Pergola + Shade · Design concept
Motorized pergola
Dark-stained cedar pergola with a motorized matte-black aluminum louvered roof. Open to the breeze at noon, closed and warm at sunset, wired for evening pendants and a wall-mounted touch controller.
This is a design concept — a photo-real rendering of a typical project, with the scope, materials and schedule a build like it usually involves. Your project gets its own scope and itemized estimate after a free in-home walk-through.
Typical timeline
~12 working days
Service
Pergola + Shade
Scope tier
Premium scope
Before / after
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Drag the slider to compare the starting point with the design concept.
After
BeforeThe scenario
A typical starting point
The homeowners had a 600 sq ft patio they barely used because there was no shade in the afternoon and no shelter when the autumn rains came in. They wanted to keep the existing patio surface, add real shade on a schedule they could control from inside the house, and have the build look like it had always been there. Cedar posts and beams stained to match the home's trim, an aluminum louvered roof painted matte black for contrast, and a permit-engineered structure that handles the Placer County wind load.
The scope
What's in the scope
A scope checklist is how every Tanbark project starts. Below is the checklist for a project like this — the same level of specificity goes into the itemized estimate you'll get after your in-home walk-through.
- Site measurement + engineered structural drawings for Placer County permit
- Permit application + inspection coordination
- 12-inch concrete footings with simpson galvanized post bases
- 6x6 cedar posts and 4x12 beams, dark-stained to match home trim
- Motorized aluminum louvered roof system (Struxure-equivalent)
- Integrated low-voltage wiring for evening pendants
- Wall-mounted touch controller + remote
- Three-coat exterior stain + sealer rated for Placer County UV
Materials + finishes
What we'd specify
Finishes are what make a build feel custom — and the cheap version of every line below is the difference between a one-year project and a twenty-year project.
- Clear-grade cedar 6x6 posts + 4x12 beams
- Motorized matte-black aluminum louvered roof
- Galvanized Simpson post bases with anchor bolts
- Smart wall-mount touch controller + handheld remote
- Three-coat oil-based exterior stain + UV sealer
Material + finish detail
The details up close
Day by day
A typical 12-working-day schedule
Here's how a project like this usually breaks down. Your exact day count lives in your written estimate.
- 1
Design + permit
Pre-buildSite measurement, engineered drawings, Placer County permit pulled.
- 2
Footings
Day 1-3Footings hand-dug, inspected, poured; post bases set.
- 3
Structure
Day 4-7Cedar posts and beams set, stained on-site, weather-sealed.
- 4
Louvered roof + wiring
Day 8-10Aluminum louvered roof installed and motorized; low-voltage runs for pendants pulled.
- 5
Controls + finish
Day 11-12Touch controller mounted, schedule pre-set, final inspection, walk-through.
Why it matters
The details that make it work
- Engineered drawings + permit aren't optional in Placer County — and a permitted structure is what holds up at resale.
- Cedar stained to match home trim is what makes the pergola look like it was always there.
- Smart schedule means the louvers open automatically at sunrise and close at sunset — set once and forget it.
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Want the same scope-checklist for your project?
Grab the free 2026 Sacramento Remodel Planning Kit — the scope worksheet, contractor question list, and material spec sheet behind a pergola + shade like this one.
- Scope-Built Quote Worksheet — for apples-to-apples bids
- 10 questions every Sacramento contractor should answer
- Sacramento permit reality check by jurisdiction
- The 5 line items that blow most remodel budgets
- Material + finish cheat sheet (what to spec, what to skip)
About the number on a project like this:
We don't publish project totals because the same build can cost very differently depending on the home, the existing conditions, the finish level you actually want, and how much custom millwork or stone the design calls for. The right number for your project lives in your itemized written estimate, which we deliver within 48 hours of your in-home walk-through.
On the walk we bring the same scope-checklist approach you see above. By the end of the visit you'll know exactly which line items are fixed scope, which are selections, and where the real budget pressure lives.
Articles about this kind of project
Sacramento-area context for a pergola + shade like this — permits, timeline drivers, and scope decisions.
Article · Granite Bay
Pergola permits in Placer County: a homeowner's guide
What it actually takes to permit a pergola in Placer County — when you need engineered drawings, when you don't, and what the inspector is looking for on the day of inspection.
Keep reading
Article · Sacramento
Outdoor kitchens in Sacramento: gas, water, electrical, and the permit they all need
What a real built-in outdoor kitchen needs under the slab — gas, water, GFCI, drainage — and why every Sacramento-area jurisdiction permits this work. Plus what separates a contractor-grade build from a custom one.
Keep reading
Next step
Want something like this at your home?
Book a free in-home walk-through. We'll measure, ask the right questions, and bring you an itemized written estimate within 48 hours.
