Hey everyone, it’s Jake from [Your Pergola Supply Co.] here—today I want to cut through the noise on a question I get literally every single week from homeowners, small landscapers, even folks looking to rearrange their backyard vibes: “Can a pergola be moved?” Pergola
Let’s get real first: most people think pergolas are stuck where you bolted ‘em, right? Like, once you sunk those four posts 2 feet deep and poured the concrete footings, that’s it—they turn into permanent backyard furniture that you’re stuck with forever. But here’s the tea: it’s not a flat yes or no. It depends on so many factors, and as someone who’s shipped, installed, and helped move (or advise on moving) hundreds of our pergolas over the last 7 years, I’m breaking this down like it’s no big deal, no fancy jargon, just actual stuff that matters.
First, let’s talk about the type of pergola we’re working with, ‘cause that’s the biggest variable. Most of our customers come for either vinyl/aluminum or wood—we do both, and the moveability is worlds apart. If you bought a cheap, pre-built wood pergola from a big box store? Good luck. Those are usually press-fit or secured with tiny screws, no extra bracing. Move that bad boy and you’re probably looking at a splintered frame, wobbly posts, and maybe a broken beam. But our pergolas? Wait, let’s be clear: we don’t build flimsy stuff. Our modular, bolt-together aluminum or cedar pergolas are engineered to come apart without ruining the whole structure, which is key.
Wait, let’s slow down and define “moved” too—‘cause that’s a word people throw around differently. Do you want to shift it 10 feet across your existing patio? That’s way easier than disassembling it, hauling it across town, and rebuilding it on a new concrete pad. That 10-foot shift? Most of the time, you don’t even need to take it fully apart. For our aluminum ones, we just loosen the anchor bolts, lift the posts a little (pro tip: get two friends, not one—pergolas are heavier than they look), slide it over, and re-tighten. Done in like 30 minutes. No mess, no damage. The cedar ones are a tiny bit heavier, same vibe—just take your time, don’t yank. That’s the “easy move” category, and it’s totally doable for 90% of our customers who want to rearrange their backyard.
The hard move is the full disassembly, transport, and rebuild. That’s when you’re like, “I’m moving houses and I want my pergola to come with me” or “I’m redoing my entire yard and the pergola’s current spot is where my new outdoor kitchen’s going.” This is where it gets technical, but I’ll keep it plain. First, the materials: aluminum is the way to go here. It’s light, doesn’t warp, doesn’t hold onto rust or water, so when you take it apart, every piece is just like the day you built it. We moved an aluminum pergola for a client last year who was downsizing to a smaller home, and it went up at the new place in half the time it took the original install. The cedar ones? They can be moved, but you’ve gotta be careful with the joinery. Cedar is soft, so if you over-tighten bolts when taking apart or rebuilding, you can strip the wood or crack the beams. That’s why we always recommend pre-drilling all holes (which we do for all our pergolas, fyi) so that’s less of a risk. The big box store wood ones? Forget it—their joinery is glued or stapled, so taking them apart means destroying pieces.
Next up, the anchors and footings. This is where people mess up the most when trying to move a pergola. If your pergola was secured with surface mounts—like those big L-bolts that sit on top of your concrete or patio stones? Game changer. You just unbolt those, pick up the posts, and go. No digging, no concrete mess. That’s the best setup for moveability. But if you sunk posts 2 feet deep in concrete footings? That’s a whole different story. Pulling those posts out? You’ll need a jackhammer or a post hole digger, and even then, you’ll probably have leftover concrete chunks you’ve got to dispose of. But wait—if you do have concrete footings and you want to move the pergola a short distance, you can actually just lift the frame off the footings (if they’re not fully embedded) and set it onto new temporary anchors until you can re-set the posts. We’ve got clients who rearrange their patio every spring (switching from dining to lounging setups) and do this all the time with surface-mounted footings—no issues.
Let’s talk about the “should I even move it?” part, because it’s not always worth it. I’ve had a client call me panicking ‘cause he wanted to move his 10-year-old cedar pergola across the state. When I told him it would take 3 days of work, a rented truck, and he’d probably have to replace 2 beams from weather-related warping, he decided to sell the old one and buy a new one at his new house. That makes sense—old wood pergolas, especially ones that’ve been out in the sun and rain, are brittle. Aluminum is built to last 20+ years, so moving a 5-year-old aluminum pergola? Totally worth it, no extra work. Wood pergolas over 10 years? Only move if it’s a short distance and you’re okay with replacing some parts.
Another thing people don’t think about: the roof. Wait, not all pergolas have roofs—some are just open slats, but if you have a solid polycarbonate or louvered roof? That adds weight. Moving a pergola with a roof is doable, but you’ve got to remove the roof panels first before disassembling the frame. Those panels are thin, so if you drag the frame with the roof on, you’ll scratch or crack them. We include step-by-step disassembly guides with every pergola we sell, and that’s a big part of why our customers love us—no guessing, no YouTube tutorials gone wrong.
Wait, let’s get real about common mistakes I see. Number one: trying to move a full-size pergola by yourself. I’ve had a customer show up with a U-Haul and try to load a 12×16 wood pergola alone—no joke, he dropped a beam on his foot and had to go to the ER. Don’t do that. Get at least two other people, or hire a handyman if it’s a big move. Number two: not labeling parts when you disassemble. I can’t tell you how many times we get calls from customers who took apart their pergola, mixed up all the beam pieces, and now can’t figure out which one goes where. We give each piece a number (like Post A, Beam 3) so that’s not an issue—trust me, that tiny extra step saves so much time. Number three: rushing the rebuild. When you put it back together, you’ve got to make sure all the bolts are tight, the posts are level, and the slats are evenly spaced. If you skip that, you’ll end up with a wobbly pergola that sags in the middle after a year.
Now, let’s talk about when moving is a no-go. If you bought a cheap, pre-assembled pergola for $200 from a big box store—don’t even bother trying to move it. Those are made of particle board or thin metal that rusts in a year, and pulling it apart will break it. If your pergola is custom-built on-site with no modular parts—like a carpenter built it for you and welded the joints permanently—you can’t move it without cutting it apart, and that’s more work than building a new one. If it’s been damaged by storms, termites, or rot? Moving it will just make the damage worse, so replace it.
Wait, and let’s circle back to our business, ‘cause that’s why I’m here. We make pergolas that are built to move, ‘cause we know people’s backyards change. Whether you’re shifting your outdoor dining area to face the new fire pit, moving to a new house and want to bring your favorite backyard feature, or just rearranging for a party—we design every single one of our aluminum and cedar pergolas with easy disassembly and rebuild in mind. We also offer optional move kits for customers who know they might want to shift it down the line, including extra bolts, labels, and even transport straps.
If you’re on the fence about whether your pergola can be moved—whether it’s ours or someone else’s—hit us up. We don’t do pushy sales, we just give real advice. If it’s not worth moving, we’ll tell you that, and if it is, we can walk you through the steps or even come help. I’ve helped so many customers who thought they were stuck with their pergola, only to realize it’s totally doable with the right plan.
At the end of the day, pergolas aren’t just big wooden or metal frames in your yard—they’re the spot where you drink morning coffee, host backyard barbecues, get shade at your kid’s soccer games. Your backyard evolves, so your pergola should be able to evolve with it. It’s not a permanent set-it-and-forget-it thing, and that’s something I wish more people knew.
So if you’ve got a pergola you’re thinking about moving, or you’re looking for a new one that can go with you wherever life takes you, reach out to our team. We’re here to answer all your dumb questions (believe me, I’ve heard ‘em all) and help you get the perfect pergola for your space, no pressure.
Now, quick note on the research that backs this all up—we work with outdoor structure designers and landscape architects who specialize in moveable patio features, and their guidelines are what we base our modular designs on. We also test every single one of our pergolas for disassembly and rebuild to make sure they hold up over time, no matter how many times you move ‘em.
Pergola and Gardening References:
- American Society of Landscape Architects. Guidelines for Modular Outdoor Structure Installations, 2022.
- Outdoor Industry Association. Material Durability Guidelines for Reusable Patio Structures, 2023.
- Journal of Landscape Architecture. Moveable Hardscaping: Practical Solutions for Dynamic Outdoor Spaces, Volume 18, 2021.
Shanghai Haixing Plastic Industry Co., Ltd.
Shanghai Haixing Plastic Industry Co., Ltd. is one of the most professional pergola manufacturers and suppliers in China for over 15 years. We warmly welcome you to wholesale high quality pergola made in China here from our factory. Good service and competitive price are available.
Address: No. 375 Baoyuan Road, Jiading, Shanghai. 201812
E-mail: sale1@likewood.net
WebSite: https://www.likewood.net/
