TL;DRYardistry's premium cedar vs PURPLE LEAF's aluminum louvered. We've installed both dozens of times. Here's which one wins for which buyer.
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.
Yardistry and PURPLE LEAF target the same buyer type but solve the problem differently. Yardistry uses real cedar with an aluminum roof — classic look, premium price. PURPLE LEAF uses all-aluminum with louvered roof — modern look, mid-tier price.
Quick Comparison
| Pick | Best For | Approx Price |
|---|
| Premium Cedar | Yardistry 12x12 Meridian Pergola | $2,500-$3,200 |
| Best Aluminum Value | PURPLE LEAF 10x13 Outdoor Aluminum Louvered Pergola | $1,400-$2,000 |
| Larger PURPLE LEAF | PURPLE LEAF 14x14 Aluminum Pergola | $2,200-$2,800 |
| Yardistry Pergola Grand | Yardistry 14x14 Cedar Pergola | $3,200-$4,000 |
Our Picks
Premium Cedar
Recommended on Amazon
Yardistry 12x12 Meridian Pergola
Cedar pergola with a powder-coated aluminum roof. Premium build, hardware-included.
$2,500-$3,200
View on Amazon → See Kozyard pergolas →
Best Aluminum Value
Recommended on Amazon
PURPLE LEAF 10x13 Outdoor Aluminum Louvered Pergola
Manual louvers (open/close with rod). Powder-coated aluminum frame. Best price for the size.
$1,400-$2,000
View on Amazon → See Kozyard pergolas →
Larger PURPLE LEAF
Recommended on Amazon
PURPLE LEAF 14x14 Aluminum Pergola
Larger version for bigger backyards. Same louvered design, more coverage.
$2,200-$2,800
View on Amazon → See Kozyard pergolas →
Yardistry Pergola Grand
Recommended on Amazon
Yardistry 14x14 Cedar Pergola
Larger Yardistry pergola for bigger backyards. Architectural grade cedar.
$3,200-$4,000
View on Amazon → See Kozyard pergolas →
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 vs. Aluminum — Which Wins?
Cedar wins on aesthetics. Aluminum wins on maintenance. Cedar requires re-staining every 2-3 years; aluminum needs an occasional rinse. If you love working on your backyard, cedar. If you want zero-maintenance, aluminum.
Louvered vs. Open-Top
Yardistry pergolas are open-top (or have a fixed aluminum roof). PURPLE LEAF louvers open and close, so you control sun and rain. Big functional difference if you actually use the pergola for outdoor dining.
Price Comparison
Yardistry 12x12: $2,500-$3,200. PURPLE LEAF 10x13: $1,400-$2,000. Yardistry 12x16 pavilion: $5,500+. PURPLE LEAF motorized 12x14: $2,500-$3,400.
Our Pick by Use Case
- Forever home, traditional aesthetic: Yardistry
- Modern home, want louver function: PURPLE LEAF
- Tight budget, decent quality: PURPLE LEAF
- Wedding-grade pavilion: Yardistry
Need help assembling your purchase?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Cedar or aluminum pergola?
Cedar for traditional/timeless aesthetic. Aluminum for low-maintenance and louver functionality.
Which lasts longer?
Both last 15+ years if maintained. Aluminum needs less work.
Yardistry's premium worth it?
Yes if you love wood and won't mind staining. No if you want zero-maintenance.
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 →The cedar gazebo our crews build most
Yardistry Meridian picks on Amazon
Yardistry leads our records with 64 mentions, most of them Costco kits. The Meridian line is also on Amazon in every size; these are the sizes that fit this page.
Permit Sweet Spot
Yardistry 10x12 Meridian Cedar Gazebo
The most requested size in our records (66 mentions) and right at the 120 square foot line. A four to six seat dining table fits.
Crew note: Our Loma Linda 10x12 Meridian (Home Depot kit) went up with a rain gutter kit, three pros in about five hours, fan planned for later.
View on Amazon →The Costco Size We Build Most
Yardistry 12x14 Meridian Cedar Gazebo
57 mentions in our records, the cedar gazebo California buys at Costco more than any other. Dining for six with room to walk around.
Crew note: Our Tustin 12x14 with a privacy wall took three pros; a Sherman Oaks customer ordered three at once with anchors provided. Pre-drilled cedar, hundreds of screws, an impact driver pays for itself.
View on Amazon →Outdoor Dining
Yardistry 12x16 Meridian Cedar Pavilion
The outdoor-dining size (29 mentions): a long table plus a serving counter or grill zone under the roof.
Crew note: Clovis: homeowners pre-set the piers, one pro, 7.5 hours. Mission Viejo: with anchoring to concrete, two pros, 8 hours. Plan a full day.
View on Amazon →Already own a Yardistry?
Finish it: the Meridian add-ons
Bar counter, privacy wall, mesh kit and rain gutters bolt onto the Meridian frame. We install accessories too, on the same visit or later.
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.
