

Absolutely love how you have designed and built this, well done 👍🏾. I definitely will be building one of these this summer with the added poly roof. Thank you for your inspiration and easy to follow description. Bless. X

[@tinkerbellbetty]

One of the best descriptions ive seen n I've watched a lot

[@tinkerbellbetty]

I was decorating at 8 and half months pregnant. So the title speak volumes❤

[@mikeykany1973]

Great job. Much cheaper than the pre cut kits and probably better quality timber as well.

[@smivadee]

Was just talking to my Missus about this, thanks for this!

[@JB-lr1tf]

Looks amazing want to this in my garden to create some privacy and shade not sure if I can do this but I might give it a go instead of spending 100s buying one and having someone install it. Great job guys looks amazing x

[@addamhewitt]

Excellent job.

[@andreeabojoaga8]

Omg this is amazingly beautiful As you inspired me I’ll try to do one for myself 🙈

[@lyno1980]

You are amazing!

[@borisbarker1016]

Recent years have seen a rise in people following the trend of sealing the post ends that are concreted into the ground. This is effectively a plastic bag around the bottom causing water to stay there and rot the wood. Better to have pebbles/similar directly underneath with concrete around and seal painted along the sides below ground. This allows water that's got into the wood to drain down through it and away through the pebbles. Even better is to float the posts an inch or two off the ground, using proprietary holders or Allthread with washers and nuts (which also allows finite adjustment whenever). Grind each end to a point and predrill the posts.

[@monkeyboysworkshop]

Nice one Jasmine! You should come round the corner and help us with our garden 😜😂

[@_OhAbode]

Any time!

[@1991enduro]

I’d like to do this thanks for the tips

[@garyleeluke]

What not put some clear perspex on top for rain cover

[@toofypeg7931]

Hi, just saw you on the sun! Well done and I’ll be trying this myself. Thank you!

[@_OhAbode]

Thank you! Do let me know how it goes!!

[@asetkaaa]

Looks amazing! I'm going to try and make a hot tub enclosure and using your tutorial for reference. My first real DIY project, eek! How do you avoid the screws from the front piece meeting ones from the side? Thanks!

[@_OhAbode]

Just do the left screw at the bottom and the right screw at the top (as in my diagram) on both connecting pieces and they shouldn’t touch x

[@winter2k11]

Hey, do you mind me asking what the paint you used is called, please?

[@BigyetiTechnologies]

Planning on building one myself, but does it block the light much? We don't have French windows.

[@jonmarubbi]

Great job , quick question what size timber did you use, posts look like 4 inches, what were the outer one's thanks

[@_OhAbode]

Yep the posts were 4x4 and the joists were 6x2 c16 x

[@danielconde6433]

Great video! I’ve been thinking of doing a similar thing in my garden but the back of the gazebo would go against the fence on one of the side boundaries. I emailed the council and they seemed okay but one of the rules at the beginning of your video suggest otherwise. Where did you find the guidance? TIA

[@_OhAbode]

Hey, do you share the boundary with your neighbour? If your council are okay with it, you should be fine to proceed! If you’re building against your neighbours boundary, it’s customary to inform them of your plans as the structure may cast shadows on their garden/restrict view etc x

[@danielconde6433]

@@_OhAbode thanks for the prompt reply! It's an end terrace I'd be building against the boundary next to the foot path / road.

[@SuperHATCH11]

Hi I am looking to pretty much copy your design but I am struggling to find all the timber I need from one place, where was it you brought all your timber from?

[@_OhAbode]

Hey, I got mine from my local lumber yard! They should do all sizes :) 4x4s, 2x6s and 1x2s, they’re pretty common x

[@SuperHATCH11]

@@_OhAbode ok thanks, i have only been looking on websites so i would probably be best visiting my local timber merchants

[@kadiva3429]

The nice Part about this is that your backyard is the most common. So it makes it very easy for people to envision how these items would look in anyones yard. Best thing about it , is how simple you kept this video. Thank you so much and awesome good ❤💪🏽

[@waheedmalik6120]

You could have also placed the posts into metal holders and bolted them into your patio...could you not? I'm doing something very similar hence the questions!

[@Stacy-hc6gv]

Yes that's what I'm doing much easier

[@midge486]

Obviously neither of you watched the video then🤦🏻‍♂️

[@waheedmalik6120]

​@midge486 what do you mean?

[@midge486]

@@waheedmalik6120 she said in the video she couldn’t use the metal post holders because her slabs were only laid loose on a bed of sand but if you’d got a solid concrete base then the post holders would work

[@waheedmalik6120]

@@midge486 in that case, metposts.

[@bryonylomax1030]

Really interesting! Just slow your camera work down a little as it was a little quick to follow

[@brams77]

Fantastic 👍I'm thinking of doing this in the summer

[@СергейНеобязательно-з1у]

Is that David Wilson Ashurst ?

[@waheedmalik6120]

I wonder if you could have got away with not putting the 4x2 on the roof in the middle as well as the two 2x1's. Or would that lose strength with the plastic roof?

[@_OhAbode]

The 6x2 was def needed as it helped with the overall structure. Ideally for this width, I should have added a third post at the front. The 2x1s alone wouldn’t have been strong enough

[@waheedmalik6120]

The 1x2 rafter across the middle...is that sitting on top of the middle 4x2 as it's not clear. If so, the other rafters going down would be going over that hence there would be a bend. Would you please explain where that middle rafter is in relation to the middle 4x2. Thank you. Great job!

[@_OhAbode]

Hey, no it’s two lengths which are pocket holed into the middle 6x2 and side 6x2s x

[@waheedmalik6120]

Thank you! I've looked at so many but you are the one I'm going to follow! Keep it up :)

[@filippovittori4158]

Great video, so good to have such a good breakdown! We'll be trying to do the same in your house, do you remember how far apart you did the wooden slats? and any idea what size the slats were? thanks so much!

[@mariafhp]

You did fabulous and have renewed my confidence that I can do it . Well done . I hope the pregnancy went smoothly and you and baby are well . Thank you for the simplicity and easy to follow instructions ❤️💯👏💪🥰

[@m.jackson0846]

Thanks! Are the rafters strong enough? I just purchased plenty of 4x2 for the rafter which I think would be heavy. How many screws went on to the wall? I just downloaded this vid. Thanks

[@_OhAbode]

They’re strong enough for decorative purposes, or to secure a poly roof, but if you want to hang anything like a swing chair or anything, thicker timber, used on its thin side will be better! I think I spaced the screws every 30cm so maybe 8??

[@clairelouhope]

This is so good!!! You’ve inspired me!!!

[@peterhanlon5303]

Ace job 🙌🏻

[@shilpirashid]

Stunning!! I would love one

[@silveryfox69]

Did you make a video for the roof?

[@_OhAbode]

I never ended up adding one as we’ve now sold the house :) I will be building another in the new house so will be documenting that x