Guides · Carpentry
Pergola and Carport from a Carpenter: Made to Measure, with Costs
The DIY store sells you a pergola for 2,000 francs. The carpenter builds you one for 8,000. This guide explains honestly when each route makes sense — and when neither does.
Kit or made to measure: the honest answer
The kit makes sense when standard dimensions fit, the budget is tight and you want to assemble it yourself. It is fine — for ten to twenty years, with visible screw fittings and pressure-treated standard timber. We say this clearly because it is true: if all you want is simple weather protection for two bikes, you do not need a carpenter.
Made to measure pays off as soon as one of these applies: the structure meets the house and has to match it. The space is not a standard size — boundary distance, slope, an existing wall. You want a timber species and joints that last for decades without chemical treatment. Or you simply do not want the first glance at your house to belong to a DIY-store shelf. The carpenter designs the structure to fit the house, sizes it for snow loads and builds joints that cannot be screwed together.
What a pergola, carport and shelter cost
| Structure, made to measure | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Canopy over the front door | from CHF 3,000 |
| Bike or equipment shelter | from CHF 5,000 |
| Timber pergola, attached or freestanding | from CHF 8,000 |
| Carport for one car | from CHF 15,000 |
| Double carport with storage room | CHF 25,000 to 45,000 |
The prices include design, foundations, timber, assembly and, for the carport, the roof covering. What drives the price up: green or tiled roofs, side walls, integrated lighting — and poor access to the site.
The permit: usually yes, even for a carport
The most common piece of misinformation on this topic: carports do not need a permit. In the canton of Zurich, only small ancillary structures are exempt, and the thresholds differ by municipality. A carport almost always exceeds them; a larger pergola often does. Add to that boundary distances to the neighbour. The good news: for structures like these, the simplified procedure is usually enough, and with proper plans it takes a few weeks. We file it for our clients — the details are in the guide to building permits in the canton of Zurich.
Which timber — and why no chemicals
For outdoors we use larch or Douglas fir: both last for decades untreated if the constructive timber protection is right. That means: no timber in the ground (posts stand on steel feet), end grain covered, water can drain everywhere. If you follow that, you do not need pressure treatment. The timber weathers to a silvery grey over the years — that is not a defect but its natural protection. What that looks like on a facade is shown in the timber facade guide.
The process
- Site visit. Space, access, boundary distances, connection to the house. Free.
- Design and quote. A sketch, a price with clear line items.
- Permit. We clarify what is needed and file the application.
- Prefabrication in the workshop. Joinery and surfaces are prepared indoors.
- Assembly. Foundations, erection, roof covering. Usually one to three days on site.
Frequently asked questions
How long from first conversation to finished carport?
With the permit, usually two to four months. The assembly itself is the shortest part — the permit and the prefabrication set the pace.
Do you also build pergolas with shading?
Yes. Slatted blinds, fabric panels or climbing plants — we design the structure for it from the start instead of retrofitting.
Is a carpenter worth it for a small shelter?
If it stands visibly at the house or has to carry load: yes. If it disappears behind the garage and only needs to keep things dry: buy the kit. That answer costs you nothing with us — we will tell you the same at the site visit.
Planning a pergola or carport?
Send me a photo of the spot and rough dimensions — I will tell you what is possible, whether it needs a permit and what it costs. As a carpentry business in Zurich we build both, made to measure. The first conversation is free.
