Guides / Sheds, pergolas and gazebos · Updated
Gazebo vs pergola
Definitions from town building departments and University of Illinois Extension. Checked November 1, 2026.
Short answer
The roof. A pergola has an open top of beams and rafters; a gazebo has a solid roof. That roof means a gazebo has to be built for snow and wind, usually needs a permit, and costs about twice as much.
Side by side
| Pergola | Gazebo | |
|---|---|---|
| Top | Open beams and rafters; vines or slats for shade | Solid roof |
| Rain | Gets through | Kept off |
| Structure | Sized for its own weight; no roof load | Must carry snow and wind loads, and shed water |
| Permit | Often none if freestanding (varies by town) | Usually needed |
| Cost (Fixr) | $1,900 to $6,500, average $4,500 | $7,500 to $10,000, average $8,750 |
What each one is
University of Illinois Extension: "A pergola is an open structure, usually on regularly spaced posts or columns with a lattice or open frame top," and "A gazebo is a small structure, usually roofed and open-sided."
The Town of Apex, NC, says a pergola is "an arbor formed of horizontal trelliswork supported on columns or posts, over which vines or other plants are trained," and a gazebo is "a roofed and most often freestanding structure that offers an open view of the surrounding area."
Add a roof and it's a gazebo
Apex is blunt about it: "If a roof is added to a pergola it is no longer considered a pergola, but a gazebo. The structure will be required to support snow loads, wind loads, and properly shed water from roof and structure." Wellington, CO, draws the line by how open the top is: "Pergolas must be designed to have at least 50% roof covering open to air."
Permits depend on the town. Apex doesn't require one for a freestanding pergola, but one attached to the house counts as an addition. Ask your building department before you dig.
Cost
Fixr puts a pergola at $1,900 to $6,500, with a national average of $4,500, and a gazebo at $7,500 to $10,000, averaging $8,750. Fixr's pergola figures were last updated in August 2022, so expect today's prices to run higher.
Planning a pergola
The pergola calculator sizes the beams, rafters, posts and footings for your width, depth and height, and gives you a cut list.
Where the numbers come from
- Town of Apex, NC: gazebos and pergolas, information and resources
- University of Illinois Extension: garden structures (Rhonda Ferree, 2015)
- Town of Wellington, CO: pergolas, gazebos and pavilions checklist
- Fixr: cost to build a pergola (updated August 18, 2022)
- Fixr: cost to build a gazebo (updated January 31, 2025)