Gorgeous Pergola With Roof Designs That You'll Love

A custom pergola design creates a free-standing shade structure that ties your outdoor living design into your home’s overall style. Homeowners in Texas (where we live and work) benefit greatly from a pergola with roof materials to combat the sun and seasonal heavy rains.

But what kind of covered pergola is best for you? You need the right materials for your local climate, an ideal roof structure to provide ample shade, and a stylish design vision with the curb appeal to increase your overall property value.

This roofed pergola style guide offers practical solutions for Texas homeowners, and a gallery of our past work to inspire your design process. Let’s upgrade your backyard living space!

Why Trust Our Pergola Design Expertise?

We founded Allied Outdoor Solutions in 2009 to serve the outdoor living needs of Houston. Since then, we’ve expanded to Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio — and we’ve created over 20,000 premium outdoor living spaces for our clients.

Our team is comprised of outdoor living designers, materials experts and quality contractors. We handle the full scope of every residential pergola installation with our unique blend of beautiful products, transparent business practices and fair pricing.

We used our decades of covered pergola installation projects to inform this article — and to provide a great design inspiration gallery along the way.

Escape the Heat: Why a Pergola Roof Is a Must-Have in Texas

Outdoor living is no fun when the sun is constantly beating down on you. Your pool deck is too hot to walk on. Your outdoor furniture is too hot to sit on. And you and your guests never leave your covered patio (or the inside of your house).

A pergola roof allows you to achieve all the benefits of a covered patio anywhere on your property. It provides a free-standing shade structure wherever you envision it — next to the pool, on a garden terrace, or over your custom outdoor bar and grill.

Whether you’re battling the humidity in San Antonio or 100 summer days of 100°F temperatures in Dallas, a roofed pergola is a flexible weapon to beat the heat.

5 Practical Benefits of Adding a Roof to Your Pergola

Adding a roof to your backyard pergola has 5 immediate, practical benefits:

1. Shade, shade, shade. Choose a roof style that lets in just enough sun — choose from lattice, slatted or solid roof designs.
2. Protection from the elements. Curl up with a good book or cold drink on the pergola no matter the weather.
3. An outdoor living focal point. Adding a roof transforms your pergola into an all-season, all-weather focal point of your Texas outdoor lifestyle.
4. Natural extension of your home’s style. Complement your home style and decor with materials that match your existing architecture.
5. Increased property value. Most TX homeowners derive an increase in property value by adding a covered pergola.

Sun, Shade and Style: Assess Your Pergola Design Needs

Start your inspired pergola design journey by assessing your specific needs.

What functions are you most interested in? Is your covered pergola an entertainment space, a relaxing hideaway, or the home of your new outdoor bar island or grill station?

Do you have climate and weather concerns? Will your pergola roof shield you from rain and seasonal hail events? How much shade do you want? 

And most importantly — why do you want a covered pergola? What design features and use cases will it provide that make it unique from a covered patio?

Roofed Pergola vs. Covered Patio: What’s the Difference?

First things first: a pergola with a roof and a covered patio aren’t the same thing! It’s easy to confuse the two — both are shade structures that provide comfortable outdoor living spaces.

A covered pergola is almost always a free-standing structure. An open framework is central to its construction. Even though pergola roofs are usually latticed or slatted, some designs include a solid roof.

A covered patio is almost always attached to your home. It features a solid roof that’s basically a natural extension of your home’s roofline. Covered patios always provide maximum protection from sun and rain, whereas covered pergolas offer varying degrees of protection.

Get Inspired! Diverse Roofed Pergola Design Gallery

Now that you know why you want a covered pergola, what you’ll use it for, and which design features you crave, let’s get inspired!

Dive into our gallery of pergola with roof designs. We’ve delivered hundreds to happy Texas homeowners — this section features some of our favorites.

If you want even more design inspiration, look at even more of our Texas pergola designs.

Modern Outdoor Chef’s Kitchen Pergola

Transform your backyard into a night of patio dining on the San Antonio River Walk with a modern solid roof pergola complete with outdoor kitchen and grilling stations.

Recessed lighting makes the metal roof on this pergola shine. Stone bases provide a transitional style that surrounds the Carvestone flooring.

Mixed Media Chic: Easy, Breezy and Seamless

The light, airy covered pergola uses rustic wood and gorgeous brick bases to create a beachy island in this Texas backyard. It’s a great example of how even a small pergola can make your entire backyard feel so much bigger.

The tightly spaced slatted roof pairs beautifully with the smart, minimal table and outdoor seating. There’s plenty of room for this homeowner’s prized outdoor gas grill.

Louvered Pergola Hideaway

Use your pergola as a hideaway with a stunning view. The low roof design and shaded sides make this shade structure feel like a retreat, where you can relax with a book or a drink on a comfortable day bed.

Poolside Hideaway Pergola With Lattice Roof

A wooden lattice pergola roof and supports adorned with light blue curtains make this outdoor pool feel like it’s at a beachfront resort. The rustic treated lumber looks great against the home’s brick siding and ties in beautifully with the solid privacy wall to the right.

No Reservations Required: A Grillmaster’s Dream Pergola

This stunning transitional roofed pergola sits on the property line near a natural stone border wall. We tied the wall into the design with light-colored natural stone flooring. The perimeter lighting around the edges of the slatted metal roof add an upscale urban ambience to evenings outside.

This small-but-impactful pergola is a grillmaster’s dream, complete with custom outdoor grill, Big Green Egg smoker, prep station and ample room for seating.

Want more inspiration? Visit our updated shade structure project gallery!

Texas-Specific Pergola Design Considerations

Texas homeowners have unique considerations when it comes to designing a covered pergola. These challenges come in 3 forms:

1. Matching your covered pergola to your overall home style;
2. Choosing aesthetically pleasing, durable materials; and
3. Ensuring your structure can withstand local climate and weather concerns.

Match Your Covered Pergola to Your Architectural Style

The right covered pergola for your property matches the aesthetic and architectural style of your house. There are great design options for the most popular styles of Texas homes.

Cedar and pressure-treated lumber pair beautifully with modern farmhouse design. Opt for rough-hewn lumber to create a rustic look with new materials. Use bronze and black metallic elements to complement your style.

Rustic ranch homes look great with a pergola made from natural stone and wood. Consider wood timber posts with stone bases for a seamless transition between home and outdoor living areas. 

Flex your creative muscle when pairing a pergola with Spanish architecture. Earth-toned materials and wood elements are smart starting points. Consider arched openings to mirror your home style. Make sure your materials match existing clay roof, stucco and masonry work.

Choose Your Pergola Roof Materials Wisely

The materials you choose for your roofed pergola don’t just create a specific look and feel. Each has pros and cons dealing with climate, temperature, rot and insect resistance.

Here’s a look at the 3 most commonly used pergola roof materials in Texas homes, with pros and cons and ideal uses for each:

Metal (aluminum or steel)

Pros: Metal pergola roofing is highly durable and resistant to rot, fire and pest infestation. This low-maintenance option reflects sunlight away from your shade structure and offers a clean, contemporary look.

Cons: While metal reflects sunlight, it becomes very hot quickly — be careful not to touch it on hot summer days. Metal is also among the most expensive pergola roof materials.

Best Design Uses: Consider an aluminum pergola roof for a modern farmhouse or transitional outdoor living design.

Wood (treated lumber or cedar)

Pros: Wood roofs look naturally stunning on pergolas. They function particularly well as tightly-spaced slats and provide a good deal of shade within the space.

Cons: You’ll stain and seal your wood roof on a regular basis — even with treated lumber products. Cedar is particularly affected by moisture, humidity and heavy rains.

Best Design Uses: Wood pergola roofing works well across a vast array of architectural styles, from rustic ranch to Spanish-inspired designs. If you live in Houston and San Antonio, take care to treat your lumber regularly to avoid warps and cracks from heavy rainfall and high humidity.

Polycarbonate

Pros: Polycarbonate roofing offers excellent UV protection for your pergola. It diffuses light particularly well — you’ll get a good mix of shade and sun. These materials are usually available in a wide variety of colors and textures.

Cons: Some homeowners feel that polycarbonate materials are less aesthetically pleasing than wood or metal. Be sure to purchase high-quality polycarbonate — lower grade materials may yellow and fade over time.

Best Design Uses: Use polycarbonate roofing if you’re concerned about UV protection. Opt for lighter colors that are less likely to fade from heavy rains and direct sunlight.

Consider Your Local Climate When Selecting Materials

Your pergola’s roof must withstand the local climate and weather patterns for decades — so choose wisely when making a final decision.

San Antonio experiences some of the highest humidity in Texas. Choose materials that are naturally resistant to moisture and humidity damage, like aluminum and steel.

Houston and Dallas have bouts of heavy, torrential rain. If you use wood roofing materials, make sure they’re properly stained and sealed on a regular basis. Ask your pergola installer for advice on how often to seal your roof.

Inspired to Get Your Own Premium Roofed Pergola?

Elevate your backyard with a custom pergola, and be sure to add a roof to protect yourself from the Texas heat and heavy rains.

Choose materials that reflect your existing home style and combat local climate and weather concerns. If you need help making tough design decisions — that’s what we’re here for!

We’ve installed hundreds of premium pergolas in Austin, DFW, Houston and San Antonio. If our designs inspire you, reach out and tell us about the pergola of your dreams.