Parking our car got a little more scenic this weekend with the completion of our carport pergola — or “cargola,” if you prefer.
We recently decided to dress up the carport using pergola plans from Workbench Magazine. The plans removed a lot of the guesswork, but there was still a fair amount of hands-on work. In total the project took about four and a half days (half a day was spent picking up materials). Below is a concise, step-by-step summary of how we built this attached carport pergola, including materials, challenges, and a final cost breakdown.
The build had four main components: 1) the column, 2) the braces, 3) the joists, and 4) the lath. Tackling the project in that order kept the work organized and efficient.
Most attached pergolas fasten directly to a wall, but our carport only had posts on the left side. To create symmetry and a solid attachment point on the right, we added a new column. We mounted a metal post base to the concrete using a hammer drill to create pilot holes for concrete anchors, then set wedge anchors and tightened them to secure the base.
On the ceiling we attached another metal base using heavy-duty screws, slid a 4×4 post into place, and nailed it in. Since the raw post looked too plain and narrow, we dressed it up by wrapping it with two 1×6 boards and one 1×4 board that we primed and painted beforehand. A nail gun made quick work of securing the boards, then we caulked seams and applied touch-up paint for a finished look.
The next major task was the braces, sometimes called knee braces. These were the most complex part, with each brace built from a single 12-foot 2×6 and a handful of bolts. Buying pre-made braces in the size we needed would have been expensive, so building them ourselves saved money and allowed us to customize the look.
Each brace included a base that sits against the column, two beams that protrude at a right angle, and a decorative arch. We cut the decorative notches with a miter saw, bored countersink holes for bolts, and clamped paired pieces together to ensure identical cuts. To mark the arch shape, we used temporary nails and a flexible scrap as a guide, then cut the curve with a jigsaw and sanded it smooth. After priming all the pieces, we assembled each brace with clamps, temporary nails, and 3″ lag bolts.
Hanging the braces required two people: one to hold the weight and one to check for levelness and temporarily nail them in place. Temporary brad nails held each brace long enough for us to drive lag bolts through the top and bottom into the structure, securing them permanently. By the end of the second day we had two braces built and installed, and by noon on day three we were ready for the joists.
Joists are the long 2×6 boards that span between the braces. We added a decorative curve to the visible edge of each joist on the side that faces outward. After marking where the joists rest on the braces, we notched them so they would sit snugly. We primed and painted the joists while they were still off the structure, then hoisted them into place and fastened them with long screws through pilot holes into the brace beams below.
The final step was installing the lath — the thin 2×2 strips that form the lattice across the top. We avoided pressure-treated pre-cut pieces because they require time to dry before painting. Instead, we bought untreated 2×2 boards, cut them to size, sanded, primed, and painted 50 pieces. Cutting and prepping those strips was repetitive but meditative, and paint coverage was good enough that one coat did the job for us.
To keep spacing even while installing the lath, we cut a few 3-inch scrap spacers and used them as temporary guides. Once everything was screwed into place across the joists, the structure finally read as a pergola — a very satisfying moment.
We love how the finished cargola softened the look of our house and created a charming frame for the street view. What used to be a plain parking spot now has character, and we’re both thrilled with the visual upgrade. The labor was manageable, and the DIY cost was a fraction of pre-made kits we’ve seen on the market.
- Truck rental (to get materials home): $19
- Lumber: $112
- Post bases: $23
- Nuts, bolts, & screws: $46
- Materials to reroute gutter & light: $14
- Paint & primer: Already owned
- TOTAL: $214
If your carport already has two columns or you can buy pre-made braces, the job becomes significantly easier and can cut days off the schedule. For us, building the braces saved money and allowed for a custom fit.
Between this project and the upgraded porch columns we recently completed, we’re falling in love with the front of our house all over again. We can already imagine climbing flowering vines that will soften the posts and drape across the top — that will be the cherry on top for curb appeal.
So that’s our carport pergola story. What’s on your outdoor to-do list this season?
