TL;DRCedar lasts longest. Pressure-treated is cheapest. Pine is in the middle. Here's how to pick for your budget and lifespan.
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Zomg The Handyman earns from qualifying purchases. Picks based on what we install on the job — commission does not change your price.
Wood pergola buyers face the lumber decision. Cedar is the premium pick (Yardistry uses it). Pressure-treated is the budget pick. Pine sits in the middle.
Quick Comparison
| Pick | Best For | Approx Price |
|---|
| Cedar Premium | Yardistry 12x12 Meridian Pergola | $2,500-$3,200 |
| Cedar XL | Yardistry 14x16 Cedar Gazebo | $4,500-$5,800 |
Our Picks
Partner pick: Kozyard
Direct-to-consumer hardtop gazebos, louvered pergolas, umbrellas and patio sets, shipped free from the maker.
Zomg The Handyman is a partner of Kozyard through impact.com and may earn a commission on purchases made through these links. It does not change your price.
Cedar Pros and Cons
Pros: Naturally rot-resistant, beautiful patina with age, holds stain well. Cons: 2-3x cost of pine, requires re-staining every 2-3 years.
Pressure-Treated Pine Pros and Cons
Pros: Cheapest. Treated to resist rot. 30+ year lumber life. Cons: Greenish tint until aged, leaches chemicals (gloves required when cutting), heavy hardware needed.
Untreated Pine Pros and Cons
Pros: Cheap, easy to stain. Cons: Rots in 3-5 years outdoors. Not viable for California climate.
Our Recommendation
Cedar if budget allows (will outlast 2-3 pressure-treated lifespans without chemical leaching). Pressure-treated for budget priority and zero-maintenance.
Buying a gazebo, pergola, or playset? Book installation or get a free quote. Same-day available across California.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cedar or pressure-treated?
Cedar for aesthetic and 20+ year lifespan. Pressure-treated for budget and 30+ year structural lifespan (uglier).
Untreated pine outdoors?
Don't. Rots in 3-5 years.
Cost difference?
Cedar: $4,000-$6,000 for 12x12 pergola. Pressure-treated: $1,500-$2,500.
Complete Your Backyard
Add-ons we install or recommend alongside this. Each opens on Amazon (we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you).
Buying these products?We install & assemble across California. Get a quote or book direct.
Louvered pergolas our crews see most
Mirador picks on Amazon, and the premium one that is not
MIRADOR (also sold as SORARA Mirador at Costco) shows up on 39 of the gazebo and pergola records in our booking system, second only to Yardistry. Three families on Amazon, same louvered roof, different frame.
The Standard Mirador
MIRADOR 80S Louvered Pergola
Sizes: 10x10, 10x12, 10x20 (10x12 and 10x20 also sold with a shade screen)
The square-post aluminum louvered pergola most people mean when they say Mirador. 10x12 covers a dining set; 10x20 covers dining plus lounge. Pick the shade-screen version if the low sun hits one side.
Crew note: Our Mirador job sheets run from 8.8x14.4 Costco kits (one pro, roughly three to five hours on a slab) through a 10x12 drilled into a slab in Tustin (two pros, 5.5 hours, TV mount included) to a 12x24 in Murrieta that took two pros. The louvers only run true once the four posts are plumb and the beams are square, so we string-line the base first.
View on Amazon →Softer Lines
MIRADOR 111S Round Louvered Pergola Gazebo
Sizes: 10x10 with shade screen, 10x13, 10x20
Same louvered roof on rounded posts and beams. 10x13 is the odd size that fits a pad too long for 10x10 and too short for 10x20. Choose it when the pergola sits in view of the house and square posts look too industrial.
Crew note: Same assembly sequence as the 80S. Rounded extrusions hide the fastener line, so the finished frame reads cleaner, but it also means fewer places to clamp while squaring. Anchoring to a slab is the same drilled base-plate job.
View on Amazon →Wood Look, Aluminum Bones
MIRADOR 111S Takasho Louvered Pergola, Cherry Oak wood-look finish
Sizes: 10x10, 10x20
Aluminum louvered roof with a Cherry Oak wood-grain finish on the frame. For cedar fans who do not want to seal wood every year, and for HOAs that ask for a warm finish instead of grey or black metal.
Crew note: A finish, not a different structure: same posts, same louver bank, same anchoring as the 80S. Keep the cartons on until the frame is standing; the wood-look coating scratches more visibly than plain powder coat.
View on Amazon →Premium pick, sold direct
PERGOLUX louvered pergolas
Lines: Pergola 4, Pergola 4 Pro Max and the S3 line
The premium louvered pergola people ask us about that is not on Amazon. PERGOLUX sells direct from its own shop: thicker aluminum sections, motorized louvers, integrated lighting and screens as options, and sizes that run larger than the Amazon kits. Buy it direct, and our louvered pergola crews assemble and anchor it anywhere in California. Motorized / Louvered Pergola Installation is $999 in our price book; footings, electrical and screens are quoted on top.
See PERGOLUX models → ·
PERGOLUX vs Mirador vs Purple Leaf →Buy it, we assemble it. Louvered pergola installation is $999 in our price book; gazebo and pergola assembly starts at $500. Anywhere in California.Book louvered install →Get a quote As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases. It never changes your price.
Gazebo buying guides from our crews
Written from real California assembly jobs: which sizes and brands people buy, what goes wrong on site, and how to measure so the kit you order is the kit you keep.
All gazebo buying guides →
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