Parking our car got a little more scenic this weekend with the completion of our carport pergola — or “cargola,” if you prefer.
Last week we discussed dressing up our carport using pergola plans from Workbench Magazine. The plans removed a lot of guesswork, but the actual build still required time and effort. In total, it took about 4.5 days — the half day for picking up materials — and the work broke down neatly into four main parts: the column, the braces, the joists, and the lath.
Most attached pergolas don’t require a freestanding column because they tie into a house wall or garage header. Our carport only had posts on the left side, so the first task was adding a matching post on the right to create symmetry and give the pergola something to attach to.
To secure a post to the concrete floor we used a metal post base designed for this purpose. I broke out a hammer drill to make pilot holes for the concrete anchors, installed wedge anchors, and tightened them so the base was solid.
We installed another metal post base on the ceiling with heavy-duty screws, slid a 4 x 4 post into place, and nailed it in. Because the post looked unfinished and too small, we dressed it up with primed and painted boards to create a chunkier, column-like appearance — the same approach we used previously on our porch columns.
We attached two 1 x 6 boards and a 1 x 4 to wrap the post, used a nail gun to fasten them, caulked seams, and touched up paint. That completed step one, which took most of day one with occasional help for holding, photographing, and painting.
The rest of day one I started on the braces (knee braces). These were the most complex part of the project because each brace required several sub-steps. We thought about buying pre-made braces but couldn’t find the size we needed, so we made our own from 12-ft 2 x 6 lumber and some bolts — a much more economical route.
Some store-bought braces cost $50–$100 each. Our DIY braces came out to about $22 apiece. I cut the 2 x 6s to the plan’s dimensions, bored countersunk bolt holes, and cut decorative notches on the base that rests against the column. With the base pieces made, I moved on to the beams that project out at 90° — easy cuts, but I clamped two boards together to ensure matching pairs.
The trickiest part was the curved arch piece. I marked the curve by tapping temporary nails into the wood and bending a thin scrap to trace a smooth arc, then cut it with a jigsaw. The jigsaw made a decent cut but left a few rough spots, so we sanded them smooth and primed all brace pieces together.
Assembly required clamps, temporary nails, and some careful balancing to line up the beams and arch on the base. We used 3″ lag bolts to secure the pieces together and then drove through bolts where the beams and arch overlapped. By the end of day two we had two assembled braces, though they still needed paint and installation.
Hanging the braces required one person to hold each piece while the other checked level and added temporary nails. Once aligned we drove lag bolts through the top and bottom of each brace to permanently secure them.
Step three was installing the joists — the long 2 x 6 boards that rest across the braces. We cut decorative curves where visible and left the ends square where they met the house. After fitting them in place, we marked and notched the spots where they sat on the braces so they would sit snugly and then primed and painted them.
Once the paint dried we lifted the joists into position and secured them by drilling pilot holes through the top of each joist and screwing down into the brace beams below.
The final step was the lath — the narrow strips that form the top lattice. Because we wanted to paint immediately, we avoided pressure-treated pre-cut pieces and bought standard 2 x 2 boards, cutting and sanding them down at home. We needed about 50 pieces, so cutting, sanding, and painting them took a couple of hours. Thankfully one coat of Benjamin Moore exterior paint did the job.
We installed the lath across the joists, using spacers cut from scrap wood to keep gaps even and speed the process. Once the lath was fully attached, the pergola finally looked like a real pergola and we both got pretty excited.
By the end of day four the project was complete. The upgraded carport added instant character to that side of the house, transforming a plain parking spot into an attractive, framed area that now feels intentional and welcoming.
We were thrilled with how it turned out. The DIY cost was very reasonable compared with commercial kits, and our final expenses were:
- 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 would be about half as difficult and could cut roughly two days of work, making the retrofit an even easier upgrade.
The new pergola adds a touch of charm and frames the view of our flowering street. Between this and our beefed-up porch columns, we’re falling in love with the front of our house all over again. Imagine vines climbing those posts and drifting across the top — it would be incredibly charming.
What’s on your outdoor agenda these days?